21 June 2011

Parliamentary Questions

• Expand Disabled Drivers Scheme to people with autism
• National Disability Strategy
• Cost child’s primary education
• Resource teaching hours cap

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

• Expand Disabled Drivers Scheme to people with autism

Deputy Gerry Adams (SF): asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider the awarding of a primary medical certificate under the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994 to persons or family members of persons with autism.

Minister for Finance (Deputy Michael Noonan):  The Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Scheme provides relief from VAT and Vehicle Registration Tax (up to a certain limit), and exemption from motor tax, on the purchase of an adapted car for transport of a person with specific severe and permanent physical disabilities. The disability criteria for these concessions are set out in the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994. To get a Primary Medical Certificate, an applicant must be permanently and severely disabled within the terms of these Regulations. Some 13,500 people have benefited under the scheme in 2010 at an overall estimated cost of €55 million. I have no plans to widen the exemption qualification criteria.

• National Disability Strategy

Deputy Eric Byrne (L): asked the Minister for Health his plans for the delivery of the national disability strategy.

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Kathleen Lynch):  As the Deputy will be aware, the National Disability Strategy, launched in September 2004, supports and reinforces equal participation in society of people with disabilities. The Strategy comprises of a number of elements, including the Disability Act 2005; the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 and the Citizen’s Information Act 2007.

Under the terms of the Disability Act, six Government Departments, including the Department of Health, are required to prepare and publish Sectoral Plans, setting out the actions they will take to meet their obligations under the Act. The Department of Health and Children’s Sectoral Plan was published in 2006 and was the first step in a complex process to establish a baseline for access to health services and for service delivery. In December 2009, following an extensive stakeholder consultation process, the Department finalised a Year 3 progress report. This progress report was published in February 2010, in conjunction with those of the five other Departments required to publish sectoral plans.

This report comes ahead of the finalisation of a very significant strategy and policy review currently under way in my Department — the Value for Money and Policy Review of Disability Services. This review will inform the development of my Department’s approach to fulfilling its commitments under the Strategy going forward. It is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

• Cost child’s primary education

Deputy Catherine Murphy (I): asked the Minister for Education and Skills    the average cost per annum to educate a child at primary level; if he will provide a breakdown of the calculation;

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn):  The estimated average cost per annum of a student in first-level education based on the 2010 Provisional Outturn is €6,419. The calculations are as follows:

• Resource teaching hours cap

Deputy Charlie McConalogue (FF): asked the Minister for Education and Skills  if he will lift the clause in the allocation of resource hours recently published in the circular on learning support and resource teaching hours and allow principals the time necessary to sort staff for the next academic year;

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): I wish to advise the Deputy that Circular 37/2011 provides information to schools regarding the arrangements which are being put in place for the 2011/12 school year for the allocation of Resource Teaching hours for children with assessed special educational needs. The main elements of the arrangements outlined in the Circular are that for the coming 2011/12 school year, an allocation of 90% of valid identified resource teaching allocations will be made to schools, in the first instance, to provide schools with the majority of their allocation, while also preserving enough capacity to deal with late applications and ensure that the Department of Education and Skills can remain within Employment Control Framework obligations.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) have now notified schools of their allocations for the coming school year, which allows schools to manage and organise staffing arrangements. Schools have also been asked to forward as soon as possible any outstanding applications, or additional outstanding materials to support incomplete applications, to the NCSE for consideration, but in any event by no later than 16th September 2011. Following consideration of all of the applications received, if the level of demand permits, the initial 90% allocation may be revisited and increased.

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