Thursday news Ireland Blog by Donie

Department of Education audit to assess the best use of Ireland’s school resources

       

THE DEPARTMENT of Education is to begin an audit to ensure the best use of all the school resources in the State.

Ireland’s: structure of the education system.

The move will heighten concerns among small schools about their future. There will also be unease that the audit could force some larger schools to amalgamate to create new-style education campuses.

The department was anxious to play down such fears yesterday, stressing that the audit was essentially a fact-finding exercise.

Ireland has close to 4,000 schools and Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said yesterday this number, with a population of just four million, was very high by international standards.

THE DEPARTMENT WILL SEEK TENDERS FOR THE AUDIT SHORTLY.

Mr Quinn said: “We will take a number of traditional, regular, normal, provincial towns and do an inventory of what we actually have in that town.

“In many cases, the Department of Education has not got on a single sheet of paper what the educational infrastructural resources are of town A, B or C.

“No rational planner, no business organisation would contemplate making changes unless it knew what the actual physical resources and manpower resources were in that situation,” he told RTÉ radio.

“We have to undertake that kind of audit to see how best we can make the greatest possible productive use of the resources that we currently have.”

On small schools, Mr Quinn reacted strongly to criticism from Senator Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael), who accused him of engaging in social engineering. She said he was intent on undermining the fabric of rural communities by targeting small schools for rationalisation and she said he might be better off targeting the €100 million State subsidy paid to private fee-paying schools annually.

When she talked to her colleagues in the Fine Gael parliamentary party, they would be able to apprise her as to how she was misinformed, the Minister said.

Mr Quinn said many small schools were built at a time when pupils walked to school but now the “face of Ireland had changed” and the education system needed to reflect that. The arrival of traffic, whether it be heavy-duty agricultural traffic or domestic cars, made it “virtually impossible, certainly not safe, for young children to walk to school”.

He said the policy was to increase the number of pupils required for an extra teacher. Mr Quinn is awaiting the publication of a value-for-money report on small schools, and a discussion on how best to proceed will follow.

Small school: What’s going on? 

THERE ARE 659 schools with 50 pupils or less; these have an average of 2.4 teachers and an average pupil/teacher ratio of 13:1. If these schools were amalgamated with others, 300 teacher posts would be eliminated. A recent report said savings of €18 million per annum could be achieved. There are a further 851 schools with 51-100 pupils. School mergers could yield annual savings of €9 million, according to the report.

Budget 2012 announced changes in how these schools would be staffed over the next three years.

Small schools will have to draw more pupils – or lose teachers. A school that got a third teacher once it had 49 pupils will need 51 next year and 56 in 2015. Some 100 posts will go this year and 250 over three years. Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn will publish a value-for-money report soon, probably next month.

Pieta House West (of Ireland) plan to help people with Suicide tendencies & self harm

      

According to the Central Statistics Office, 486 deaths in Ireland in 2010 were recorded as suicides. In light of these figures, a local campaign group is seeking to establish a service, Pieta House West, to help people with suicidal thoughts and those who self harm

Leading the group of fundraisers working for the Pieta House West project is local businessman John Concannon.

John is the founder of JFC Manufacturing, one of Tuam’s most successful businesses, who first saw the good work that Pieta House undertake during the filming of RTE’s The Secret Millionaire last year.

After witnessing their accomplishments first hand, John decided that the West of Ireland needed Pieta House’s help.

“To be totally honest with you, I had never heard of Pieta House until I was filming The Secret Millionaire,” admitted John.

“I got talking to a taxi driver who mentioned the house and the great work Pieta House does in Dublin. Once I saw the effect they have there I knew we needed to do something similar at home.”

The HSE have already given Pieta House West a site in Toghermore, Tuam and once the €250,000 promised by the Government comes through the good work can really start. “But that will not keep the facility going,” says John.

“We really need the backing of the people to keep the Pieta House West plan running.

“So far I have not had to ask one person to put their hands in their pockets. The amount of people and businesses that have already come to me offering their help has been phenomenal,” he says.

“I am no expert on the subject of suicide, but I know firsthand how devastating such a death can be to a family, village and community. If we have worries about someone we need to be able to ask the blunt question: ‘Are you okay or are you thinking of doing something.’ And if we have Pieta House West there is somewhere for people to turn. There is nothing worse than thinking ‘what if.’”

Working according to the mantra of ‘The Pieta Way’, which was developed by Joan Freeman, Pieta House aims to prevent of self-harm or suicide through its free treatment. Eight years ago, practising psychologist Joan opened the first centre in Lucan, and they already have four centres in the capital as well as one in Limerick.

“The first centre outside Dublin opened in Limerick only last year. In the first year they took in 500 clients, but already this year they are booked out and there is a waiting list.

