Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:99. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 281 of 7 September 2018, the costs of each action outlined. [40514/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 October 2018
Ceisteanna (99)
Freagraí scríofa
A set out in the response to Parliamentary Question no. 281 of September 2018, it was estimated that an overall budget of €2.3m would be required in 2018 to implement a range of actions in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022. The cost for the allocation of additional teaching hours to primary and post-primary schools participating in the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme from September 2018 was estimated at in the region of €1m. This estimate was based on the provision of additional hours to all primary and post-primary Gaeltacht schools under the terms of Department of Education and Skills Circulars 0033/2017 and 0034/2017, and Circulars 0021/2018 and 0022/2018 for primary and post-primary schools in the Gaeltacht. Funding for up to 30 participants on a new Irish-medium M.Ed. programme commencing from September 2018 was estimated at €210,000 on the basis of the norms for the cost of teacher education places. Implementation of the e-hub digital project in post-primary schools was estimated at a cost of €70,000 in 2018, however, it should be noted that the cost of project implementation was estimated when the project was at an embryonic stage of development. The allocation of hours for the Forás language development programme in two post-primary schools in the Gaeltacht was estimated at €120,000 on the basis of the allocation of two ex-quota teaching posts to two schools. The estimated budget to support an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG) in the implementation of Policy actions, including the extra allocation of two Education Officers to COGG, amounted to in the region of €200,000. Provision for substitute cover for primary and post-primary teachers attending additional CPD under the implementation of the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, which was estimated on the basis of attendance by schools at the CPD in accordance with Circulars 0033/2017, 0034/2017, 0021/2018 and 0022/2018, was estimated at in the region of €120,000 for 2018. Provision for printing, administration and staffing of the Gaeltacht Education Unit in the Department was estimated in the region of €220,000.
A further €133,000 was estimated to cover the cost of the payment of a grant, for the purchase of Irish-medium resources, to primary and post-primary schools participating in the Gaeltacht School Recognition Scheme, while in the region of €210,000 was estimated to cover the cost of release days and CPD for new entrants to the Scheme, along with provision for associates and the secondment of two teachers to NUIG to support implementation of the Policy.
Overall expenditure across Policy actions in 2018 is in line with the estimated expenditure of €2.3m.