Written Answers Nos. 139-158
139. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will extend the duration of the existing illness benefit for teachers for Covid-19 related illness or exempt Covid-19 related absences until a vaccine is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29149/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning. The current COVID-19 arrangements in place for teachers are outlined in my Department’s Circular Letter 0049/2020.
The Circular outlines that special leave with pay may be granted to teachers who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who are recommended to self-isolate. Paragraph 4.5 of Circular 0049/2020 states:
‘Special leave with pay granted by the employer will not be counted as part of the employee’s Sick Leave record.’
In addition, the Circular allows for a teacher who is on restricted movement or a very high risk of serious illness, from contracting COVID-19, to be facilitated with alternative working arrangements e.g. working from home.
140. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education if she will engage with a primary school (details supplied) in County Meath regarding ongoing road safety issues at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29225/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school in question submitted an application for capital funding under my Department's multi-annual Summer Works Scheme (SWS) 2020 onwards for External Works (Category 10).
In late 2019, the details of the schools that will receive funding in Summer 2020 in respect of applications submitted for "Life Safety Systems projects" (Category 1) were announced.
Commensurate with the level of funding set aside for the Scheme, remaining applications are being assessed on a top down basis in accordance with the prioritisation criteria outlined in the Circular accompanying the Scheme. In this regard, applications submitted for other works/categories will be considered under future rounds of the Summer Works Scheme.
141. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the details of the tendering process that resulted in Educational Testing Service getting the contract for the review of essential aspects of the coding used to implement the leaving certificate standardisation process; the value of the contract awarded to ETS; the number of companies applied for the tender; the way the tender was advertised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29228/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra142. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the details of the tendering process for the contract, which was awarded to a company (details supplied) for the leaving certificate standardisation process in 2020; the number of companies applied for the tender; the details of the companies which applied for the tender; the reason given for the decision to give the contract to that company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29229/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 142 together.
The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.
As part of initial contingency planning for the Leaving Certificate 2020, the State Examinations Commission procured international expertise through Polymetrika International Inc.
Polymetrika was contracted to provide statistical and psychometric expertise, initially on the basis of contingency planning in the event of the Leaving Certificate not taking place as planned.
The value of that contract was €71,500 to cover 65 days. Any additional days are to be charged at €1,100 per day.
Polymetrika played an integral part of the development and running of the Calculated Grades model, and as such the contract for Polymetrika was extended to implement the Calculated Grades model under the pre-agreed terms of the contract. This was done following the decision of Government on 8 May 2020 to postpone the Leaving Certificate Examinations.
Due to the time constraints the Department availed of the procurement process known as the Negotiated Procedure without Prior Publication. This is used in circumstances where it is a case of extreme urgency.
To date, the total gross cost of services provided by Polymetrika under contract has been approximately €193,000 which reflects services provided to end September.
This expenditure reflects their work in both the contingency planning and the development and statistical work around the operation of the model.
As was announced on 30 September, the Department has also engaged the services of ETS, Educational Testing Service, a US-based non-profit organisation which specialises in educational measurement, to review essential aspects of the coding. ETS submitted their report of the review to the Department on 03 October.
The cost of services provided by ETS has not yet been finalised.
143. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the number of persons who have applied to sit the leaving certificate examinations in November 2020; the details of the closing date for applications for the November 2020 sitting; if, based on the current restriction levels nationally, she will state the likelihood of holding the exams in November 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29230/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe deadline for registration for the postponed Leaving Certificate 2020 examinations is 5.00pm on Wednesday 07 October.
The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
144. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education if the coding mistake in the leaving certificate standardisation process, which resulted in a student’s two worst non-core junior certificate grades being counted, rather than their two best non-core grades, was made by a company (details supplied) or if it was as a result of an error at Departmental level prior to instruction being given to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29231/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a result of COVID-19, which prevented the State from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process was to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education.
On 30 September, I made a statement advising that two errors had been identified in the Calculated Grades process. These meant that incorrect grades were issued to some students when they received their results on 7 September.
The first error was identified by Polymetrika International Inc as having taken place when processing students’ data. The error, in one out of 50,000 lines of code, was in relation to the processing of Junior Cycle data. The system was meant to draw on the core Junior Cycle subjects of English, Irish and Maths, and combine them with the students’ 2 best non-core subjects for all of the students in each class in each school. The coding error instead combined the core subjects with the students’ 2 weakest non-core subjects.
The error meant that, in some subjects, some students received Calculated Grades that were lower than they should have been, while some students received grades that were higher than they should have been.
In the course of a review which the Department then undertook, Departmental staff found a further error in the section of the code dealing with Junior Cycle results. The Junior Cycle subject Civil, Social and Political Education (CPSE) was meant to be disregarded as part of the model but was not. This second error, however, had a negligible impact on results.
