Written Answers Nos. 364-383
364. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces 1916-2016 centenary medals that were struck; the number that have been awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27385/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, medals were awarded to members of the Permanent Defence Force, members of the Army Nursing Service, members of the Chaplaincy Service and members of the Reserve Defence Force who were in service at any time during the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 inclusive.
The eligibility for this medal is outlined in the DFR “An Bonn Comórta Céad Bliain 1916”, as follows:
“4. (l) The Minister may award the medal to members of the Permanent Defence Force, members of the Army Nursing Service, members of the Chaplaincy Service and members of the Reserve Defence Force who are in service at any time during the period 01 January 2016 to 31 December 2016 inclusive.
(2) Members of the Defence Forces, members of the Army Nursing Service and members of the Chaplaincy Service who die in service in the year 2016 will be eligible for the award of the medal.”
I am advised by the Military Authorities that a total of 12,700 Centenary Commemorative medals were procured, with a total of 12,524 medals awarded to eligible personnel.
365. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Defence the status of the investigations by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services into claims of abuse and exploitation on United Nations peacekeeping missions relevant to Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27549/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn March of this year, my Department made contact with the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (UNOIOS) following reports that an individual had provided information to that Office. Inquiries made established that the reports made to UNOIOS had already been reported to Irish authorities. UNOIOS confirmed that the information provided to them will not require investigation by the United Nations.
366. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Defence the investigations that are taking place into historical allegations of child sexual abuse connected to members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27550/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have previously acknowledged the receipt of information on this matter. Given the apparent manner by which the information is sourced, the matters detailed in that information cannot be investigated by me or my officials, particularly where it is alleged that criminal offences of a sexual nature have been committed against children. They are best investigated by an Garda Síochána.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Senior Counsel has been appointed by me to conduct an independent assessment of the specific actions taken by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces on foot of the extensive correspondence received. This task is underway.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the concerns raised in the information are dealt with in a considerate and serious manner.
367. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Defence the status of the investigations into accusations of sexual harassment and abuse within the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27551/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEvery member of the Defence Forces has the right to be treated with dignity, equality and respect to carry out their duties in a safe workplace underpinned by a culture of zero-tolerance for any kind of bullying, discrimination, harassment or sexual abuse.
The Independent Review Group, approved by Government and established last January, is examining the systems, policies and procedures for dealing with workplace issues relating to bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, as well as workplace culture, in the Defence Forces.
This Judge-led review is a necessary and critical first step to address the need for a safe work environment for serving members with zero-tolerance for such unacceptable behaviour.
The Terms of Reference for the Review are wide-ranging and provide that Government may consider further work on receipt of the Independent Review findings.
There are 3 key aims of the Independent Review:
- Firstly, to advise on whether the current legislative frameworks, policies, procedures and practices for addressing incidents of unacceptable behaviour in the workplace are effective;
- Secondly, to independently assess whether the pervading culture in the workplace is fully aligned with the principles of dignity, equality, mutual respect, and duty of care for every member of the Defence Forces and;
- Thirdly, to provide recommendations and guidance on measures and strategies required to underpin a workplace based on dignity, equality, mutual respect, and duty of care for every member of the Defence Forces.
A number of reforms have been implemented over the last twenty years since the 2002 publication of the External Advisory Group on the Defence Forces and the three subsequent reports from the Independent Monitoring Group (IMG), for addressing allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including harassment, sexual harassment and bullying, which are contained in policy documents and in regulation.
The Defence Forces Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Statement and Action Plan aims to ensure that a transparent culture exists, that encourages personnel to report inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment.
Despite the reforms that have taken place, I accept that more needs to be done. During my engagements with both current and former members of the Defence Forces, it is clear that the culture that is pervading, and the application of those policies, systems and procedures for dealing with unacceptable behaviour have not, and are not serving all Defence Forces personnel well.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have set out an ambitious timetable for the Group. An interim report is due within the next 3 months with a final report within 12 months of the establishment of the Group. I will be bringing this final Report to Government and thereafter it will be published.
