Written Answers Nos. 156-169
156. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to extend the number and category of bodies and associated timeframe that may be permitted to request the public services card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38891/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Services Card (PSC), and its online counterpart MyGovID, are based on the Government wide SAFE standard for establishing an individual's identity. This standard, along with the PSC and MyGovID, combine to provide the Government with a consistent and robust method of protecting personal data while delivering public services in an efficient and effective manner.
"Specified bodies" as set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005, are permitted to request and use the PSC, and there are no plans in place to extend the number of bodies who can use this card.
During 2017 and over the course of this year, my Department and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection have worked with a number of specified bodies to integrate the PSC and MyGovID, into their processes in order to improve access to and the security of public services. Currently, the PSC and MyGovID underpin access to social welfare entitlements, first time adult passport applications, citizenship applications, Revenue services, SUSI grants, driving licence and driver theory test applications.
During the rest of this year and 2019, access to more public services will be underpinned by the PSC and MyGovID. My Department along with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is engaging with the relevant Departments to assist with the transition of services in line with the schedule set out in the eGovernment Strategy 2017-2020.
Further information, including a detailed list of services currently supported, and services planned to be supported by the PSC and MyGovID, is available at: https://psc.gov.ie/services/.
157. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expenditure savings that are earmarked for his Department for 2019 that are not accounted for in the mid-year expenditure report or are not included in the fiscal space calculations for 2019. [38491/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Mid-Year Expenditure Report (MYER) set out the starting baseline in relation to the gross voted expenditure for 2019. As outlined in the MYER, the technical pre-Budget position for current expenditure is the current expenditure allocation for this year set out in REV. This pre-Budget position will be adjusted to reflect the allocation to the Department of a central provision in relation to the Public Service Stability Agreement.
The capital ceiling set out in the MYER is consistent with the ceiling for 2019 published in the National Development Plan.
The figures set out in the MYER do not include expenditure savings targets specifically earmarked for my Department. However, as usual as part of the Estimates process, my Department will be examining the allocations across its programme areas, including taking into account expenditure trends in 2018, to identify how services can be delivered within the overall fiscal parameters for 2019.
158. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the refurbishment of a Garda station (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38669/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe property encroachment issues referred to in previous questions (June 2018) have been rectified. The Office of Public Works is reviewing all options to provide the best possible solution for An Garda Síochána’s operational and policing needs in Ramelton while continuing to maintain the existing Garda Station premises.
159. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the financial contribution the Office of Public Works has made to a trust (details supplied) over each of the past five years and to date in 2018; the detail of the agreement between the OPW and the trust with regard to its offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38746/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Office of Public Works (OPW) makes no financial contribution to the Galway Civic Trust (Dúchas na Gaillimhe).
The Custom House in Galway encompasses an important archaeological site - the remains of the Hall of the 14th Century Red Earl’s Castle - which is located in the foyer of the building.
The OPW made a significant investment in the restoration of the Hall of the Red Earl in recent years but did not have the resources to have it opened to the public. The OPW entered into an agreement with the Galway Civic Trust (Dúchas na Gaillimhe) to provide them with some accommodation on the ground floor of the Custom House, in return for facilitating public access to the Hall of the Red Earl.
160. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of pension restoration for retired public sector workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38830/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR), was introduced on 1 January 2011 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2011.
The PSPR reduces the value of those public service pensions which have pre-PSPR values above specified thresholds. It does so in a progressively structured way which has a proportionately greater effect on higher value pensions.
A very significant part-unwinding of PSPR in three stages is taking place under the FEMPI Act 2015, with PSPR-affected pensioners getting pension increases via substantial restoration of the PSPR cuts on 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018.
The cost of these FEMPI 2015 changes is estimated at about €90 million on a full-year basis from 2018.
The Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, provides for further significant lessening of the impact of PSPR by way of threshold and rate changes to apply on 1 January 2019 and 1 January 2020.
The cost of these changes is estimated at €24 million in 2019 and €12 million in 2020. When fully in place from the beginning of 2020, these changes will mean that the vast majority of public service retirees, comprising everyone with occupational pension values up to at least €54,000, will be entirely free of PSPR. For those who retired since end-February 2012 that threshold will be even higher, at €60,000. Under section 27(3) of the Act, an order for the complete unwinding of PSPR, at an estimated additional cost of €12m, must be made by 31st December 2020.
161. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 67 of 19 September 2018, the reason successful candidates on the 2016 regional panels would not be given priority over new successful candidates who may be put on regional panels following the 2018 clerical officer campaign; the reason these regional panels would not be fully exhausted prior to new regional panels being put in place; if those who remain live on the 2016 regional panels must reapply under the 2018 clerical officer campaign; the reason these persons will not be automatically placed on the next panel until all candidates are placed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38834/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll competitions in the civil service are time bound. In the case of open competitions this is usually between 18 months and 2 years. This affords an opportunity for those on the panel to be recruited from the current competition and also gives those not on the panel an opportunity to compete in subsequent competitions.
The number of positions available to any particular panel depends on the demand from departments/offices and that demand is subject to their pay and numbers allocation. While every effort is made to make sure that panels are not excessively large, placement on panels is no guarantee of appointment to a position and this is clearly set out in competition booklets.
As the Deputy will appreciate not everyone placed on a panels will be offered a position.
