Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 610: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the actions that were taken on foot of the review of his Department's operations, systems and staffing needs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32440/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Mr Seán Cromien commenced his review of the operations, systems and staffing needs of my Department in mid May 2000 and delivered his report in October 2000. In June 2001, the then Minister for Education and Science, Dr Michael Woods. T.D., announced that the Government had approved a programme of structural reform of the Department arising from some of the recommendations in Mr Cromien's report.

The main elements of this structural reform were:

i. The establishment of an Examinations Commission as a body independent of the Department with responsibility for the administration of the certificate examinations.

ii. The establishment of a National Council for Special Education as a body independent of the Department to provide research, expert advice and carry out certain operational functions for students with disabilities.

iii. The establishment of a framework of regional offices of the Department of Education & Science.

iv. The bringing forward of legislation, within a year, to extend the remit of the Higher Education Authority to coordinate and fund the Institutes of Technology.

The first element of the implementation of this structural reform was the State Examinations (Establishment) Order 2003 (SI 373/2003) made under Section 54 of the Education Act 1998. This order established the State Examinations Commission (SEC). The SEC has assumed responsibility for the operation of the certificate examinations since 2003.

The second element of the implementation of the programme of structural reform was the establishment of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), initially under the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003 SI 270/2004 (made under Section 54 of the Education Act, 1998) and later under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (ESPEN). Since its first establishment the NCSE headquarters has been based in Trim, Co. Meath, with a network of Special Educational Needs Organisers based throughout the State and has liaised with sections of my Department in Dublin and in Athlone.

Throughout the period from 2003 to 2005 a network of 10 regional offices was established under the auspices of a Directorate of Regional Services. The Directorate of Regional Services has very recently relocated from Dublin to Mullingar under the programme of decentralisation. Each regional office is staffed by 4 general administrative staff and a member of the Inspectorate. In most instances the accommodation is shared with locally based staff of other educational bodies such as the National Educational Psychological Service, the Education Welfare Board and the NCSE. The offices are located in Findlater Street (Dublin City & Fingal), Tallaght (Dublin South County), Naas (Kildare/Wicklow), Mullingar (Midlands), Limerick (Mid Western), Navan (North Eastern), Sligo (North Western), Waterford (South Eastern), Cork (Southern) and Galway (Western).

The final element of the structural reform announced in 2001 was the enactment of legislation to extend the remit of the Higher Education Authority to cover the Institutes of Technology. The Institutes of Technology Act 2006 extended the remit of the Higher Education Authority to coordinate and fund the Institutes of Technology.

In addition to the reforms approved by Government, my predecessors indicated throughout 2001 and 2002 that the reform of the Department would also include regulatory reform and appellate processes to under-pin key allocation functions, along with the implementation of efficiency measures designed to bring the Department's procedures and processes more into line with modern administrative practice. A range of measures have been introduced since 2001 — many of which are in line with recommendations in the Cromien report. Examples include: Establishment of independent Appeals Boards in connection with teacher allocation. Establishment of School Transport Appeals Boards. Continuing implementation of EPSEN will provide a statutory appeal process. The Student Support Bill 2008, when enacted, will provide for an appeal process.

Responsibility for the operation of payrolls for schools was previously spread over several sections, my Department has since set up a Central Payroll Division, catering for approximately 70,000 school based employees, along with web based online claims systems for primary and second level schools.