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487 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 488[Ms Hanafin.]15 hours per week special needs assistant, SNA,support for the pupil.My Department advised the school on 9 November2004 that the pupil’s special educationneeds, SEN, appear to be within the high incidencecategory and he is therefore receiving thelevel of resource teaching support appropriate tohis category of need. It would be expected thatthe pupil’s SEN can be met from within the currentresource-learning support teaching allocationavailable to the school. The school currentlyhas the services of one shared learningsupport post together with 13 hours part-timeresource teaching support. It is a matter for theschool to deploy these resources to meet the SENof the pupils in the school.The Deputy may be aware that a review ofSNA provision in primary schools commenced inSeptember 2004 and is continuing. The review isconcerned with the level and deployment of SNAposts in mainstream classes. The intention is toensure that the level of approved SNA support inschools, and the manner in which that support isbeing allocated, are such as to ensure that thespecial care needs of pupils are being appropriatelymet.Decisions regarding the appropriate level ofSNA support for the pupil in question will bebased on the outcome of this review and adecision will issue to the school as quickly aspossible.Site Acquisitions.342. Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Educationand Science when the land for the promisednew school (details supplied) in CountyDublin will be purchased; the alternative arrangementswhich are in place for the rapidly growingpopulation of this area until the school is completed;and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5912/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): I am pleased to inform the Deputy thata suitable site for the school in question has beenidentified. Acquisition of the site is at anadvanced conveyancing stage. The schoolreferred to by the Deputy have not requestedadditional accommodation, however, a newschool in this area is expected to commence operationnext September and the planning section ofmy Department is currently liaising with thechairperson of the board of management with aview to procuring temporary accommodation tofacilitate its commencement plans.Schools Building Projects.343. Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister forEducation and Science when approval will begiven to proceed to tender stage for the extensionof a school (details supplied) in County Galway;if her attention has been drawn to the fact thatthis college is now almost 40 years without a gymand sports hall; the reason progress has been soslow; and if she will make a statement on thematter. [5935/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): The building project for the schoolreferred to by the Deputy is at an early stage ofarchitectural planning and includes the provisionof a physical education hall. I recently announceddetails of 122 major school building projects thatwill progress to tender and construction phaseover the next 12 to 15 months under the \3.4billion multi-annual funding secured for the years2005-09. I am anxious to ensure that a consistentflow of projects to tender and construction can besustained into the future. I plan to make anumber of announcements in the near future inrelation to the schools building and modernisationprogramme including details of those schoolprojects which will further progress through thedesign process. All projects in architectural planning,including the school in question, will be consideredas part of this process.Higher Education Grants.344. Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister forEducation and Science if funding will be suppliedto a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 giventhe circumstances of their case; and if she willmake a statement on the matter. [5943/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): The higher education grants schemesoperate under the Local Authorities (HigherEducation Grants) Acts 1968 to 1992.Under the higher education grants scheme anapproved course is defined as a full-time undergraduatecourse of at least two years duration ora full-time postgraduate course of not less thanone year duration pursued in an approvedinstitution.An approved institution is defined to mean auniversity college or other institution of highereducation in so far as it provides a course orcourses of not less than two years duration, beinga course, or courses, which the Minister for Educationand Science approves for the time beingfor the purposes of the Acts.Each year, the higher education grants schemespecifies a list of approved institutions for thepurposes of the schemes. The approved institutionsmainly comprise of public funded thirdlevel institutions. In this regard, the studentreferred to by the Deputy is not attending anapproved college for the purpose of the scheme.Any extension to the scope of the grantsscheme, to include private colleges such as GriffithCollege can be considered only in the light ofavailable resources and in the context of competingdemands within the education sector. Thereare no plans at present to extend the scope of thestudent support schemes to private colleges. Taxrelief, at the standard rate of tax, is available ontuition fees paid to certain private colleges in theState, including Griffith College. Further details
489 Questions— 22 February 2005. Written Answers 490and conditions in relation to such tax relief areavailable from any tax office.Vocational Education Committees.345. Ms O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Educationand Science if her attention has beendrawn to the ongoing difficulties in implementingthe Vocational Education (Amendment) Act2001, resulting in Kildare VEC not yet holding ameeting of the new committee since the 2004local elections; her views on the legislation toensure, in particular, that parents are appropriatelyrepresented; and if she will make a statementon the matter. [5949/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): I am aware that County Kildare VEChas not been in a position to hold the first meetingof its newly re-constituted committee. Iunderstand that the reason for the delay is due tothe finalising of the appointment process by thelocal authorities of four members from amongnominated representatives of community, voluntaryand other interests as set out in theVocational Education (Amendment) Act 2001. Itis expected that this appointment process will becompleted shortly and that the first meeting ofthe new meeting will take place in March next.The Vocational Education (Amendment) Act2001 represents a new departure by giving a statutoryright to parents and guardians to be representedon VECs for the first time. The electionof parent representatives heralds a significantstep in the partnership process whereby representativesof parents, VEC staff and other relevantcommunity interests will sit alongside electedlocal authority members on VECs for the firsttime. The Act provides for a balance in representationof members between the different categorieswith two members to be elected by parents,two members to be elected by VEC staff and fourmembers to be appointed from among the nominatedrepresentatives of community, commercialand other interests in addition to the elected localauthority members. I am confident that the viewsof parents will now be adequately represented onthe new committees and I have no proposals tochange the position at this stage.School Management.346. Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Educationand Science, further to ParliamentaryQuestion No. 333 of 2 February 2005, if her attentionhas been drawn to the fact that the newboard of management for the Ballymun comprehensiveschools will comprise representatives ofboth parents and teachers; and her views on thefact that there is no further delay in appointingthe board. [5950/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): To expedite the appointment of a principalto oversee the commencement of the newBallymun comprehensive school, it is essentialthat a board of management is appointedimmediately. This board must be constituted inaccordance with the existing model which doesnot, at this point in time, allow for parent orteacher representation. This board, however, willbe replaced by a board that will include such representationfollowing the finalisation of revisedarrangements for the composition of boards ofmanagement across the comprehensive sector.Agreement on these arrangements is nearing conclusionwith the relevant education partners.The parties involved in the Ballymun comprehensiveschool have been informed of theposition.Schools Building Projects.347. Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Educationand Science the nature and extent of capitalworks which need to be carried out to the Ballymuncomprehensive schools prior to theamalgamation of these schools taking place; andwhen funding will be provided for theseworks. [5951/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): I am pleased to be able to inform theDeputy that tenders in excess of \9 million havebeen accepted for a major refurbishment andextension programme at Ballymun comprehensiveschools to enable the planned amalgamationtake place. The contractor went on site on 24January last and I am confident that the amalgamationwill proceed, as intended, on 1 September2005.School Transport.348. Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Educationand Science if she will sanction an extensionof school transport for a school (detailssupplied) in County Kerry to facilitate 12 childrenas outlined in a memo sent by Bus Éireann,Tralee, to head office on 10 November 2003; andif she will make a statement on the matter.[5952/05]Minister for Education and Science (MsHanafin): On the basis of the information suppliedby Bus Éireann in its report of 10 November2003, only two families are eligible fortransport to the school referred to in the detailssupplied. These families have a pick-up point 0.3and 0.8 miles from their homes. This is consideredto be a reasonable level of service in the contextof the general operation of the scheme.The seven children of the remaining fourfamilies are not eligible for school transport tothe school referred to in the details. These childrenmay avail of concessionary transport to thatschool subject to no additional State costs beingincurred by way of extending or altering the routeof the existing service.Special Educational Needs.349. Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Educationand Science if her attention has been
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Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

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