Written Answers Nos. 193-207
193. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education whether there is any funding stream available to assist a school in purchasing additional land for a safe drop-off area when existing conditions are unsafe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54248/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department does not provide funding for upgrade of traffic management or access to school sites outside of any works required as part of a wider school building project.
Individual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children and others in their care, including traffic management measures.
The issue of road safety measures outside the vested site areas of schools, such as road signage, traffic calming measures etc., is a matter that should be raised in the first instance with the relevant Local Authority. Local Authorities have the power to decide on road safety measures outside schools and should ensure that measures are in place to protect the safety of local school children.
194. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education when arrears in school secretaries pay will be paid to people who are now retired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54259/23]
View answerMy Department is providing a payroll service for school secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. There are currently in excess of 2,600 secretaries on payroll.
As part of the implementation of the pay agreement for school secretaries, salary arrears have been calculated for all secretaries eligible for the payment. These arrears payments were received through the payroll on the 23rd November 2023. Those due payments under this first phase also received written correspondence detailing the arrears that were paid. The first phase involved payments to secretaries who are currently on my Department’s payroll system.
The next phase of arrears payments is being worked on and involves those secretaries who opted in to the new arrangements but who are not currently on my Department’s payroll because of retirement or resignation etc. prior to 01/09/2023. As these secretaries are no longer on payroll their arrears will be facilitated by payments that will be made directly to the schools in which they last worked. The schools will then disburse the arrears directly to the secretaries involved.
All secretaries due payments in this next phase will receive advance written communication from my Department containing details of the payments to be made. This information will also be sent, in advance, to the schools involved. These letters will issue over the next few days with payments to follow shortly thereafter.
The arrears due to school secretaries is the difference between the new Grade III salary and the grant funded salary for the 21/22 and 22/23 school years. Calculation of the arrears include pay increases that are in line with those given under Building Momentum and, also, increments payable since September 2021 for the calculated Grade III salary.
195. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will detail, in tabular form, on a county-by-county basis, as of 30 November 2023, the number of Ukrainian pupils enrolled in Irish schools at primary and post-primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54297/23]
View answerMy Department can confirm that 17,880 Ukrainian pupils have been enrolled in schools across Ireland as of 30th November 2023. Out of that figure, 11,097 of these pupils have been accommodated in primary schools while 6,783 pupils have enrolled in post-primary schools.
This data indicates an enrolment rate of 88.4% among Ukrainian children aged 5-18.
A breakdown by county is available in the table below.
|
Primary |
Post-primary |
||
|
County |
Total to date |
County |
Total to date |
|
Cork |
1,152 |
Dublin |
747 |
|
Dublin |
1,135 |
Cork |
707 |
|
Kerry |
1,072 |
Kerry |
654 |
|
Donegal |
943 |
Donegal |
599 |
|
Galway |
614 |
Galway |
393 |
|
Clare |
598 |
Clare |
336 |
|
Mayo |
597 |
Mayo |
336 |
|
Wexford |
595 |
Wexford |
309 |
|
Wicklow |
371 |
Limerick |
284 |
|
Tipperary |
361 |
Tipperary |
232 |
|
Limerick |
359 |
Waterford |
207 |
|
Meath |
339 |
Wicklow |
205 |
|
Sligo |
333 |
Louth |
194 |
|
Waterford |
302 |
Sligo |
190 |
|
Cavan |
264 |
Leitrim |
176 |
|
Louth |
248 |
Meath |
166 |
|
Leitrim |
247 |
Kilkenny |
144 |
|
Westmeath |
240 |
Westmeath |
139 |
|
Roscommon |
225 |
Cavan |
134 |
|
Offaly |
189 |
Kildare |
121 |
|
Laois |
186 |
Carlow |
101 |
|
Kilkenny |
184 |
Laois |
94 |
|
Carlow |
174 |
Roscommon |
91 |
|
Kildare |
172 |
Offaly |
85 |
|
Longford |
107 |
Longford |
75 |
|
Monaghan |
90 |
Monaghan |
64 |
|
Total |
11,097 |
Total |
6,783 |
196. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education how many children in County Meath are on the waiting lists to get into primary schools between 1st class and 6th class, i.e., children transferring during the school year due to a change in circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54301/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.
This close engagement will allow my Department to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
The specific information requested is not available at this time.
The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/
197. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the steps that can be taken to facilitate a move for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54302/23]
View answerIn relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in that area.
Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Where an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is satisfied that there is no available school place in the locality, an application can be made for a home tuition grant to my Department. This will provide funding for a parent, to engage a qualified teacher, to work with the child for up to 9 hours per week on a one-to-one basis, while the parents continue to actively seek a school place, supported by the EWO.