Separately and also on foot of my engagement with both serving and former Defence Forces personnel last year, I immediately put in place a number of interim supports including the appointment of the Confidential Contact Person with Raiseaconcern, to support serving and former members in the safe reporting of allegations of wrongdoing in the workplace.
Raiseaconcern have recently provided me with a report on the work of the Confidential Contact Person. The Report is completely anonymised and as agreed I have submitted a copy to the members of the Independent Review Group and it is expected that it will be a valuable input into their ongoing deliberations.
I wish to reiterate that a key priority for me as Minister for Defence is my duty of care obligation to all members of the Defence Forces.
368. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Defence the number of staff employed in his Department by gender and by civil service salary scale in tabular form.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27592/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table below provides a breakdown of the number of civil servants employed in my Department by gender and by pay grade at 23rd May 2022.
|
Grade |
Male |
Female |
Total Staff |
|
Secretary General |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Director |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Principal Officer |
15 |
6 |
21 |
|
Assistant Principal |
27 |
28 |
55 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
24 |
61 |
85 |
|
Administrative Officer |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
Executive Officer |
27 |
83 |
110 |
|
Clerical Officer |
19 |
75 |
94 |
|
Service Officer |
8 |
2 |
10 |
|
Storekeeper |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Total Staff |
124 |
261 |
385 |
This total figure of 385 is inclusive of 15 staff, of whom 8 are female and 7 male, employed to work directly for the Defence Forces at a number of military installations.
In addition, my Department is currently funding the staffing of the Independent Review Group set up to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces. This group is being headed by a retired judge (female) who is currently supported by 5 staff, 1 Assistant Principal (male) 1 Higher Executive Officer (female) 1 Administrative Officer (male) 1 Executive Officer (male) and 1 Temporary Clerical Officer (male).
369. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence the level of digitisation in the Defence Forces for carrying out routine administration tasks such as requesting rations. [28064/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Defence Forces are committed to pursuing best-practice methods in the context of the efficient administration of a military force. In that regard, personnel records are digitised and maintained on a Personnel Management System (PMS) which stores relevant personnel data concerning the Force. Similarly, interaction with Defence Forces competitions, such as General Service Recruitment, is carried out on digital platforms. Routine administration matters are communicated digitally, as are some financial, inventory and asset management transactions.
370. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Defence if there are plans to replace a Learjet 45 aircraft within the Air Corps fleet. [28065/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Inter-Departmental Group was convened last year to examine options, in line with the Public Spending Code, for the future provision of an independent, international air transport service for use by the President and Government. The Learjet 45 is the primary aircraft providing this service at present. The Learjet has been in continuous operation since 2004 and is now nearing the end of its natural life.
The capability of future aircraft to carry out a supplementary broader utility role in conjunction with their primary Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) function is also being examined by the Group. However no decisions have yet been made in respect of the purchase of aircraft. As with all capital investment decisions costing over €10 million, the requirements of the Public Spending Code would need to be met, covering the various steps required in assessing the viability of the proposal and those associated with relevant decision-making and potential subsequent public investment in any replacement aircraft.
The Group is chaired by my Department and also comprises representatives from the Departments of the Taoiseach, Public Expenditure and Reform, Transport and Foreign Affairs.
The Group is expected to make a recommendation to Government later this year.
371. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education when a person (details supplied) will have their special needs assistant and educational escort application approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27220/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE have confirmed that an application for School Transport was received on 3rd May 2022. It was noted in the application that further documentation is to be submitted. The transport application will be processed on receipt of the additional information.
In relation to SNA support the NCSE have confirmed that the school has an allocation of SNA support to provide support for child with primary care needs. Applications for review of SNA allocation will become available following notification of SNA allocation for the 22/23 school year.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
372. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education the role that her Department played, if any, in the creation of a new road to service a proposed new school campus in Carrigtwohill, County Cork; the amount, if any, that was made available by her Department by way of funding for the construction of the road; if her Department has any role in requesting that the road be taken in charge by Cork County Council and if so, if this has happened or will happen in the near future so that the road can be opened to the public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27225/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe planning permission for the school project referred to by the Deputy included planning permission for the roads and was subject to 57 conditions most of which related to the specification and construction of the significant road network be built by a third party developer and which is essential to access the school site.
