Michael Moynihan
Question:60. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education the plans that are in place to review the operation of the school transport scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49709/22]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
School Transport
I ask what plans are in place to review the operation of the school transport scheme. Will the Minister outline the issue? I might come back to her with a supplementary question. Where is the review at? When do we hope to have a view of the review? When will it be published?
I thank the Deputy. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the last school year more than 121,400 children, including more than 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost of the scheme in 2021 was €289 million.
I recognise the importance of the school transport service for families and children. The review commenced in February 2021. It is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme and its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately. The review encompasses the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs and the primary and post-primary school transport schemes to include an examination of eligibility criteria, trends, costs and cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the scheme's objectives.
The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Departments that use transport services. The review will consider issues such as climate action, supporting rural development and promoting, where possible, initiatives that encourage walking and cycling to school.
In June 2021, the steering group presented me with an initial interim report. Following consideration of this report, I approved temporary alleviation measures which allowed for the provision of transport for post-primary students who were otherwise eligible for school transport but were attending their second nearest school, had applied by the 29 April and registered for a ticket by the 29 July. Temporary alleviation measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022-23 school year.
Wider considerations relating to the operation of the scheme are now taking place in the second phase of the review. The technical working group has undertaken extensive consultation over the last number of months, including running a public survey for parents, guardians and students, and has consulted with a broad array of stakeholders including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Departments. The steering group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses.
While work on the review is impacted somewhat by challenges including the pandemic and the impact on resources arising from the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, it is anticipated that the completion of the final phase of the review will be in the shortest timeframe possible. I will examine and consider the final recommendations once received.
I thank the Minister. There are two issues, one of which is the ongoing review. Will it take into consideration the issues that arose this year in relation to concessionary tickets and making sure that as broad a school transport system as possible is in place?
School transport ticks an awful lot of boxes in getting everyone who can get a bus to school to do so.
Where children have special and additional needs are travelling to different locations for their school activities or places, some parents opt for a taxi service and others for the grant. Sometimes during the year, which can be very early on, it turns out that what they looked for might not have worked out for every student, depending on their needs and challenges. The cases that come to me are often about taxis. Could there be greater flexibility in the Department so that there would be swift accommodation for people who change their minds on which scheme for kids with additional needs to travel to school they wish to use for genuine reasons?
The purpose of the review is to look at all aspects of the current system and that includes examining eligibility criteria, trends, cost drivers and the overall effectiveness of the scheme in meeting the objectives as set out. The objective is to maximise the opportunities for young people to avail of the service. To answer the Deputy's first question, eligibility will most certainly be part of it, which is welcome.
He is correct that the value of the school transport system is incalculable, particularly in certain areas where it is a vital service. It is our objective that we will maximise the opportunity for people to avail of it. That is very much part of the review.
It is an important provision for students with special education needs, SEN. More than 17,000 SEN students avail of it. We will examine all aspects of its appropriateness and effectiveness for students with special education needs.
I assume that the issue of distance, particularly at post-primary level, is also in the review and if it is not, the Minister should make sure that it is. The mileage or kilometre distance is probably outdated at this stage and should be looked into in the review and in the final deliberations of the review panel.
I concur with what has been said. We have a scramble every year. We hope that our numbers are sorted for concessionaries on the basis of luck and then every local elected representative gets involved in these campaigns in areas. I have told the Minister previously that sometimes they almost welcome it as a chance to show themselves as busy, but I would be a hell of a lot happier if we could just get this issue off the agenda. We need to examine what constitutes a concessionary ticket and the eligibility criteria and that includes distance, particularly if a second school is being taken into account. We had particular issues in County Louth where there were, say, three schools that were equidistant from each other with very little in the difference. It ended up as a hames for a huge number of children as the Minister knows. We need a paradigm shift around moving people to the bus so we have to do what we are doing this year and more.
I thank the Minister for the reply. I tabled Question No. 88 also on this matter. I refer in particular to the large number of children left without transport in a particular area such as Glenville in my constituency. My concern about that area was that these were children who wanted to go to school in Fermoy. The school authorities from Fermoy attended the primary school and advised that Glenville was a feeder school for them but now we find that more than 20 children have been left without school transport to Fermoy. Where there is a large number of students in particular places, that needs to be tackled in the fastest time possible because a large number of families are directly affected.
I echo the comments of the previous speakers and acknowledge the tremendous work that the Minister has done and undertaken and is pursuing in this regard. To shorten the road ahead I suggest that the students that remain off-list and who cannot avail of transport and get a ticket be catered for by way of concessionary payment. At least it would remove the immediate problem. That is not to belittle in any way the tremendous work that the Minister has done but merely to continue it.