“Joan’s system works. She has it all planned out down to the tiniest details, like the type of teacups in the house. But the way the whole facility works is amazing. Looking at it you wouldn’t know who is a client and who is a psychologist and privacy is also a major factor. The Toghermore house in Tuam has its own carpark and is nice and secluded. It is perfect,” says John.

“But looking at the figures, it is obvious that we need such a facility to service the counties of Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. If we were to get 100 companies in the area to help out with what they can it would be amazing. We have a social responsibility to help the vulnerable.

“All I hope is that we do not get cut off when the next review of government budgets comes up. Pieta House West can really make a difference; hopefully we will be given the chance to.”

Record numbers of Irish people seeking help with MABS money advice service

   

A record 7,593 new clients were dealt with by the Money Advice and Budgeting Service in the first quarter of the year, with personal loans the biggest problem.

More worrying is the profile of the majority of those seeking help — people aged between 26-40 — who because of the size of their mortgage repayments are struggling to repay loans, utility, and credit cards bills.

The figures from MABS show of the 7,593 people who contacted the state debt service, 6,162 needed mediation with creditors, with MABS helping to set up special accounts for 340 clients in partnership with credit unions.

The largest percentage of new contacts (3,349) were in the 26-40 age bracket, 2,662 were aged 41-60, 370 were 19-25, and 114 were over 60. Of the new contacts, 2,864 were people with mortgages, 1,300 lived in private rented accommodation, and 1,142 were local authority tenants.

The primary income of 4,409 seeking assistance was social welfare, while 2,093 were self-employed or earning a wage.

Pressure on MABS, which has more than 60 offices nationwide, continues to mount. It deals with about 7,000 new clients a quarter.

The latest waiting list figures from the end of last year show 1,676 people looking for a first appointment across the country.

Blanchardstown in Dublin had the highest number waiting for assistance — 122 waiting on average more than two months for an appointment. In Kildare, 120 had to wait for more than four months for their first appointment.

According to MABS, urgent cases, such as anyone threatened with a disconnection, legal proceedings for repossession, or a threatened eviction, can be prioritised.

Elsewhere, the number of people waiting for free legal aid is also spiralling.

To the end of January, 4,443 people were waiting for their first appointment with a solicitor — a 40% increase from Jan 2011.

Of 29 state-funded Legal Aid Board centres, 22 have a waiting time of more than four months.

People in Clondalkin, Tallaght, and Tipperary are waiting the longest, with delays of up to 10 months to see a solicitor.

According to FLAC, which is a separate body from the Legal Aid Board but which complements its work, the latest figures are “depressing”.

Meanwhile, the IMF has said that household debt reduction policies and mortgage write-downs can result in significant economic benefits.

The organisation said recessions and housing slumps are worse when preceded by a buildup of household debt.

In its World Economic Outlook report released yesterday, it said such policies can mitigate “excessive contractions” during such recessions

In the five years before 2007, the ratio of household debt to income in advanced economies rose by an average of 39%, to 138%, while in Ireland and certain other countries, debt peaked at more than 200% of household income.

“Because debt is acting as a brake on economic growth, it is important to unstick the brake,” said report author Daniel Leigh.

A Rare sighting of humpback whales off the Cork coast

   

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has recorded the arrival of a newly documented humpback whale off the Cork coast, the first time the species has been recorded in the area at this time of year.

The animal (newly named as ‘HBIRL20′) was photographed and recorded on video along with another humpback whale by researchers aboard the MV Holly, a boat regularly used by the IWDG, off Toe Head, Co Cork, earlier this week.

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feed in high latitude waters during the summer months, and can be found as far north as the Arctic Circle. Adult animals migrate south to warmer waters to breed and give birth in the winter.

IWDG’s Pádraig Whooley said the animals spotted off the Irish coast this week would be too young to migrate. One of the two whales spotted this week has remained in Irish waters for the winter and was sighted off Hook Head in January and February.

“They do seem to us to be small so they’re probably sub-adult or juveniles,” Mr Whooley said.

The IWDG has identified 20 humpback whales over the last 10 years but numbers in Irish waters remain low.

Due to over-hunting, the world’s humpback whale  population fell by an estimated 90 per cent before the introduction of whaling moratorium in 1966.

“We’re probably looking at a remnant population that would have been many, many, times bigger probably ten to 100 times bigger than it is today.

“Humpback whales were the whale species that were impacted on most by commercial whaling for the very same reason that they are easy to study,” Mr Whooley said.

“They’re inquisitive, they’re curious whales. They will approach boats, they’re slow moving, they hug the coast line. Species like that are very attractive if you’re a whaler rather than very fast moving species that are way out on the shelf edge and are very wary of boats.”

Despite their low numbers in Irish waters, the group has recorded an increase in the incidence of humpback whales off the Irish coast in recent years.

