Written answers

Tuesday, 6 October 2009

Department of Education and Science

Departmental Records

9:00 pm

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1152: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding his plans to introduce a database of primary school pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33377/09]

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1161: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the work being progressed by him to improve systems in order to facilitate access to accurate and up-to-date information on individual schools, both to ensure more efficient use of official time and to reduce the administrative burden on schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33386/09]

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1162: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the work being progressed by him to improve his information technology infrastructure and upgrade IT systems in order to enhance the capacity for ready retrieval of information including specific progress on a unified data model designed to rationalise, standardise and unify his Department's main data holdings, in order to provide a solid foundation on which to build new systems including details of available financial, human and IT resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33387/09]

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1163: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the work being progressed to improve his information technology infrastructure and upgrade IT systems in order to enhance the capacity for ready retrieval of information including the provision for the electronic return and management of data from schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33388/09]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1152 and 1161 to 1163, inclusive, together.

My Department is progressing work to improve systems within the Department to facilitate access to accurate and up-to-date information both to ensure more efficient use of official time and to reduce the administrative burden on schools. My Department began the process of rationalising internal databases a number of years ago. The Department's unified data model (UDM) is based on 3 core entities, namely Educational Organisation, Pupil and Staff Member. The Educational Organisation aspect of the model was implemented in February, 2007. Essentially, the implementation facilitates the recording and maintenance of school details, such as address, in a central location. Work is under way on the development of the post primary element of the pupil entity and, subject to adequate resources, is scheduled to go live in October 2010.

My Department continues to seek to reduce the administrative overhead for schools through the use of information technology most notably in providing on-line facilities to streamline the collection of data and reduce the number of manual tasks. The esinet portal through which these on-line services are delivered already provides an On-Line Claims System (OLCS) which allows each primary school and Voluntary Secondary, Community and Comprehensive school record absences and submit claims to the Department for the payment of casual and non casual teachers and Special Needs Assistants. This system has significantly reduced the process of manual form filling at school level and manual data input at Department level.

In 2008 a Returns service was provided via esinet to enable post primary schools upload pupil and timetable data. Statistics section has dispensed with paper forms for the Annual Census of Primary Schools this year and has instead provided a form in spreadsheet version which schools can email back to the Department. This new system allows for more efficient completion of the census form by the school, as certain parts of the data such as totals for each category of pupil can be automatically calculated and cross checked. It will also allow for quicker provision of data to other areas of the Department for allocations purposes, thus negating the requirement for these areas to send a duplicate request to the schools.

Later this year a facility will be available to all schools, again via esinet to electronically transmit details of their school building stock to enable the Department compile an Inventory of School Accommodation. Other developments include the introduction of Geographic Information technology which has greatly improved the capacity of the Department to identify the location and quantity of new school accommodation needed to cater for population increases.

The development of a database for individual pupils at primary level remains an important goal for my Department, however it has not been possible to progress it as yet. Like any organisation, the level of progress will depend on available financial, human and IT resources and how they will need to be deployed given emerging priorities and wider public finance constraints.

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1153: To ask the Minister for Education and Science when the database containing details of the pilot project to create an inventory of school accommodation was last accessed prior to 2009 at which time data from this inventory was sought for audit review by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33378/09]

Photo of Brian HayesBrian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 1154: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the software and licensing issues in relation to accessing the information database containing details of the pilot project to create an inventory of school accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33379/09]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1153 and 1154 together.

The inventory to which the Deputy refers was a pilot project carried out in schools in County Kildare. It was intended that the results of this pilot project would be used by the Department to determine the merits, or otherwise, of expanding the inventory on a nationwide basis.

The project commenced in 2001 and was completed in 2002. Having evaluated the pilot project results, it was decided not to proceed with its expansion in view of the high costs associated this at a time when there were more pressing priorities in terms of the available finance. It is important to point out that one of the findings of the pilot exercise showed that the data gathered in relation to the condition of the school buildings has relevance for a relatively short number of years. However, the information in the database was utilised and accessed within the Planning and Building Unit for so long as it was useful and relevant. In this regard it was last accessed two years ago. The floor layout plans and other drawing data gathered during the course of the pilot inventory is still largely relevant and can be used by the Department's Technical staff as appropriate.

My Department's licence for parts of the inventory software has lapsed and it does not intend renewing this given, as I have already said, that the information gathered in relation to the condition of the school buildings has limited relevance.

I am pleased to be able to inform the Deputy that arrangements are being made to conduct a survey of accommodation at primary and post-primary level which will establish the position relating to the extent of all accommodation. The specifications for this inventory are being finalised with a view to commencing the work at an early date.

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