I appreciate the points that the Deputies made. Nobody appreciates more than myself the importance of the school transport scheme and the shortcomings that exist. It is for that reason that I launched this comprehensive review of the scheme, which is long overdue because there are shortcomings and I know how vital it is to those who avail of it.
Eligibility, distance and all of that is part of the review and the ongoing work. Deputy Moynihan specifically referred to the 3.2 km and the 4.8 km criteria. Every aspect of eligibility is being looked at. The Deputy will be aware of issues around concessionaires and who is a concessionary. I believe a lot of that will be addressed in considering the new criteria.
I will go back to the Members who were missing. I call Deputy Carey who is putting a question in the name of Deputy Neale Richmond and then I will move to Deputy Colm Burke.
School Curriculum
Neale Richmond
Question:57. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the leaving certificate reform; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49684/22]
I seek an update on plans announced at the end of March for a reimagined senior cycle
As the Deputy will be aware, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined senior cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their senior cycle experience. There are three clear objective. It will empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century; enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system; and embed well-being and reduce student stress levels.
Considerable work has been ongoing regarding senior cycle redevelopment in the Department, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA and the SEC, in particular since the March announcement. Officials in the Department have engaged with key stakeholders on senior cycle redevelopment including providing a number of online information sessions to parents. Subject background papers have been prepared for the two new subjects of drama, film and theatre studies and climate action and sustainable development; as well as for business. The NCCA has a public consultation under way in respect of those subjects which closes at the end of October. The subject development groups within the NCCA, through which the new and revised curriculums will be developed, have been convened and the first meetings have been held. I have asked the SEC to undertake an evaluation of the 2022 experience of holding oral and music practical examinations at Easter so as to inform our approach in subsequent years. The NCCA and the SEC are in the process of commissioning research in relation to the weighting, composition and moderation of teacher-based assessment components.
Our next immediate steps include preparing to launch the process through which schools will be invited to become network schools. Those schools will support the introduction of the new and revised subjects in fifth year in September 2024. The planning necessary to hold paper 1 in Irish and English at the end of the fifth year from summer 2023 has also commenced. In addition, from the start of the current school year students pursuing the leaving certificate applied, LCA programme have been able to access maths from the established programme and those pursuing the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, programme are no longer required to satisfy subject specific criteria to be eligible for the programme. These are the first steps that will ultimately lead to a more integrated leaving certificate available to all students.
Work has also commenced within the NCCA’s structures in regard to the production of a revised transition year programme statement and the development of L1 and L2 learning programmes to provide for continuity from equivalent level programmes at junior cycle level.
The Minister has given a broad outline of what the new senior cycle will look like but the detail is light. What subjects will be available? What will the curriculum consist of? What form will the exams take? What form will the continuous assessment take? There is little time available to give the answers to those questions. If we learned anything from the pandemic, it was that the leaving certificate needs to be reformed in its entirety.
Sitting that exam is not the be-all and end-all for all students. The reform of senior cycle should reflect that. We clearly need to reflect on this and introduce those changes. Will the Minister give an indication of what subjects will be available and what the curriculum will consist of? What form will the exams take and what form will the continuous assessment take?
I have been very clear about the need for the reform of senior cycle and I have outlined the aspects on which we have already moved. We have already made considerable changes on foot of the announcements for senior cycle. For example, the students availing of the LCA programme may now avail of maths from the established programme. There is a crossover between the different programmes available at leaving certificate. Equally, students who wish to study the LCV programme are no longer prohibited on the basis of the subjects they choose; it is open to everyone.
We have also said that there will be a revised transition year programme. We are currently developing a structure where the L1 and L2 programmes, which are available to children with special educational needs, will be also available at senior cycle. We have been very clear that there will be 40% teacher-based assessment. We have been also very clear that all this will be worked through in what we are calling our network schools so that the students and teachers are co-authors of the programme. We have been also very clear that students will not need to experience any single day in June where all their marks are dependent on their performance on that day. We have also made clear that as part of the syllabus, there will be various methods of adjudicating students' abilities, whether it is oral presentations-----
The Minister will get a chance to come back.
I still believe there is a need for more clarity for students, parents and teachers. I acknowledge that the Minister's press statement in March outlined her aspirations and she has outlined them again. There is need for clarity for students. In recent months junior cert students have experienced uncertainty in waiting for their results. We certainly do not want our older students to be in that position also. I appeal to the Minister to do her utmost to engage with students and teachers to plan out what she has in mind for the senior cycle. That would be very welcome. I encourage her to be more forthcoming and to bring more clarity to the situation for students and teachers.
