Committee Reports::Annual Report of the Joint Committee on Education and Science, 2004::01 March, 2005::Report

This annual report covers the period from 01 January 2004 to 31 December 2004. It has been prepared pursuant to Standing Order 84 (3), (4), (5) and (6) (Dáil Éireann) and Standing Order 69 (3), (4), (5) and (6) (Seanad Éireann) which provide for the Joint Committee to-

At its meeting, on the 10 March 2005, the Joint Committee agreed that all these items should be included in this annual report.

2. Functions and Powers

The Dáil Select Committee was established by Order of Dáil Éireann of 16 October 2002 to consider Bills and Estimates for Public Services in respect of the Department of Education and Science and such proposals contained in any motion concerning the approval by the Dáil of international agreements involving a charge on public funds.

The Dáil Select Committee under the same Order was enjoined with a Select Committee of Seanad Éireann, established by Order of Seanad Éireann of 17 October 2002, to form the Joint Committee on Education and Science. The principal functions of the Joint Committee are to consider —

•public affairs administered by the Department of Education and Science, including, in respect of Government policy, bodies under the aegis of that Department,

•matters of policy for which the Minister for Education and Science is officially responsible,

•related policy issues concerning bodies which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by Members of the Government or by the Oireachtas,

•such proposals for EU legislation and related policy issues as may be referred to it,

•strategy statements laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas by the Minister for Education and Science

•annual reports and accounts, overall operational results, statements of strategy and corporate plans of bodies under the aegis of the Department of Education and Science or bodies which are partly or wholly funded by the State or which are established or appointed by Members of the Government or by the Oireachtas.

The Orders of Reference of the Dáil Select Committee and the Joint Committee are set out at Appendix 1.

3. Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Convenors and Membership

Deputy Michael Moynihan was elected as Chairman of the Joint Committee on the 18^th November 2004 to replace Deputy Tony Killeen who was appointed a Minister of State on 30^th September 2004. Deputy Jan O’Sullivan was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Committee on the 14^th November 2002. The Chairman of the Joint Committee is also Chairman of the Dáil Select Committee.

Deputies Thomas McEllistrim and Damien English replaced Deputies Barry Andrews and David Stanton, respectively, as the Convenors of the Committee whose function it is to ensure the availability and attendance of Members or their substitutes for meetings of the Committee and, in particular, to ensure Members’ availability for divisions.

Deputy Damien English was appointed to the Committee in substitution for Deputy David Stanton on 20^th October 2004. Deputy Séan Haughey was appointed to the Committee in substitution for Deputy Michael Mulcahy on 18^th November 2004.

4. Meetings, Attendance and Recording

Meetings of the Joint Committee and Select Committee took place in the Committee rooms in Leinster House 2000. Meetings were in public unless otherwise ordered by the Committee.

Televised coverage of public meetings of the Committee were broadcast live within the Leinster House complex and was available for subsequent public broadcasting by RTÉ and TV3.

An Official Report (Parliamentary Debates) of the public meetings of the Committees is published and may be purchased from the Government Publications Sales Office, Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. The Official Reports may also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas website www.oireachtas.ie

Copies of other reports published by the Joint Committee may be obtained from the Clerk, Joint Committee on Education and Science, Kildare House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. A list of these reports is set out at paragraph 8.

5. Number and Duration of Meetings

The Joint Committee met on 23 occasions in the period under report. The number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 37 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out in paragraph 6 below and at Appendix 3.

The Dáil Select Committee met on 9 occasions in the period under report and the number of hours discussion involved in these meetings was in excess of 28 hours. The date and subject matter of each meeting is set out in paragraph 6 below and at Appendix 4.

Minutes of proceedings of the Joint Committee meetings in public session are attached at Appendix 5.

6. Work of the Committee

6.1 Joint Committee

On the 23 occasions the Joint Committee met, it considered the following matters:

•The provision of educational services in a multi-ethnic/multi cultural society

•Developments in the area of investment in academic researchers in the education sector and related issues

•Developments in the area of the provision of further education for people with disabilities

•The McIver Report and current developments with regard to numbers attending PLC courses

•EU Awareness Campaigns and Programmes at Primary and Secondary Level Education

•The decision to close St. Catherine’s College of Education for Home Economics

•School attendance, the work of the National Educational Welfare Board and the need for its adequate financing

•The financing and independence of universities, private schools and related topics

•Com (2003) 796 — Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council on a single framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass)

•Consideration of the Draft Order Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 (Additional Institutions) Order 2004 as referred by Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann with Ms. Mary Hanafin, T.D., Minister for Education and Science.

6.2 Dáil Select Committee

On the 9 occasions the Dáil Select Committee met, it considered the following matters:

•Revised Estimates for year ending 31^st December 2004, Vote 26 — Education and Science

•Consideration of Supplementary Estimate and Second Supplementary Estimate for Vote 26 - Education and Science

7. Groups and Individuals attending before Committee

In the year under report, the Joint Committee met the following organisations, groups and individuals:

•Delegates from the Committee on Science, Education, Arts, Youth and Sports of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

8. Reports

8.1 Joint Committee Reports

During the period under report, the Joint Committee published the following reports:

9. Travel

The Joint Committee undertook the following travel in accordance with its Orders of Reference in connection with its work programme.

(a)Purpose of travel: Fact-finding in the following areas:

1.Education for Young Offenders and Disruptive Children

2.Education for Talented Youth

Date and Destination: 1 July 2004, DCU Centre for Talented Youth and Lusk Residential Schools.

Members travelling:Deputy Barry Andrews, Deputy Máire Hoctor, Deputy Tony Kileen, Deputy Thomas McEllsitrim, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, Deputy David Stanton, Senator Ulick Burke and Senator Liam Fitzgerald.

(b)Purpose of travel: To brief Members of the Joint Committee on the development project to be undertaken by DIT, in collaboration with ERHA/NAHB, to develop a new campus at Grangegorman in advance of consideration by the Committee, of the Grangegorman Development Agency Bill, 2004.

Date and Destination: 7 October 2004, Grangegorman.

Members travelling:Deputy Barry Andrews, Deputy Paul Gogarty, Deputy Máire Hoctor, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, Senator Ulick Burke and Senator Liam Fitzgerald.

(c)Purpose of travel: Fact finding in the following areas:

1.An overview of the structure of the Canadian education system, outlining the differing responsibilities at State and Federal level

2.Education for persons with Special Needs, including education for gifted children

3.Equality/Access/Participation across socio-economic groups in 3rd level education

4.Provision of Educational Services in a multi-ethnic/multi-cultural society

5.Tackling Educational Disadvantage at 1st and 2nd level education

6.Funding of education, with particular reference to funding at 3rd level education

7.Methods/programmes relating to the teaching of/through official languages and of/through native Canadian languages and with regard to teacher training, development and support for these programmes

8.Teaching of languages other than official and native Canadian languages

9.Early Childhood Education

10.Education for Young Offenders and Extremely Disruptive Children

11.Continuing Adult Education and Online Education Programmes

Date and Destination: 16 — 24 October 2004, Canada.

Members travelling: Deputy Paul Gogarty, Deputy Thomas McEllistrim and Senator John Minihan.

10. Functions and Powers

The Joint Committee is currently satisfied with its present procedures and role.

TITHE AN OIREACHTAIS

An Comhchoiste um Oideachas agus Eolaíocht

TUARASCÁIL BHLIANTÚIL 2004 agus CLÁR OIBRE 2005

HOUSES OF THE OIREACHTAS

Joint Committee on Education and Science

ANNUAL REPORT 2004 and WORK PROGRAMME 2005