“The good news is that they are coming back. We are seeing more and more humpback whales every year. Despite the fact that we are starting from a very low base the numbers are quite positive at the moment. It is actually a good news story that we are seeing them more and more and we’re seeing them in new areas every year.

Details of a talk entitled “Whales and Dolphins of the East Coast and Beyond” which is taking place in Wicklow and Dublin over the coming days are available on the IWDG website.

Donie's all Ireland news Blog Wednesday

Minister Quinn assures schools there is 

‘no timeline’ for overhaul of the system

     

Ruairí Quinn says: “I want reform to commence. Let people – in their own ways and in their own time – make [their] choices”

School patronage and school communities are under no pressure to transfer from the Catholic Church to other patrons, Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn stressed yesterday.

Mr Quinn – who said last year that 1,500 schools could be divested – said there was “no timeline” for change. “I want reform to commence. Let people – in their own ways and in their own time – make [their] choices.”

He said the phased and gradual divestment of schools – proposed by a report of the forum on patronage – would help to allay fears about the process. The report, which has been written to give guidance on how best to transfer Catholic schools to other patrons, was published yesterday.

“I hope and believe that the system [of divestment] will be inclusive; it will not be disruptive. And as it shows itself to be inclusive it will generate confidence within the wider school community and then it will be up to people to decide how they want to proceed. I have no timeline on this. I want the process to succeed and be secure.”

The Minister said he was greatly encouraged by the measured public response to the publication of the forum’s report. He planned to review the report next month. A White Paper on the issue would also be published by Government, in accordance with a commitment made in the programme for government.

In its first phase the forum identifies 43 towns and four Dublin areas where there is likely to be a significant demand for educational diversity.

The Council for Education of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference welcomed the report’s publication. It said it would study the report and “reflect on its various recommendations”.

“The report clearly affirms the importance of denominational schools and the continuance of faith formation, including sacramental preparation, in Catholic schools,” the council noted.

The Integration Centre described the Minister’s determination to overhaul the school patronage system as “brave, given the complexity of the system and the current economic situation”.

“It is of the utmost importance that this work is not left to stand alone,” said chief executive Killian Forde. The Minister must ensure it was the beginning of a process towards a system of schooling that fairly represented the people of Ireland.

He welcomed the call for a review of the opt-out available to schools in the Equal Status Act, which allows schools to refuse admission based on religion. “The Integration Centre would like to see this section revised so that no child is ever refused access to an education.”

He also welcomed the call to delete rule 68 of the Rules for National Schools. He said this rule, which mandates teachers to inculcate Christian values throughout their teaching, was “at the core of what is wrong with the current system”. The Iona Institute, however said this would “seriously weaken the right of denominational schools to permeate the school day with their ethos”.

Senator Ivana Bacik said “fundamental changes to the current denominational structure of primary schooling in Ireland are long overdue”. She was concerned implementation might be delayed however. “I urge the Minister and the relevant patrons to move swiftly to ensure that some increase in provision of multidenominational places is made immediately,” she said.

RULE 68 ON RELIGION: WHAT IT STATES 

“OF ALL the parts of the school curriculum, Religious Instruction is by far the most important as its subject matter, God’s honour and service, includes the proper use of all man’s faculties, and affords the most powerful inducements to their proper use.

“Religious Instruction is, therefore a fundamental part of the school course and a religious spirit should inform and vivify the whole work of the school. The teacher should constantly inculcate the practice of charity, justice, truth, purity, patience, temperance, obedience to lawful authority and all the other moral virtues.

“In this way he will fulfil the primary duty of an educator, the moulding to perfect form of his pupils’ character, habituating them to observe, in their relations with and with their neighbour, the laws which God, both directly through the dictates of natural reason and through Revelation, and indirectly through the ordinance of lawful authority, imposes on mankind.”

A Moderate increase in Irish people registering to pay the €100 household levy charge

     

In the space of a week, the Government has struggled to pass the halfway mark of people who are liable to pay the new house levy tax,  the money generated so far by the controversial household charge is 82.3 million.

At the beginning of last week, the number of homes that had paid the €100 charge was up to 822,747 – this meant that €82.3million, or roughly 51.2 per cent of the overall €160million had been met.

However, the Irish Independent reports that over Easter weekend, registrations continued to flow into the Department of the Environment.

Over the weekend, just under 7,000 registrations were made. This means that the current figure of households that have paid the charge now stands at 890,000.

This figure includes 150,000 applications that were made by post and have yet to be processed. Although according to reports, the majority of household charge payments are being made online.

As the days over the March 31st deadline continue to pass, it seems that more and more homeowners are giving in and paying the tax. We bet this news is music to Phil Hogan’s ears.

Speaking about the payments, a spokesman for the Department of the Environment said that the weekend payments came in at a “steady flow.” That being said, local authorities are still looking at a 50 per cent shortfall on the payment rate.