My Department, through its Project Managers and their Design Team, has worked closely with the developer and the Local Authority in relation to the necessary planning compliance documentation for both the schools and the roads. Following agreement with the local authority on compliance matters, the developer commenced and has completed construction of the roads.
My Department has also agreed in principle to the payment of a development contribution to the Local Authority which will allow the Local Authority to progress the necessary upgrades and traffic management measures necessary on the existing public roads network, mainly along Station Road. The Local Authority will shortly confirm the exact amount of the Development Contribution.
The new roads when taken in charge by the local authority will allow access to the school campus and will require a joint application to the local authority from my Department and the third party developer to have the roads taken in charge.
373. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if her Department is in receipt of an application for a new school bus route (details supplied) in County Sligo; if the application is being considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27265/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time (apply on time and pay on time) are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation
Children who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Bus Éireann, who operates the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department, review all school transport services over the summer months. Arising from this review, routes may be altered, extended or withdrawn depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year.
374. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education when a decision on a home tuition grant scheme appeal will be issued to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27268/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Home Tuition Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for children, who for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs seeking an educational placement. Provision is also made for early educational intervention for children with autism. Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
Eligibility for Home Tuition for children with a significant medical condition is assessed having regard to the pupil's attendance levels for the previous school year and, in the main, by reference to a completed medical report.
Based on the information provided in relation to the pupil’s school attendance in the 2020/2021 school year my Department was not in a position to sanction Home tuition in this instance. My Department have no record of an appeal to the decision not to grant Home Tuition for the above Pupil. I understand officials from my Department have been in contact with the parents to progress the matter.
375. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will advise regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27271/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
When a school has been allocated an SNA, the Board of Management, as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy. SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate SNA support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
Where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie/for-schools.
376. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the increased demand for a sports hall for a school (details supplied) and if she will meet a delegation from the school to discuss this urgently required facility for the school. [27316/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm that my Department received an application for capital funding in 2021 for a new sports hall from the school referred to by the Deputy.
The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics particularly at post-primary level and for special education needs provision in order to ensure every pupil has a school place each September. The Deputy may also be aware of the very significant school building programme that is currently underway. Overall, there are in excess of 1,300 school building projects at various stages of design, planning, and construction. The current status of approved projects under the school building programme is listed on a county by county basis on my Department's website at www.gov.ie. and is regularly updated.
However, under Project Ireland 2040, there will be an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This will include a PE Hall build and modernisation programme to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision. My Department is therefore not in a position, at this point, to consider the school's request for a PE Hall. However, the request will be kept under review in the context of funding becoming available for this purpose in the future as outlined. My Department has recently clarified this position directly with the school.
377. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education the breakdown of the senior councils and barristers paid or retained for work on behalf of her Department; and the amounts paid to each for each the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [27318/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal fees and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in Court cases. However, occasionally it engages senior counsels and barristers for legal advice and services.
Legal costs incurred by the State’s legal team in defending cases are not met directly by the Department. In accordance with established financial procedures such costs are generally charged to the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO) Vote as sanctioned by the Attorney General (AG).
The expenditure incurred by my Department in respect of senior counsels and barristers paid or retained for work on behalf of my department during the years in question is as follows:
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2019 |
€1,845.00 |
|
2020 |
€14,464.00 |
|
2021 |
€88,017.00 |
|
2022* |
€34,845.90 |
* To date for 2022
The Deputy may wish to note that fees paid in a given year may relate to work carried out in different year.
378. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Education if she will be submitting a new planning application for the site of a new school (details supplied) in Malahide-Portmarnock; the estimated timeline for when this application will be submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27329/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for planning permission was submitted to the local authority on March 4th 2022 for the development of a new primary school on the site referred to by the Deputy. My Department received notification that the planning permission application had been refused by the local authority on the 27th April 2022.
My Department has been in communication with the local authority in preparation for a pre-planning meeting with a view to the submission of a further planning application for the school project on the site as early as possible. My Department has also made a submission to the draft Fingal Development Plan 2023-2029 in relation to the re-zoning of the site in question.
379. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education when a response can be expected to correspondence submitted in relation to the case of a child (details supplied). [27330/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.
Over the last two years, my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school-year.
I am satisfied that this more joined up approach is delivering. Through this intensive intervention, we have seen an additional 300 special classes, providing 1,800 new places, opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school-year.
I also acknowledge that notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
The NCSE has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.
The NCSE through their network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers) are currently engaged in a process of establishing new classes for the 2022/2023 school year and beyond. They are looking at local information in relation to projected demand for future special class places.
Parents seeking special class or school placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.
As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
380. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education the status of a new building project for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27370/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra381. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education the estimated completion date for a new building project of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27371/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 380 and 381 together.
The Design Team for the school referred to by the Deputy is in the process of finalising tender documents for completion of the construction of the new school building. It is anticipated that a detailed report will be submitted to my Department shortly for review.
Assuming no significant issues arise during the tender process for the completion works, my Department expects that the project will progress to site in the third quarter of 2022. The contract duration is 12 months.
382. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if her Department has engaged with schools to ensure that the rising costs for families with school-going children are reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27378/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are a range of measures in place to reduce back to school costs and also to help families with these costs. My Department published a Circular in 2017 which sets out principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school. Under these measures, schools are required to select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from an array of retailers. Only “iron on” or “sew on” crests should be used.
The Circular also sets out that schools should consult with parents on their views and suggestions on cost reduction initiatives in relation to school uniforms.
My Department supports schools to help reduce the cost of school books. Schools are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books. Under the Book Rental Scheme, the Department provided funding of €17.2 million in 2021 to schools. 96% of primary schools and 69% of post primary schools operate a book rental scheme for parents. Additional funding of €1million was provided under Budget 2020 to provide free books in DEIS primary schools on a pilot basis.
Under Circular 46/2013 DEIS primary schools receive a book grant of €21 per pupil. This pilot provided an additional €64 per pupil to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per pupil enrolled in the school. This is in line with the costings as set out in the 2019 Barnardos report on the Real Cost of School which states that €85 is the average cost of school books at primary school level. This funding was allocated to 102 DEIS primary schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. This funding continued for the 2021/22 school year.
The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. It will continue to run for the 2021/22 school year and its effectiveness and impact will be monitored and evaluated before any decision is made as regards its possible extension or continuation. It is my intention to complete this process as soon as possible.
I recently announced the expansion of the DEIS programme benefitting 347 schools - 310 schools will be included in DEIS for the first time and 37 existing DEIS primary schools are being reclassified and will be eligible for increased supports. Schools in the DEIS programme are provided with additional financial support by way of a DEIS grant and an enhanced school book grant rate.
I also understand the need for improved capitation funding to schools for running costs and I am pleased that Budgets 2020 and 2019 provided for increases in standard capitation funding for primary schools. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
In addition to these measures, in recognition of the pressures facing families, the Government this year has reduced the cost of the school transport scheme for families for the coming school year. The cap of school transport fees that currently stands at €220 per family at primary level and €650 per family at post primary level will be reduced to €150 per family at primary level and €500 per family at post primary level. Furthermore all examination fees have been waived.
Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils enrolled in recognised schools are permissible only where it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no requirement to pay.
The Programme for Government 2020 contains a commitment to enacting the Student and Parent Charter Bill 2019. The overall aim of this legislation is to foster a more inclusive culture in all schools by improving the level of engagement between the school communities. The Bill will enable the whole school community to be better informed about matters relating to their school including school costs, plans and policies.
383. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if her Department is working with the National Council for Special Education to identify children with additional needs but who have had incomplete assessments or who are on longer than average waiting lists within the HSE for assessments to ensure that their needs are met for enrolment in September 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27379/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the act. The Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report.
Following a recent High Court ruling in October 2021 there is now a requirement on the education system to provide an assessment of Education Needs as part of the Assessment of Need Process.
My Department are working with the Department of Health, the NCSE and the HSE and taking legal advice. Officials in my Department are continuing to work through proposals to address the implications.
I expect to receive a proposal on the matter shortly.
