Written Answers Nos. 172-191
172. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on required works at a school (details supplied); if her Department will immediately replace the fire-damaged and hazardous prefab buildings in situ; if her Department will commit to prioritising the school's infrastructure needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43452/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
I can confirm that an offer of accommodation has been proposed to the school authorities and this is currently under consideration. Once a decision is reached by the school authorities, my Department will be in a position to progress this to the next stage.
173. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if her Department will review a decision (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43460/23]
View answerMy Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
Where a school does not have an assigned psychologist due to a vacancy, a psychologist from the local NEPS team undertakes the role of advisory psychologist to respond to queries that the school may have. The schools continue to have access to support and development work delivered by the local team, critical incident response, advisory support and pupil casework via the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA). The school referred to by the Deputy has access to an advisory psychologist.
Officials in my Department have been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.
Since January of this year, NEPS is supporting bursaries for students who are enrolled in the University College Dublin (UCD) Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology and the Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick’s Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology for Trainee Educational Psychologists. Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. As of September 2023 there are 62 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary from NEPS who are expected will fill a vacancy in NEPS upon graduation, over the next three years.
The Department is also engaging at a Cross-Departmental Level on workforce planning for psychologists in general in Ireland. This work is being coordinated by the Department of Health.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) commenced a recruitment campaign for Educational Psychologists for NEPS earlier this year. Interviews have taken place, and panels of psychologists have been created. My Department is actively engaging with PAS to maximise the numbers of psychologists being recruited.
174. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that an application for additional staff by a school (details supplied) is granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43464/23]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria. The final meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board, for the 2023/24 school year, will be held later this month. Schools that submit an application to this meeting will be informed of the outcome of their appeal ahead of the October mid-term break. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
175. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if a response will issue to proposals as set out in a plan by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43486/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and advise that the provision of education for children with additional educational needs is a priority for Government and for me as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion. This is reflected in my Department’s 2023 budget allocation of more than €2.6 billion to support special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department of Education’s total allocation for 2023.
Inclusive education is at the core of my Department’s policy which requires differentiated teaching approaches to cater for the varying levels of ability in the classroom, from providing additional supports to those experiencing difficulty to ensuring appropriate levels of challenge and enrichment for exceptionally able students. The Education Act, 1998, requires Boards of Management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able . The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the Board of Management to ensure that appropriate education services are made available to such students.
Schools at both primary and secondary level have been encouraged to use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able.
In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) host a number of seminars during the year to provide guidance to teachers to support gifted and talented students.
Furthermore, Oide, through their school support model provide bespoke supports to schools who have identified specific needs for gifted students and respond by facilitating collaborative conversations among staff as to how best to collectively support their students through a planned and coherent approach.
My Department has also established a Working Group to develop its policy on students who are exceptionally able or gifted. The working group is jointly chaired by Special Education Section and the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit (CAP).
The Group has been tasked with, inter alia, the following:
• Scoping out existing supports for students with exceptional abilities
• Examining how other education systems provide for students with exceptional abilities
• Devising guidance for schools
• Reviewing draft guidelines for teachers on meeting the needs of students with exceptional abilities published by the NCCA in 2007.
While my Department had intended to progress this work earlier in 2023, personnel changes in special education section have delayed this somewhat.
The review of the EPSEN Act currently been undertaken will involve focus groups with a range of interest groups and students. High achieving students will be invited to engage in one of these options based on consultation with the research facilitators in UCD.
176. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if there is a procedure whereby a person (details supplied) can make application to be reimbursed for the cost of transport in respect of a school bus that did not turn up for the first number of weeks their child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43491/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education criteria.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
There was a 30% increase in the number of special educational transport journeys from 2019 to the 2022/2023 school year, and already over 1,400 new applications have been received since July for the 2023/2024 school year.
New applications for the 2023/2024 school year will be catered for through a mix of new services (some being individual), children being accommodated on existing services where capacity exists, extensions of existing routes and grants to families.
Bus Éireann has reported that unfortunately, for a small number of families assigned to Special Educational Needs transport services that had been secured, difficulties have arisen in some localities with a small number of contracted services. These services are not cancelled, and the Bus Éireann School Transport team is working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. Bus Éireann is also engaging with families where transport was sanctioned and where there may be delays in securing a new service.