The Deputy is misconstruing what I said to him. I said there is absolute clarity on the broad thrust of what is to be achieved at senior cycle. I have been very clear about the new types of subjects that will be available. Two specific new subjects will be available: drama, film and theatre studies; and climate action and sustainable development. The work on that has already begun. The Deputy spoke about clarity for students and teachers. I have been also very clear that the entire process, particularly as it relates to assessment etc., will be worked through our network schools. That will involve teachers and students. There will be total engagement there. It will be a co-authoring of the process. We will shortly be commencing opportunities for schools to join that network schools programme. We have already begun the process of senior cycle reform. This year for the first time, students will be allowed to move between the leaving certificate established and leaving certificate applied. That reflects one of the broadest ambitions in ensuring there is a crossover. Another measure from senior cycle reform in our schools this year is ensuring that the LCV programme is open to all students. The process has begun and there will be ongoing consultation with students and staff.
Special Educational Needs
Joe Carey
Question:58. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education her views on the assistive technology scheme; if she will provide an update on the review of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49870/22]
I ask the Minister for her views on the assistive technology scheme and if she will provide an update on the review of the scheme.
I thank the Deputy for the question. This is particularly important vis-à-vis my role as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. Many children have difficulty reaching their potential without access to digital technologies. We need to provide these to them so that they can overcome traditional barriers to learning, and to support inclusion across the system.
The assistive technology scheme is provided by the Department to supplement the overall approach. The overall approach is the digital strategy for schools to 2027, with €200 million committed over the period, €50 million of which has already been given to schools. The equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who require essential specialist equipment in order to access the school curriculum.
I am delighted that this year I was able to increase that funding by €2 million in budget 2023, which represents an increase of almost 60% on funding allocated to it previously. Last year it was €3.5 million and the additional €2 million brings it to €5.5 million, which will go a long way to helping children with additional needs avail of such technological assistance when required.
In 2021, a total of 3,766 students benefited from this scheme, 62 of whom are in the Deputy's constituency of Clare. The review is ongoing and we expect it to be completed by mid-2023. This process will have a consultative element and relevant stakeholders will be invited to participate. It is important for the entire digital strategy to be embedded in digital technologies across all learning for children with additional needs.
I acknowledge how important the assistive technology scheme is for those students. I recognise the Minister of State's work in securing an additional €2 million for the programme, bringing it up to €5.5 million. The number of students throughout the country who benefit from the scheme is 3,766, including 62 students in County Clare. The Minister of State has given an indicative timeframe for the review to conclude by May 2023. What type of work will take place between now and when the Minister of State hopes to have the review published? When will the recommendations of the review be implemented?
As I have mentioned, the review is ongoing and we expect it to be completed by mid-2023. It will involve a consultative element. There will be consultation with relevant stakeholders and we will be inviting them to participate. It is really important that we stay on top of technological advances all the time and that we are forward thinking with the technological assistance we can give to children with additional educational needs. Examples include laptops with modified software and audiological support for students with hearing impairments. Braille is also available. Children with more complex disabilities require essential specialist equipment to access the school curriculum. Schools not in a position to provide assistance to them through their normal resources may apply to the National Council for Special Education under the terms of the scheme.
Students with physical or communicative disabilities are among our most vulnerable students. It is imperative that we continue to adapt this important scheme to ensure we meet the needs of all those students. I accept what the Minister of State has just said. The addition of the €2 million is significant, representing a 60% increase. I very much look forward to the outcome of the review and I ask the Minister of State to keep me informed because this issue is very important to many families who have students who are vulnerable.
I will, of course, keep the Deputy informed.
In County Clare also, there are 47 special classes. Two were opened this September. There are also 15 special classes at post-primary level, two of which were opened this year. A number of the children in those special classes in County Clare and throughout the country probably will be looking for assistance. It is important to stress the school management authorities must apply and qualify for the assistive technology scheme. As Deputy Carey stated, a student must be diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must have a recommendation as part of a professional assessment that the equipment is essential to allow the student to access the curriculum. Overall, the fact we have extra funding of €2 million in the budget means extra supports will be available for the children. When we visit schools, it is incredible to see children with additional needs progressing and being able to learn through technological devices in a way they might not have been able to do in the absence of such support.