In regard to the child referred to by the Deputy, a referral was received by the local EWO on the 28th November 2023. The EWO will contact this parent to offer the appropriate assistance and advice to assist in securing a school place in the area for the child.
198. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the pupil/teacher ratio in primary schools in County Meath; the ten schools with the highest ratios in County Meath; her plans to reduce this ratio; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54303/23]
View answerBudget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in Education and Schools in Budget 2024 which includes an increase of €421 million in core current funding, as well as over €80 million in core capital funding. An additional €170 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living and COVID-19 supports. These additional funds build on significant increases in recent budgets and further enhance the investment in Ireland’s education system. The significant increased investment is the largest education budget in the history of the state and reflects government’s commitment to a quality inclusive school system and improved learning outcomes for every student.
In the three previous budgets, I prioritised reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, which I introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. I also improved teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools which now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.
The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 15.7:1 to 13.4:1 at primary level when comparing the 2016/17 school year to the 2022/23 school year. In the same period the primary staffing schedule improved from 27:1 to 24:1. Average class sizes at primary improved from 24.6 to 22.8 in the same period. The improvements brought about by Budget 2023 for this school year will be available in the statistical reports published at the end of the school year.
The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data in relation to our schools including pupil teacher ratios and teacher numbers.
199. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the status of the approval process for additional school accommodation and toilets which is awaiting financial review to allow the works to proceed at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54305/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers, was approved a project under my Departments Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme for the provision of 1 mainstream classroom.The project was devolved to the school for delivery. My Department approved the project to Stage 2b (planning stage) however the school progressed onwards to Tender without prior approval from Department officials. I can confirm that my Department has now received the Tender report which is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. My Department will be in contact with the school directly once its review of this report has been completed, regarding next steps to progress the project.
200. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education when payments for the July Provision will be made to those who provided the service; the reason the payments have not been made; if she will accept that such delays will create an unwillingness by teachers and other providers not to engage with the programme next year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54306/23]
View answerDetails of this year’s Summer Programme were announced by the Department on 9 February 2023. Again, all schools were given an opportunity to run a programme for those children that need it the most.
The main priority in 2023 has been that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.
The aim of the Department is to meet the needs of families and to ensure every eligible child is provided with a summer programme. The preferred approach is that the Summer Programme is provided for children in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, adapted fun based activity programmes, special needs assistants and interaction with student peers. The school-based programmes provide a more holistic experience for students and help retain the important connection with school and peers. However, the Department does recognise that not all schools would have been in a position to provide a school-based programme. In such instances, a home-based Programme is available for students with complex special educational needs where the school-based programme is unavailable.
It is important that the home-based element of the Summer Programme provides support for the education and/or care needs of students with complex special educational needs during the summer break period.
I can confirm that all teachers and SNAs, who participated in the school-based programme and for whom claims have been submitted, have been paid.
To facilitate processing of payments for the 2023 home-based Summer Programme, it was recommended that claims for payment should be submitted as soon as possible after the programme of tuition/care support had concluded and no later than the deadline date of 8th September 2023. Payments for correctly completed claims then commenced issuing on 28th September 2023. A total of 10,700 claims were received by the 8th September deadline and of these, 95% were paid by 23rd November 2023. The remaining fully completed claims will be paid in the coming weeks. This in line with 2022 Summer Programme schedule.
The Department wishes to sincerely thank teachers and SNAs who participated in the Summer Programmes this year.
201. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if she will consider a review of the current well-being curriculum in order to ensure that students are receiving comprehensive education in regard to emotional resilience and mental health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54310/23]
View answerAs Minister, I am committed to inclusive education for all. My Department is fully committed to creating safe and supportive environments in schools that are welcoming and inclusive for every student.
The area of well-being and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for my Department. This includes promoting emotional well-being and resilience and positive coping skills, which support children and young people to manage the complexities of modern life.
The Department of Education’s approach to supporting well-being and mental health is set out in its Well-being Policy Statement and Framework for Practice, which informs my Department’s extensive and ongoing work in the area of student well-being and mental health.
The main curricular avenue of supporting students’ mental health is through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum. SPHE is a mandatory part of the Primary and Junior Cycle curriculum, which provide vital opportunities for the development of children’s well-being in the physical, social, emotional and intellectual domains.
Following on from a 2019 National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) review of RSE across primary and post-primary, an updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the NCCA in May 2023 and was rolled out for first years in all schools from September. It places a strong focus on the development of important life skills that young people need growing up in a fast changing and complex world. The specification is grounded in values of respect, equality, inclusivity, responsibility, dignity, compassion and empathy.
The updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification consists of four strands: ‘Understanding Myself and Others’, ‘Making Healthy Choices’, ‘Relationships and Sexuality’, and ‘Emotional Well-being’.