A Special Transport Interim Grant is available to families of children with special educational needs who, following the application process, are eligible under the terms of the school transport scheme and are awaiting a School Transport service to be put in place. The Department will be in direct contact with families in regard to full details of this grant.
This grant is a once off payment. The interim grant is offered from the date of application to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements that families have to put place until a transport service is ready to commence.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that this pupil commenced on transport from 26/09/2023.
177. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) can expect to receive appointments for NEPS assessments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43497/23]
View answerMy Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, I understand that the school has been informed of the name of the psychologist assigned to them for this school year. A planning meeting will be held with the school to agree priorities for the year.
178. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education the reason a co-educational secondary school was refused at a location (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43513/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for change of status from all boys to co-educational, from the school authority in question.
Officials from my Department are currently engaging with the school patron with a view to completing the assessment of this application for change of status, in the context of school place requirements in the area generally. The school authority will be contacted directly with a decision following the assessment of this application.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department's engagement with the patron is solution-focused, in cognisance of the local demand for co-educational post primary provision in the area.
179. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education the number of staff suffering from long-Covid who have had their employment terminated by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43525/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy, that my Department has had no staff suffering from long term-Covid who have had their employment terminated.
Section 24 of the Education Act 1998, as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012, provides that the appointment, suspension and dismissal of teachers are the responsibility of boards of management of recognised schools or, where the employer is a person other than a board, by that person (e.g. an Education and Training Board).
180. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if student teachers who have completed 240 ECTS in home economics and Irish secondary school teaching at a college (details supplied) and achieved a level 8 degree, are now qualified to teach; if this can be confirmed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43531/23]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations.
In order to be employed as a Post Primary teacher you must be registered with the Teaching Council. This is a legal requirement in order to be paid a salary by the State.
An applicant must meet the registration requirements set down in the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations in respect of the curricular subject and any other criteria specified also.
Queries in relation to the qualifications necessary for registration including the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and subject specific requirements must be confirmed with the Teaching Council.
They can be contacted by phone on (01) 651 7900. The phone lines are open from 12pm to 5pm, Monday to Friday or alternatively they can be emailed at info@teachingcouncil.ie.
181. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43541/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is liaising with the school patron regarding options for primary provision in the Loughrea area.
182. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43542/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers, was granted funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for the provision of 19 general classrooms, 7 SET rooms, 2 meeting rooms, 1 DP office, 3 classroom SEN base, 1 art room, 1 home economics room, 1 graphics room, 3 science labs, 2 prep areas, 1 construction studies, prep area, 1 engineering room, 1 tech prep room, 3 project stores, 1 staff room, 1 GP/dining area along with alterations to existing building and accommodation to be delivered once the standalone building is converted to a PE hall, use of which includes a fitness suite and storage.
A Stage 1/2A report was submitted and reviewed by my Department's Professional and Technical team. Subsequently, comments arising from this review issued to the school along with approval to proceed to the planning stage.
Whilst this project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery, the Department is engaged directly with the school to provide whatever practical assistance and advice is necessary to implement this important project for the wider school community.
183. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the provision of school accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43543/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application for additional accommodation from the school in question.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
All school capital projects that have been approved, by my Department, under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA), may be viewed on my Department’s website, www.education.ie, which is updated regularly.
184. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 27 September 2023, if a timeline is available for when her Department expects to receive and review the second tender report. [43573/23]
View answerFurther to Parliamentary Question No 78, 27 September 2023, I wish to advise the Deputy that the 2nd Tender Report has not been received by my Department for review and we are currently not in a position to provide a timeline for completion of this review.
185. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department is taking to address the school transport routes in County Clare that are currently without a driver; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43577/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
In recent weeks, Bus Éireann issued tickets for school transport on bus services that had been secured. Unfortunately a number of difficulties have arisen in some localities involving a small number of contracted services, including services in the Clare area.
Bus Éireann is working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. The School Transport team is continuing to prioritise arrangements to ensure transport can be sourced and put in place as soon as possible.
In situations where a ticket has issued and a service was not in place on 1 September 2023, and until such time as a service is in place, an Exceptional No Service Interim Grant will be made available to families retrospectively to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements they have to put in place until services begin. This payment will be paid as an exceptional measure and will be calculated from the date the service was due to commence. As the payment is based on the number of days a child attends school up until the time a service has commenced it cannot be paid in advance. There is no need to apply for the grant, the Department has contacted families directly in relation to this exceptional grant.