Education Schemes
Colm Burke
Question:59. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will confirm that formal recognition will be given to teachers working in the Cork Life Centre and that funding will be provided by her Department for payment of teachers in the Cork Life Centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50035/22]
I ask that formal recognition be given to teachers working in the Cork Life Centre, that funding be provided by the Department for the payment of teachers at the centre, and that the Minister make a statement on the matter.
As the Deputy is aware, in June of this year, I visited the Cork Life Centre and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet some of the young people who attend the centre, together with their parents and guardians, as well as members of staff and the management of the centre.
During the meeting, the centre raised the issues of security of employment for its staff and their terms and conditions, including payment rates for the centre's teaching staff. Staff employed in Cork Life Centre, under the co-operation hours arrangements by Cork Education and Training Board, are employed under terms and conditions, including pay scales, in line with arrangements which apply to settings outside the recognised school system. It is not unusual that tutors may hold qualifications that entitle them to recognised teacher status or registration with the Teaching Council, but payment rates and terms and conditions are generally dependent on the setting or sector in which a person is employed.
A commitment was given to examine the circumstances around the payment of teachers at Cork Life Centre. I am committed to honouring that agreement through the review of out-of-school education provision. With the report completed, work has now commenced on the next phase of this process. I am very keen to see progress made on the implementation of the recommendations of the report. In the interim, the level of funding currently provided to Cork Life Centre will continue until such time as the recommendations of the report are implemented. This funding will be in place and will provide ongoing support for the centre.
The Department of Education has provided funding to Cork Life Centre in recent years, with that support increasing significantly since 2018. In 2022, my Department will provide funding of €177,500. This is in addition to the 6,000 co-operation hours, funded by my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
I also give a commitment that my Department will continue to engage with Cork Life Centre to work towards a framework for sustainability for the centre. Indeed, this is what the review of out-of-school education provision aims to provide for the sector as a whole, including Cork Life Centre. The body of work to advance the implementation of the recommendations is now under way and will be completed as soon as possible. It is envisioned that the implementation of the recommendations of the review will address all of the issues raised by Cork Life Centre.
I accept that major progress has been made on the provision of funding to the centre. The centre lost eight teachers in June who had an average of six years' experience. At any one time there are 55 students in the centre. These are students who have dropped out of school.
I worked with the Blackpool Glen Farranree Community Youth Training Centre where we had full funding. We had more than 50 young people who had dropped out of school, many of whom were referred to us by the Garda Síochána. When a research project was carried out on those children five years after they left the centre, 70% of them were in full-time employment. The Cork Life Centre has made great progress with children who have attended it who do not fit in to the formal educational structure. We must provide funding to it.
I do not say that any of the children attending the centre are involved in any kind of illegal activity. It was interesting to hear from staff from the Children Detention Campus at Oberstown who were before the Committee of Public Accounts recently that the cost of running it is €24 million per annum, which is more than €500,000 per student.
The Deputy will get a chance to come back in.
Could we give serious consideration to increasing the funding for the centre?
To be clear, the staff employed in the Cork Life Centre, under the co-operation hours arrangement with Cork ETB, are employed under terms and conditions, including the pay scale, in line with arrangements that apply to settings outside the recognised school system. However, as I have made very clear, I have met with the centre and I am very conscious of the work it does. The issues the centre has raised will be addressed via the review of the out-of-school education provision. In the interim, to be clear, the Department has provided significant funding to Cork Life Centre in recent years and, in 2022 alone, significant funding of €177,500 was provided. That is in addition to the 6,000 co-operation hours funded by the Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I am fully committed to driving on the review. It will support centres like Cork Life Centre and others in this sector. We will do that as speedily as possible.
I fully understand where the Minister is coming from. My colleague Deputy O'Sullivan has raised the matter with the Minister by way of a Topical Issue debate. Both of us are very concerned about this. We have 55 children there who are being looked after in a very caring way. They are getting education they might not otherwise get. Again, I go back to the facility of which I was chair of the board for some years in Blackpool, which has 50 children at any one time. We had full funding and support. The facility is still there and is a success. I know the structure in the Blackpool Glen Farranree training centre, but it has worked for children who have dropped out of the education system, who are going down the wrong road and who need that support. Don O'Leary, who runs the Cork Life Centre, is the person who did the research project for me as part of his masters degree for UCC. He showed that 70% of the cases coming through the centre were in full-time employment five years later. It is likewise with the Cork Life Centre. There are success stories there and it is important it gets support.