I provided a further update on 03 October, announcing that improved Calculated Grades would issue to impacted students that day. This announcement was made following a review of essential aspects of the coding by Educational Testing Services, ETS, a non-profit organisation based in the United States.
ETS completed their review and provided it to my Department on 3 October. The review identified one further error, relating to how the code handled cases where students did not sit all three core subjects (Irish, English and Maths) at Junior Cycle level.
As a result of rectification of the errors, a total of 6,100 students have received higher grades. This breaks down as follows:
5,408 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in one subject,
621 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in two subjects,
71 students have received a higher grade, by one grade band, in three or more subjects.
In addition to the students who received a lower grade than they should have in this year’s Leaving Certificate, some students received a higher grade than they should have. However, these students’ grades are not being amended and the students will not be affected.
ETS also identified an issue concerning how the algorithm used in the standardisation process treated students’ marks at the extreme ends of the marks scale (99% and over, 1% and below). However, ETS also stated that this had no material impact on the results and no student could receive a lower grade as a result of it.
A copy of the report submitted by ETS is available on www.gov.ie/leavngcert.
146. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if the specification for the coding for the predictive grade model was signed off by her Department was explicit and clear as to the requirements; and the date on which this sign-off occurred. [29249/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra147. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the person or body within her Department that approved sign-off for the predictive grade model; on what date, and at what project board meeting. [29250/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra148. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the minutes of the meeting at which the specification and the subsequent approval were authorised for the calculated grade coding for a company (details supplied); and if she will provide evidence that the major flaws in the software quality assurance process will not be repeated. [29251/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra149. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the professional standards that will be applied to future work on the ISO 29119 software testing standards which are an internationally agreed set which can be used by an organisation when performing any form of software testing; if not, the recognised standards that will be adhered to; and the specific name of the alternative standard. [29252/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 to 149, inclusive, together.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the Calculated Grades results and are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/.
The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. A range of steps were taken to ensure adequate oversight of the Calculated Grades process.
The design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a the National Standardisation Group, comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills, the Educational Research Centre and international external expertise. The National Standardisation Group is the decision-making group responsible for the implementation of the iterative design and development cycles required to produce and refine the standardisation process and the application, review, and adjustment of the data in line with the commitments, principles, parameters and constraints associated with the calculated grades process to arrive at fair and just representations of student performance. The integrity, validity and reliability of the process of national standardisation was overseen by the National Standardisation Group.
The purpose, role and membership of the Group, along with information on the duration of its work and the decision making, governance and oversight arrangements that would apply, were set out in the paper Establishment of a National Standardisation Group for Calculated Grades.
The aim of the National Standardisation Group was to deliver a set of calculated grades that met the objectives of being fair and accurate at the point in the iterative process at which a safe, satisfactory and defensible set of outcomes has been achieved.
Details regarding this group, including its terms of reference, membership and its decision making framework are available in the Report from the National Standardisation Group to the Independent Steering Committee and the Programme Board which is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/. Minutes of the meetings of this group are available at
https://www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Regulation-of-Lobbying-Act-2015/Groups-Committees-exempted-under-the-Transparency-Code/national-standardisation-group.html
A non-statutory Independent Steering Committee to oversee the quality and independence of the process being undertaken by the Calculated Grades Executive Office was established by me. The Steering Committee comprises six independent members appointed by me and is chaired by Dr Áine Lawlor, former Director of the Teaching Council. The Steering Committee was established to provide assurance as to the quality and integrity of the outcomes of the Calculated Grades system. The 1st Letter of Opinion regarding the Calculated Grades System of the Independent Steering Committee can be found at: https://www.gov.ie/pdf/86710/?page=null Details of the Independent Steering Committee including its membership are also available at the above link.
A Calculated Grades Programme Board provided governance and decision-making for the overall programme associated with the Calculated Grades Model and process. The Board was chaired by an Assistant Secretary General from the Department of Education and Skills and membership comprises officials from the Calculated Grades Executive Office, the wider Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In addition, Dr Janet Brown, former Chief Executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority, was appointed to the role of External Reviewer. The External Reviewer is an independent expert, unconnected with the design of the Calculated Grades model, who provides further independent oversight of the system and overall validation on the model, including the operation of the appeals system. Dr. Brown’s Statement in Advance of the Issue of Results can be found at https://www.gov.ie/en/collection/90d4a-calculated-grades-document-library/.
150. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to provide funding in budget 2021 to the universal basic income pilot which has already been successfully trialled in Finland, Canada and Alaska; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29045/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government.
This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.
151. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has received a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission in respect of increases which should apply from January 2021. [29174/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Low Pay Commission has statutory responsibility for the making of a recommendation regarding the national minimum hourly rate of pay.
I have received two reports from the Low Pay Commission this year regarding the National Minimum Wage, one on 17 July and one on 22 September. The September report was accompanied by correspondence outlining a majority recommendation from the Low Pay Commission that the National Minimum Wage be increased by 10 cents to €10.20 per hour.
The Government has decided to increase the National Minimum Wage by 10 cents to €10.20. This increase will take effect from 1 January 2021.
The two reports from the Low Pay Commission regarding the National Minimum Wage will now be published.
152. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reopen the public registrations office in County Longford. [29205/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Civil Registration Service is operated by the HSE with policy direction being given by the General Register Office (GRO), which falls under the aegis of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the GRO and Civil Registration Service has continued to provide civil registration services, including the registration of births and deaths and managing the legal preliminary for marriage and conducting civil marriages. In line with other public service providers and to adhere to public health requirements, restrictions on public access to civil registration offices remain in place.
The Deputy will be aware that temporary measures were included in the Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Act 2020 to allow for the registration of births and deaths to be completed without the need for attendance before a registrar. These temporary measures are working well and will continue in place until the end of January 2021. The GRO and HSE continue to monitor the implementation of these temporary arrangements to ensure they are meeting public demand.
I have been informed by the HSE that the Longford civil registration office remains closed to the public but is carrying out services related to the registration of births, deaths and marriages. Marriage notifications are being received at the Longford office and are being finalised at other locations, primarily the Mullingar civil registration office. The HSE is planning to re-open the Longford office along with other civil registration offices in the Midlands region on a phased basis and having regard to the emerging public health environment; however, no date has as yet been provided by the HSE as to when this will occur.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
153. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on social welfare overpayments as detailed by the Comptroller and Auditor General; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28975/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the recent publication by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of his report on the Accounts of Public Services for 2019, and in particular, the chapter on "Control over Social Welfare Payments". My Department's budget in 2019 was over €20bn, and the oversight of the C&AG is essential to ensuring public confidence in the control and anti-fraud measures in place to protect the monies entrusted by the taxpayer and authorised by the Oireachtas.
My Department operates approximately 80 schemes and programmes. While the vast majority of payments made under these schemes are appropriate, payments in excess of entitlement can and do happen. These overpayments can arise in a number of ways, including through customer errors, official error by Department staff and through suspected fraudulent claiming of benefits.
My Department has published a Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy, covering the years 2019 to 2023, to ensure that a clear and strategic approach to preventing and detecting social welfare suspected fraud and error underpins the control work of the Department. The Strategy consists of 4 pillars (Prevent, Deter, Detect and Account ) which are leveraged to ensure that suspected fraud and non-compliance in our welfare system is kept to a minimum during the lifetime of the Strategy.
Under the strategy, my Department conducts control reviews of schemes to help ensure that our customers are entitled to a payment and that the level of payment is correct. The majority of claims are selected for review based on risk analysis, including the level of expenditure and numbers of claimants on the scheme, emerging risks from analysis of schemes by the Department’s Business Analytics Unit and risks identified from outcomes of previous control reviews on the scheme. Using this methodology allows the Department to identify both the risks with scheme operations and the steps that are necessary to address any control weaknesses.
My Department also carries out Control Surveys on two schemes each year. These reviews are randomly selected and published each year and are used by the C&AG to monitor suspected fraud and error rates and make recommendations where they feel controls may need to be enhanced.
My Department has noted and will implement the recommendations issued by the C&AG as quickly as possible to ensure that weaknesses identified in control of payments are addressed.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who were on the back to work enterprise allowance scheme are been given an extension if their two year duration fell during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28993/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme plays a vital role in supporting the development of new enterprises for the long term unemployed. The BTWEA is payable to self-employed individuals for a 24 month period from the commencement of their new business.
All participants of the BTWEA will receive their full period of entitlement of 24 months. This includes anyone who contacted the Department to temporarily suspend their allowance while their business closed. Where someone suspended their BTWEA, they can avail of the remainder of their 24 months on reopening their business.
Aside from BTWEA, those in self-employment may have other income support options available from the Department depending on their circumstances. A BTWEA participant, whose 24 month payment comes to an end while their business continues to be impacted by current trading conditions, may be entitled to apply for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment or the means-tested Jobseeker’s Allowance payment.
If there is a particular case that the Deputy has a concern about, my officials would be happy to examine it and advise of the options available.
I trust this clarifies the position at this time.
155. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reinstating the diet supplement in budget 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29010/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraDiet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently 1,800 people in receipt of diet supplement at a cost of €1.1 million in 2019.