There is currently a new open clerical officer competition being run for the Civil Service by the Public Appointment Service. Clerical panels for 26 county locations will be created by PAS and vacancies will be filled as and when required by employing departments. Until such time as this panel is in place the 2016 CO competition will remain in place and vacancies arising filled from it.
162. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a bus ticket will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38277/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
Bus Éireann has advised that the child in question commenced on a school transport service on Monday 24th September 2018.
163. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the names of a board of management of a primary school are available to the public from the school or the patron; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38306/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe appointment of a Board of Management of a primary school is a matter for the relevant school patron in accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998.
The procedures for the election, nomination and appointment of members of Boards of management of primary schools and the rules under which these Boards operate are set out in my Department’s publication the “Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015-2019”.
In relation to the names of the individual members appointed, many schools use their website to make this publically available. Alternatively the names of the members of a Board of Management of a school should be made available upon request to the school in question.
164. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress over the summer months to acquire a site for the new school building for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38314/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the building project for the school to which she refers is included on my Department's capital programme.
Agreement in principle for the acquisition of a suitable site for the school has been reached and this is currently being progressed.
In tandem with this the Schedule of Accommodation is currently being finalised and as soon as this is completed my Department will be in contact with the school authorities.
165. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that the providers of school lunches ensure that the packaging for the food is as environmentally friendly as possible with the minimum use of plastics or the eradication of the use of plastics if possible. [38315/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. It is therefore a matter for each school to devise guidelines around the variants of food that are available on the school premises, including where appropriate in the school canteen.
The School Meals Programme is operated by my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and provides funding towards the provision of food to some 4,580 schools and organisations. All aspects of the operation of the school meals projects, including the choice of the school meals supplier, are the responsibility of the school board of management.
Schools at primary and post primary level can apply to be a part of the Green Schools Programme. This promotes long-term, whole-school action for the environment. Green-Schools is a student-led programme with involvement from the wider community. The programme is operated and co-ordinated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce (FEE member for Ireland).
I understand that my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working with Local Authorities to roll out an education programme on the recycling of all waste, including plastics. This Recycling Ambassadors Programme will comprise of 650 workshops on how to recycle properly for community groups and workplaces and information on this programme can be found at www.voiceireland.org/rap/.
The EU Commission also recently published its European Strategy for Plastics in January 2018. This strategy focuses on plastics production and use and sets a goal of ensuring all plastic packaging produced in the EU is recyclable by 2030. I also understand that my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment is working with the EU and other Member States to see how this country can play its part in meeting the ambition of this Strategy.
166. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address an anomaly in the SUSI third-level grant process (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38327/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo satisfy the terms and conditions of the student grant scheme in relation to progression, a student must be moving from year to year within a course, having successfully completed the previous year or be transferring from one course to another, where the award for the subsequent course is of a higher level than the previous course. If an applicant holds a qualification at any level and wishes to pursue another qualification at the same level, the second qualification is ineligible for funding as per the Student Grant Scheme.
The objective of this policy is to help as many students as possible to obtain one qualification at each level of study. This is necessary given the level of demand on the student grant budget from first time students and students who are progressing with their studies to a higher level.
It is not possible to examine the particular circumstances of the case, based on the information supplied by the Deputy. However, if the Deputy is in a position to provide information in relation to a specific case I will investigate the matter further with SUSI.
167. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure for a school to apply for DEIS status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38331/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that schools are not required to make an application for inclusion in the DEIS programme, as all schools both Primary and Post Primary are assessed using a new uniform identification model.
Following a review of the DEIS programme, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.
The key data sources used in the DEIS identification process are the DES Primary Online Database (POD) and Post-Primary Online (PPOD) Databases, and CSO data from the National Census of Population as represented in the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area. Variables used in the compilation of the HP Index include those related to demographic growth, dependency ratios, education levels, single parent rate, overcrowding, social class, occupation and unemployment rates. This data is combined with pupil data supplied by schools, anonymised and aggregated to small area, to provide information on the relative level of concentrated disadvantage present in the pupil cohort of individual schools.
A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the Identification process is available on the Department’s website at
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf .
Further quality assurance work is currently being conducted on the model and it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools until this work is complete.
168. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the recognised schools that will be exempted from paying into the proposed learner protection fund with regard to the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018; the criteria a school must reach to gain recognition (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38335/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra‘Recognised’ schools are those schools which are recognised by the Minister for Education and Skills in accordance with Section 10 of the Education Act 1998. This primarily relates to primary and post primary schools.
Recognised schools, as publicly funded schools, are currently exempt from Protection for Enrolled Learners (PEL) requirements under Section 65 of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012. While the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 proposes to substantially amend Section 65 of the Act of 2012 to facilitate the introduction of the Learner Protection Fund, there will be no change to the exemption for recognised schools. This is reflected in the Bill as published.
169. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a higher education grant will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38339/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that SUSI has advised that the student in question applied for a maintenance grant for the 2018/2019 academic year. He was assessed and determined to be over the threshold for the award of any grant assistance as his reckonable income exceeded the thresholds set out in the scheme.
The decision was issued by SUSI on 18th May 2018 and the applicant was advised at that time of his right to appeal SUSI’s decision in accordance with the statutory timeline as set out in section 20 of the Student Support Act 2011. SUSI has further advised that no appeal was received within the statutory timeframe.
Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Officer in the third level institution attended. This fund is administered on a confidential, discretionary basis.
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax may also be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education, including approved postgraduate courses in EU Member States and in non-EU countries. Further information on this tax relief is available from the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie.