The learning outcomes of the ‘Emotional Well-being’ strand include, amongst others, that students should be able to ‘discuss the fluid nature of emotional well-being and ways to nurture and protect it’, to ‘consider the impact of stress and draw upon a variety of techniques to help self-regulate emotions and cope with the day-to-day stresses of life’, and to ‘ discuss ways to support themselves and others in challenging times and where/how/when to seek support, if needed’.
Work is ongoing to update the SPHE specification for Senior Cycle and a draft specification was published for consultation in July this year, with the consultation running until 3rd November last. This specification is intended to be rolled out in schools from September 2024.
The draft specification includes a strand called ‘Health and Well-being’. The learning outcomes of this strand include that students should be able to ‘explore the factors that influence mental health and well-being, including the influence of family, peers, societal attitudes, media, technology, alcohol and drugs, and one’s sense of self’, to ‘recognise unhelpful thinking patterns and negative self-talk and how these can affect emotions and behaviour’, to ‘recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and anxiety in themselves and others and recognise when help should be sought, where to go and how to access help if needed’, and to ‘discuss healthy and unhealthy ways of responding to stress and anxiety’.
It is expected that the draft specification for primary schools will be published in 2024, with a public consultation to follow this and the aim is that it will be introduced in primary schools in 2025.
Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of their own school community in relation to the promotion of well-being and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs. To support schools in this work the Department funded Teacher Education Support Service, Oide, provides training to schools to ensure that the promotion of well-being is at the core of the ethos of every school. The role of Oide’s Health and Well-being teams are to support leaders, teachers and schools in the development and promotion of students’ emotional, social, personal and physical health and well-being in the context of a positive health-promoting school environment.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of the Department provides a comprehensive, school-based psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the well-being, academic, social and emotional development of all learners. NEPS have lead responsibility for Well-being Policy Implementation and NEPS teams offer training and guidance for teachers in the provision of universal and targeted evidence-informed approaches and early intervention to promote children’s well-being, social, emotional and academic development.
A dedicated well-being portal is also available, bringing together all the well-being supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support services, which is available under ‘Well-being for Education’ on gov.ie.
In terms of teacher training, programmes accredited by the Teaching Council, in accordance with Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (2020), are designed to ensure that tomorrow’s teachers are competent to meet the challenges they will face, and are prepared to be lifelong learners, continually adapting over the course of their careers to enable them to support their pupils in achieving their full potential. These standards require that graduates from ITE have experienced foundation studies, professional studies (incorporating pedagogy of the curriculum for the appropriate age group/s) and school placement, as well as core elements such as inclusive education and Global Citizenship Education.
202. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if autism units/classes will be provided for 2024 in school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54320/23]
View answerEnabling 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. Further progress has been made in Budget 2024 where an additional €113m has been provided which will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.
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 and in 2024 a further 744 teachers, and 1,216 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 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 forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, 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. This week a further four new special schools were announced for the 2024/25 school year which will bring the number of special schools nationwide to 134.
Along with the two new special schools, 384 new special classes – 251 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
Of these 71 are in County Dublin, 48 at primary and 23 at post-primary level. This brings to 534 the number of special classes in Dublin. The majority of these are autism classes.
The attached document provides a breakdown of the autism classes currently sanctioned in the Rush and Lusk school planning area for the 2023/24 school year. Planning for special classes and places in Co. Dublin and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year.
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
My department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
Rush and Lusk Autism classes for 2023/24 school year
|
School Name |
Address |
Sch Type |
Total number of Autism Classes |
|
Corduff National School |
Lusk |
Primary |
1 |
|
Scoil Nais Caitriona / St. Catherine's N. S. |
Rush |
Primary |
3 |
|
Rush Lusk Educate Together National School |
Rathmore Road |
Primary |
2 |
|
Lusk Community College |
Rathmore Road |
Post Primary |
2 |
|
Total |
8 |
203. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if there is a plan to establish a new Irish-speaking secondary school in the Swords area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54332/23]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
Work on the development of a new policy for Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht is in progress in my Department. Included among the key objectives of the policy are exploring how opportunities for the establishment of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí can be increased as part of the patronage process.
A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. The New Schools Establishment Group (NSEG) is an external independent advisory group which was set up in 2011 to advise me on the patronage of new schools. The patronage process is open to all patron bodies and prospective patrons.
An Online Patronage Process System (OPPS) provides objective information to parents in the relevant school planning areas to assist them in making an informed choice about their preferred model of patronage and language of instruction for the new school.
A prospective patron can choose the school(s) it wishes to apply for and complete an application form in that regard for each school, for submission to the Department. The Department provides details on the OPPS of the school(s) and the list of applicant patrons which have applied for patronage of the school(s).