The widely-disputed €100 tax per household was expected to raise €160million which would be used to fund public services, according to the Minister for the Environment.

The household charge is intended to replace the Local Government Fund, which was set up to ensure that the exchequer would fund the smaller local authorities across the country.

While funding from the exchequer totalled €164million for local authorities last year, this year the total has been reduced and replaced by the revenue generated by the household charge.

Unless the entire €160million target is achieved, local authorities will be facing a major gap in their funding.

We imagine that the money-collecting efforts of some local authorities could get redoubled as the weeks pass..

Surgeons get the moratorium lifted to fill nursing gaps in Merlin Park Galway hospital

     

THE MORATORIUM on employing nurses has been lifted at a hospital in Galway after consultants there raised fears about orthopaedic surgery waiting lists.

Consultants at Merlin Park hospital had written to Minister for Health James Reilly with concerns over the retirement of 30 per cent of nurses from the hospital’s orthopaedic unit.

The orthopaedic unit at the hospital, which is part of the Galway University Hospitals group, has 25 beds and should have 21 nurses.

After retirements, by the end of February, it only had 11. The theatre, with two operating rooms, should have 8.5 nurses, but was down to 4.5 nurses.

As part of the moratorium on public service recruitment, retiring staff were not due to be replaced by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The four orthopaedic consultants at Merlin Park – Stephen Kearns, Fintan Shannon, Bill Curtin and Michael O’Sullivan – had raised concerns over patient safety in a letter to the Minister. They had warned that outpatient waiting lists would grow by 300 per cent and elective surgery would be halved in the unit if the posts were not filled.

The consultants later met Dr Reilly to explain their concerns.

In response to a parliamentary question put down by Fine Gael TD Brian Walsh, Dr Reilly said the HSE was recruiting nurses to “permanently fill vacancies in theatre and on the elective orthopaedic ward”.

Nursing staff had also agreed to work “additional paid hours” and those on reduced hours had agreed to “increase their hours permanently”.

The decision would ensure continuity of orthopaedic services at the hospital, Dr Reilly said.

Mr Walsh said Galway had been “very fortunate to have arguably the best orthopaedic department in the country and an exceptional team of surgeons”.

“They forewarned of this crisis well over a year ago and no measures were taken to avert what was a very dangerous situation,” he said.

“I am glad that steps have finally been taken to ensure the continuity of services and I thank the Minister for his intervention.”

He said the Minister had previously agreed to lift the recruitment embargo at University Hospital Galway and had approved the appointment of 12 nurses.

“It is evidence of a willingness to listen and a common sense approach to the allocation of resources that has been sadly lacking under previous administrations,” Mr Walsh said.

Cannabis Drug seizures in Claremorris and Ballyhanuis Co. Mayo

  

GARDAÍ have seized a substantial quantity of drugs during a planned operation by the Mayo Divisional Drugs Unit in the Ballyhaunis/Claremorris area.

The crackdown was part of a targeted operation by the unit targeting drug dealers in the area over the last number of weeks.

Over €30,000 of cannabis was seized during a planned operation in Claremorris while €1,500 worth of drugs were discovered in a wooded area in Ballyhaunis.

Two people were arrested and detained for questioning at Claremorris and Swinford Garda Stations.

Both have been released and files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Irish Drivers are ‘paying €30 each’ to cover all those without insurance

       

The average driver’s annual bill for motor insurance is around €30 higher than it needs to be, as a result of insurers having to cover the cost of damage caused by motorists driving without insurance.

That’s according to the Irish Brokers Association, which today called on the government to consider new laws allowing the cars of uninsured motorists to be confiscated.

The body, which represents 700 insurance intermediaries, says the most recent figures available showed that in 2010, the Motor Insurer’s Bureau of Ireland – a body established to fund claims incurred as a result of untraceable or uninsured drivers – spent €58.9 million covering compensation claims for drivers who had incurred legal, medical and repair costs.

The IBA’s director of general services Brian McNelis explained that these costs were 100 per cent funded by motor insurers, who in turn had to pass on the costs to their paying policyholders – meaning the cost of the average policy was increased by about €30.

In an attempt to tackle the use of uninsured cars, the UK has introduced legislation requiring all cars to be insured, irrespective of whether they are used on public roads or not.

While McNelis said the IBA was not looking for a similar law here – acknowledging that some motorists had had to temporarily retire their cars as a result of their financial circumstances – he said the current penalties “are not acting as a sufficient deterrent.

“We would urge compliant drivers to report those that don’t have insurance as they are ultimately paying their insurance for them,” he said.

Driving without insurance is a criminal offence in Ireland, carrying maximum fines of up to €2,500 as well as disqualification from driving for one year on the first offence, and over two years in subsequent offences.

The law also allows for maximum prison terms of six months for a second offence, though in practice these are rarely imposed.