Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

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Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers State Examinations 231. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Education and Skills which company has won the tender for printing the State examination paper in 2012; and the process undergone before the contract was awarded. [7946/12] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations including organising the preparation of examination papers and other examination materials, holding examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are conducted including the supervision of examinations. In view of the above I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you. The normal public procurement procedures apply to such issues. Departmental Correspondence 232. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider the contents of correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7957/12] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): My Department is in receipt of separate correspondence from the company referred to by the Deputy. My officials have made contact with the company and will respond to the company in due course. Third Level Institutions 233. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will inform Dáil Éireann of the mean and median class contact hours for professors, associate professors and senior lecturers in the departments of economics of the following third level institutions: University College Dublin, University of Dublin, National University of Ireland Maynooth, National University of Ireland Galway, University College Cork, Dublin City University and the University of Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7958/12] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): While in practice class contact hours account for approximately one-third of the total time of an academic, the very specific level of detail required by the Deputy is not available within my Department. Staff management and the allocation of class contact hours are entirely a matter for the individual universities concerned. Departmental Funding 234. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Education and Skills the portion of the education budget that was allocated to the operation of AONTAS in 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7966/12] Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills (Deputy Ciarán Cannon): In 2011, the Department provided funding of €896,000 to AONTAS. The Department’s budget for 2011 exceeded €8.8 billion. Residential Institutions Redress Scheme 235. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding progress in securing additional financial contributions from religious congregations towards redress for survivors of residential child abuse; the amount of additional funding that has been 424

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers sought; if the congregations have responded positively in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7980/12] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): The cost of the response to residential institutional abuse is now estimated to exceed €1.36 billion. The Government believes that this cost should be shared on a 50:50 basis, between the State and the congregations who were responsible for the management of institutions. The contribution of the 18 congregations under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement amounted to €128 million. They have since committed to contribute a further €110 million to the proposed Statutory Fund for former residents, of which €21.05m has already been received. They have also offered properties they value at a further €235.5m to different State bodies and voluntary organisations. If all of these properties were acceptable to the State and their values confirmed, the congregations’ offers would fall short of the €680m contribution required to realise a 50:50 share by at least €200m. Of the properties offered to the State, 12 have been identified as of potential immediate benefit and the transfer of these properties is being pursued. The value of these 12 properties, based on the congregations’ own valuations is approximately €60m. Following consideration of the issues involved by the Government I met with representatives of the 18 congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement either on 22 July 2011 or on dates since then. At those meetings I expressed my disappointment that their offers fell well short of the contribution required to realise a 50:50 share. I sought their agreement to exploring a legal mechanism to transfer the title of school properties to the State and my Department is currently examining this possibility. I will be writing to the congregations shortly to continue to pursue these issues. Departmental Funding 236. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding cuts to smaller schools. [8026/12] Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I fully acknowledge that the reduction in resources to second level schools will be challenging for schools. However, the change must be seen in the context of the major challenges we have as a Government in trying to shelter public services to the greatest extent that we can in these exceptional times. The net impact on overall teacher numbers in our schools has been minimised to the greatest extent possible. In the budget announcement for education I made clear that the net impact of the measures relating to second level schools for the school year commencing next September would, after taking account of demographics amount to about 450 posts. Schools will have autonomy on how best to prioritise its available resources to meet its requirements in relation to guidance and the provision of an appropriate range of subjects to its students. Decisions on how this is done will be taken at school level and I am confident that schools will act in the best interest of students when determining precisely how to use the teaching resources available to them. I have also provided for the filling of 300 Assistant Principal posts in second-level schools over the level originally planned. This will ensure that schools have sufficient management positions to ensure appropriate supports are available for all students. A key priority for me is to continue to prioritise and target available funding at schools with the most concentrated levels of educational disadvantage. All 195 second-level school in DEIS will be given targeted support by a more favourable staffing schedule of 18.25:1. This is a 0.75 point reduction compared to the existing PTR of 19:1 that applies in non fee-paying second-level schools. 425

Questions— 14 February 2012. <strong>Written</strong> <strong>Answers</strong><br />

State Examinations<br />

231. Deputy Robert Dowds asked <strong>the</strong> Minister for Education and Skills which company has<br />

won <strong>the</strong> tender for printing <strong>the</strong> State examination paper in 2012; and <strong>the</strong> process undergone<br />

before <strong>the</strong> contract was awarded. [7946/12]<br />

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): The State Examinations Commission<br />

has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to <strong>the</strong> certificate examinations<br />

including organising <strong>the</strong> preparation <strong>of</strong> examination papers and o<strong>the</strong>r examination<br />

materials, holding examinations and determining procedures in places where examinations are<br />

conducted including <strong>the</strong> supervision <strong>of</strong> examinations.<br />

In view <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> above I have forwarded your query to <strong>the</strong> State Examinations Commission<br />

for direct reply to you. The normal public procurement procedures apply to such issues.<br />

Departmental Correspondence<br />

232. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked <strong>the</strong> Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider<br />

<strong>the</strong> contents <strong>of</strong> correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on <strong>the</strong><br />

matter. [7957/12]<br />

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): My Department is in receipt <strong>of</strong><br />

separate correspondence from <strong>the</strong> company referred to by <strong>the</strong> Deputy. My <strong>of</strong>ficials have made<br />

contact with <strong>the</strong> company and will respond to <strong>the</strong> company in due course.<br />

Third Level Institutions<br />

233. Deputy Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Murphy asked <strong>the</strong> Minister for Education and Skills if he will inform<br />

Dáil Éireann <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mean and median class contact hours for pr<strong>of</strong>essors, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />

and senior lecturers in <strong>the</strong> departments <strong>of</strong> economics <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following third level institutions:<br />

University College Dublin, University <strong>of</strong> Dublin, National University <strong>of</strong> Ireland Maynooth,<br />

National University <strong>of</strong> Ireland Galway, University College Cork, Dublin City University and<br />

<strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Limerick; and if he will make a statement on <strong>the</strong> matter. [7958/12]<br />

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): While in practice class contact<br />

hours account for approximately one-third <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> total time <strong>of</strong> an academic, <strong>the</strong> very specific<br />

level <strong>of</strong> detail required by <strong>the</strong> Deputy is not available within my Department. Staff management<br />

and <strong>the</strong> allocation <strong>of</strong> class contact hours are entirely a matter for <strong>the</strong> individual universities<br />

concerned.<br />

Departmental Funding<br />

234. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked <strong>the</strong> Minister for Education and Skills <strong>the</strong> portion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

education budget that was allocated to <strong>the</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> AONTAS in 2011; and if he will make<br />

a statement on <strong>the</strong> matter. [7966/12]<br />

Minister <strong>of</strong> State at <strong>the</strong> Department <strong>of</strong> Education and Skills (Deputy Ciarán Cannon): In<br />

2011, <strong>the</strong> Department provided funding <strong>of</strong> €896,000 to AONTAS. The Department’s budget<br />

for 2011 exceeded €8.8 billion.<br />

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme<br />

235. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked <strong>the</strong> Minister for Education and Skills <strong>the</strong> position regarding<br />

progress in securing additional financial contributions from religious congregations towards<br />

redress for survivors <strong>of</strong> residential child abuse; <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> additional funding that has been<br />

424

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