Bus Éireann is providing those affected by the contractor/driver issues with regular updates on the status of their transport service. However, please be advised that Bus Éireann has put in place a dedicated customer care call centre and a ‘contact form’ on their website (buseireann.ie/schooltransport) to assist families specifically with School Transport queries. Families that have queries can contact the call centre on: LoCall 0818 919 910. Operating hours are 09.00 – 17.00 Monday to Friday.
186. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education for an update on a school (details supplied); if her Department will start the process to immediately replace the fire-damaged and hazardous prefab buildings; if she will give a commitment to prioritise the school's infrastructure need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43581/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
I can confirm that an offer of accommodation has been proposed to the school authorities and this is currently under consideration. My Department will continue to engage with the school with a view to advancing an accommodation solution. Once a decision is reached by the school authorities, my Department will be in a position to progress this to the next stage.
187. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if all efforts are being made to secure a school place for a child (details supplied) who is non-verbal and currently has no school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43582/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.
For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational need.
Over the last number of years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.
My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
As a result of this forward planning, earlier this year, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two special schools for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.
Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes – 252 at primary and 137 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
In Kildare, 11 new special classes have been sanctioned, 6 at primary level and 5 at post-primary level, bringing the number of special classes in Co. Kildare to 115.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at: www.ncse.ie/special-classes.
As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.
In October of last year, my department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
188. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will meet with a person (details supplied) to discuss the allocation model used to distribute HSCL to secondary schools in the DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43587/23]
View answerMy Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.
The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is a key support provided to urban primary schools and post-primary schools participating in the programme. The HSCL scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention. The scheme is delivered across almost 700 schools by 528 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or clusters of schools, catering for approximately 207,000 pupils.
Officials from my Department have engaged with the school referred and discussed the allocation model that is used to distribute HSCL coordinators to secondary schools within the scheme. My Department is currently undertaking a programme of review work which will consider the allocation of resources, including HSCL coordinators, to schools to ensure that all children at risk of educational disadvantage can be supported to achieve their potential through education. No changes to the current HSCL allocations are planned ahead of this review work being completed. However, the feedback received from the school will be considered and the school will be invited, along with other relevant stakeholders, to participate in the consultation process.
My Department is committed to achieving its vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. That is why my Department is undertaking a programme of work to explore the allocation of resources to schools to address educational disadvantage. To support this work my Department have invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies Project to review the current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage in Ireland. This review will provide an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme and, drawing on international examples, inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS. The OECD estimates that the review will be completed in Q2 2024.
189. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if all efforts can be made to ensure that the daughter of a person (details supplied) has the appropriate SNA resources, who has just started in junior infants and whose parents have been advised that they require one-to-one SNA assistance; if a one-to-one SNA can be provided in this case; the procedure to apply for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43608/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.
For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
SNAs are allocated to schools as a school based resource and not to individual children. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual principal/board of management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The school can apply to the NCSE for a review of its SNA allocation if it is insufficient to meet the needs of its students.
Detailed information on the NCSE Exceptional Review process is published on the NCSE website: www.ncse.ie/application-for-sna-exceptional-review.
The NCSE have published the SNA allocations for the 2023/24 school year. For ease of reference the allocations are broken down by school type and made available on the NCSE's website at: www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
190. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education when an appropriate secondary school placement will be found for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43631/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.
For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.
Over the last number of years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.
My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
As a result of this forward planning, earlier this year, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two special schools for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.
Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes – 252 at primary and 137 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
In Galway, 15 new special classes have been sanctioned, 10 at primary level and 5 at post-primary level, bringing the number of special classes in Co. Galway to 149.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at: www.ncse.ie/special-classes.
As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.
In October of last year, my department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
191. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of buses in the Bus Éireann school transport fleet for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school term, in tabular form. [43634/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/23 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The school transport fleet is made up of both contractors and Bus Éireann vehicles which in the 2023/2024 school year so far amounts to over 7,000 vehicles of which in the region of 94% are owned by private contractors under contract to Bus Éireann for the operation of school transport scheme services. In the 2022/2023 school year the number of vehicles on the scheme amounted to over 6,400. As the school transport scheme is a demand led scheme, the number of vehicles can vary throughout the year.