A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute was commissioned by my department during 2013. The research showed that the average costs across all of the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one-third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the SWA rate, which was then paid at €186 per week (and is currently paid at €201 per week). I am advised that the diet supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014 on the basis of this evidence.
Recipients continue to receive the diet supplement at their existing rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This measure ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.
In cases of particular hardship, officials continue to have the legislative power to award a SWA payment in cases of exceptional need.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
156. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing self-employed recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment to work a certain number of hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29017/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government has extended the pandemic unemployment payment until 31st March 2021 and I have secured Government approval to extend the closing date for new applications for the pandemic unemployment scheme to the end of this year.
One of the qualifying conditions for self- employed people to receive the pandemic unemployment payment is that they must have suffered a reduction in their trading income to the extent that they would be available for other full time work. This means that there is some flexibility for the self- employed to take up occasional or intermittent work without it affecting their pandemic unemployment payment. The once off or occasional work should be infrequent and must show a clear divergence from previous work patterns.
Alternative supports may be available to self- employed individuals who are engaged in regular employment depending on their particular circumstances, such as jobseekers.
A self-employed individual may also be able to avail of my Department’s enterprise support grant that provides support of up to €1,000 with business re-start costs where they transition from the pandemic unemployment payment back into employment. To date over 3,100 people have benefited from this grant. Full details of the funding and the application process are available on www.gov.ie
I would suggest that anyone in the situation where they are being offered regular employment should engage with the Department to assess the most appropriate option for them.
I trust that this clarifies the matter at this time.
157. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a company (details supplied) continues to refuse to sign social welfare forms for its workers in a breach of workers’ rights; and the steps she will take to resolve the matter on behalf of the workers. [29025/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has engaged with Aer Lingus and an agreed process is in place so that any outstanding information required to finalise decisions on social welfare entitlements will be provided by the company to their employees as quickly as possible. I understand the company is providing the information required as agreed with my Department to their employees.
Jobseeker’s claims from Aer Lingus employees working casually, part-time or on Short-Time Work Support (STWS) are being processed with effect from 1st September in the first instance. This will ensure that payments are put into payment without any undue delay.
Applications are assessed on an individual basis and the Department will notify each individual of the outcome of its decision.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
158. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if the €5 million in dormant accounts funding for persons with disabilities to support their access to employment opportunities is available to persons. [29060/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has an approved €5 million allocation under the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2020 which will provide Measures to Support and Improve Employment Opportunities (including self-employment) for Persons with a Disability and Carers.
Applications for funding are invited from community and voluntary organisations working at local and/or national level that wish to support and improve the employment opportunities for Family Carers, including Young Carers and Persons with a Disability.
The following are ineligible for funding:
- Statutory Bodies - however such bodies may participate in and support community and voluntary based initiatives in the project or as partners
- Sole traders
- Private individuals
- Private commercial companies and for profit organisations
- Training providers however such bodies may tender and provide services as part of the project or programme activities to the national or local organisations
- Private Trusts or Foundations
The funding will support three measures as follows:
- Measure 1- Access to Employment and Training/Education Supports for Family Carers: this funding will be targeted at promoting social inclusion and assisting family carers to build and retain contact with the labour market and training/educational opportunities. Up to €2m of the funding available will be allocated to projects which support this measure.
- Measure 2- Initiatives to Support and Develop Young Carers: this measure will seek to reduce the impact of caring on the young carer in terms of their education, socialising and future education or employment opportunities. This funding will also seek to raise awareness and provide acknowledgement of the role of young carers in schools and their local communities. Up to €1m of the funding available will be allocated to projects which support this measure.
- Measure 3- Access to Employment and Self Employment for People with a Disability: this measure will seek to promote social inclusion and assist people with disabilities in engaging with the labour market and training/educational opportunities. Up to €2m of the funding available will be allocated to projects which support this measure. The priority target group for this measure is people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deafened or who are Blind, or have Visual Impairment, or who have Multiple Disabilities with a Visual Impairment. This measure will offer them practical support to start working and stay supported in work. Applications will also be considered for people with other disabilities who may benefit from this support to improve their employment opportunities or outcomes.
For all measures:
- National organisations may apply for a maximum grant of €200,000 and minimum grant of €75,000.
- Local Organisations may apply for a maximum of €50,000 and a minimum of €20,000.
- For organisations applying under M1 and M2 the maximum grant of €200,000 will be awarded.
The scheme is being administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department and my officials have worked with them to finalise the programme specifications. Full information including application forms and guidelines is available on the Pobal website at:
www.Pobal.ie. Applications are open until Wednesday 7th October, 2020, at 3pm.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