Parents access the OPPS website, which allows them to access the appropriate survey for their area, to input the details of the eligible child(ren) and to select their preferred patron and language of instruction (where applicable). Parental preferences, as well as other considerations such as the extent of diversity of provision in an area (including Irish-medium provision), are key to the decision-making process. Such analysis impacts on whether, at post-primary level, a school would take the form of an Irish-medium Gaelcholáiste, or whether, if English-medium, the school would include an Irish-medium unit.
A public consultation process has been conducted to gather the views of stakeholders. The issues raised in that consultation will be considered as part of the work on the development of the Policy on Irish-medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including Swords.
204. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education to detail her policy in relation to secondary school-aged student who have not been offered a place in a secondary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54343/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Department does not seek to intervene in the selection criterion that is applied by schools.
Where a board of management make a decision to refuse admission, a parent/guardian can appeal that decision under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, and an independent appeals committee will be appointed to consider the appeal. The role of the Section 29 hearing committee is to examine the application for enrolment and consider if it was correctly processed by the school, in accordance with the school’s Enrolment Policy.
This Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a student, except in circumstances where an appeal under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 has been allowed and the appeals committee directs that the school admit the child concerned.
As you are aware, section 29 of the Education Act, 2008, as amended by Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018, provides for a paper based appeal to be considered by an independent appeals committee appointed by the Minister for Education, in circumstances where a parent has been refused enrolment due to oversubscription.
My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.
This close engagement will allow my Department to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/
205. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education to detail the catchment area criteria for English medium and Irish medium secondary schools both for voluntary schools and ETB schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54344/23]
View answerUnder the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. Living in a particular catchment area is one criteria that a school may apply. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. My Department does not intervene in the criteria set by a school.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area.
In order to plan for school provision and to analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
New schools established since 2011 to meet demographic demand are required, in the first instance, to prioritise pupil applications from within the designated school planning area(s) which the school was established to serve. This does not preclude schools from enrolling pupils from outside of the school planning area where they have sufficient places, rather it reflects the need to accommodate in the first instance the demographic for which the school was established.
In most areas, school planning areas were based on traditional school catchment areas where all primary schools were assigned to a post-primary feeder area (typically a population centre or town), containing one or more post-primary schools. With the introduction of Small Areas in Census 2011, these feeder areas were amended to align with Census Small Areas. The current school planning areas take account not only of local groupings of schools, but also of natural boundaries, Census Small Areas and other local conditions.
As stated above, the question of enrolment in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school Patron and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
206. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education the name and location of all the schools that applied for funding under the summer works scheme in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022; if she will provide a list of all the schools that successfully secured funding in those years under the scheme; the value of the summer works scheme grant for each respective project, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53356/23]
View answerOfficials from my Department have liaised with the Deputy's office in relation to this question and the matter has since been resolved via another parliamentary question (PQ 53783/23).
207. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education when the review into school transport commenced; when it will be completed; whether it is intended to publish the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54382/23]
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.
There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.
Under the current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible. Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.
Undoubtedly, the School Transport Scheme is of huge importance to families, the review has been conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately. Considering how to best maximise the benefits now and into the future has been a significant factor in the ongoing review of the Scheme which commenced in February 2021.
Following phase 1 of the review, Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) were introduced at post-primary level and are being continued for the current school year. Under these measures, which were initially introduced in 2019, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.
The school transport scheme has been in operation for over 55 years, since its establishment in 1967, and this review is one of the most extensive investigations that has been carried out into the Scheme since then.
There has been an extensive stakeholder engagement process, including consultation with parents, students, providers, and other key stakeholders, as part of this engagement we consulted with families who use the scheme, who would like to use the scheme and also with young people with special educational needs and mainstream students. The results from the stakeholder engagement with parents and children illustrated the importance of school transport to families with most indicating it is a safe and reliable service which helps families to live and work in rural Ireland. Another important finding of the stakeholder engagement process was that the Special Educational Needs Transport Scheme supports many children in attending specialist school placements which they may otherwise may not be able to attend.
An analysis of school transport schemes in other jurisdictions was also conducted as part of this stakeholder engagement and review process including the EU, the UK, the United States and Australia. This research and analysis outlined the evidence in terms of the need for a school transport service in an Irish context compared to some comparative countries as well as an analysis of the costs to users of school transport services in some other jurisdictions.
The Technical Working Group and the Steering Group have recently completed their work on the final report of the review. This final report includes recommendations on the future operation of the scheme. The report is being submitted by the Steering Group for my consideration.
I am aware that this review is much-awaited, it is recognised that there are improvements which need to be made to the scheme and I know the importance of doing so. I expect to be in a position shortly to bring the review to government, and further to government approval, the review will be published.