I support Deputy Burke. As he outlined, I debated the issue with the Minister last week during a Topical Issue debate. We acknowledge all the good work that has been done to provide resources, co-operation hours and extra funding for the Cork Life Centre. That is greatly appreciated by all the staff, but again it is important to stress the urgency of the matter at hand. I understand the report is with the implementation team, as the Minister referenced again this evening. I reiterate that the staff in the Cork Life Centre are fully qualified, as I was in the past, but unfortunately they find it very difficult when they seek a bank loan, car loan or mortgage because they are not permanent. For example, many of them have to sign on in the summer. I acknowledge that once upon a time I was that part-time temporary teacher who struggled to get those types of loans, so I can empathise greatly with the staff in the centre.
I thank both Deputies. I acknowledge their commitment and interest. I do not for a moment underestimate the value and importance of the work that takes place in Cork Life Centre and in the other centres that make up this sector. I fully understand that no one setting suits the needs of students and we must provide a variety of settings for them. It is the desire of the Cork Life Centre, and all such centres, that it would have a sustainable future. It is for that reason we are determined to ensure via the review that we have a mechanism that will protect and sustain the sector as a whole, including the Cork Life Centre. I am very conscious of the issues the Deputies have addressed. They are part of this review and they will be worked through as speedily as we can for the benefit of all centres within the sector.
Question No. 60 taken after Question No. 56.
Question No. 61 taken with Written Answers.
Education Welfare Service
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:62. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to bringing school completion officers back under the remit of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49774/22]
I wish to ask the Minister about the return of school completion officers back under the remit of the Department of Education and if she will make a statement on the matter.
On 1 January 2021, responsibility for education welfare functions, including the administration of the home school community liaison scheme and the school completion programme, SCP, transferred from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to me. The SCP forms part of the Tusla education support service, TESS. While the arrangements between Tusla and the SCP are not impacted by the change in ministerial responsibility, Tusla now reports to my Department in respect of the SCP, which is funded by my Department via Tusla.
TESS has three strands. These are the statutory educational welfare service, EWS, and the two school support services, namely, the home school community liaison, HSCL, scheme and the SCP. The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, families and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people.
The SCP was introduced in 2002 by my Department and the programme is now a central element of Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, my Department’s main policy initiative to address educational disadvantage at school level. The SCP delivers a range of local interventions in disadvantaged communities that support the retention of young people in education. The programme enables local communities to develop tailored strategies to maximise the participation levels of those at risk of early school-leaving in the education process. It entails targeting individual young people of school-going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes.
There are currently 122 school completion projects with local management committees. The 2022 allocation for the programme is €26.9 million and additional funding will be provided later this year to allow new DEIS urban primary and post-primary schools to access the SCP service. At present, management of the school completion programme initiatives, including the employment of staff, occurs at local level.
Since I took over responsibility for the school completion programme in January 2021, I have secured additional funding to provide for an extension of SCP supports to 28 additional schools that were included in DEIS for the first time in September 2017 and a 5% overall increase in funding for the school completion programme, effective from September 2021. In addition, I negotiated a further increase of 5% for the SCP under budget 2023.
I thank the Minister for her comprehensive response, a copy of which I received earlier in the evening. I welcome the fact both she and the Taoiseach have taken a keen interest in this area. As recently as last Wednesday, during Questions on Policy or Legislation, he indicated he was still anxious that the full transition in regard to the logistics would be undertaken and that the full jurisdiction would return to the Department of Education. I also welcome the fact the Minister has negotiated through the budgetary process, as she mentioned, that 5% increase, which will cater well for the expanded DEIS programme.
The crux of the matter, however, is that, as she stated, the management of the school completion programme occurs at local level. That is the point at issue here. The Minister went on to say her Department would consider all aspects of the programme, including its management, in the future. Will she confirm whether this consideration will extend to staff reverting to employment under the Department of Education, for example?
To be clear, I appreciate and acknowledge the value of the school completion programme and see the work it does on the ground. We are looking at an holistic approach between school completion, home school community liaison and so on to ensure students and young people at risk of early school-leaving will be supported insofar as possible to maintain their presence in school and to succeed.
I reiterate that the initial focus of the transfer of the school completion programme has been very much on the development of the legislative platform to support the transfer of functions from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the process in that respect was recently completed. My Department will, as the Deputy noted, consider all aspects of the development of the programme, including its management and all aspects involved therein. I will keep the Deputy updated on the matter. I am determined, now that we have completed the legislative framework, to consider all other aspects.
I appreciate the Minister's sincerity on this and wished only to give her an outline of what the school completion programme model means on the ground in Cork. We have 11 projects, comprising six non-education and training board, ETB, based and five ETB based. I highlight that distinction because in the case of the five ETB-based school completion programmes, predominantly, the teachers involved keep their pay and conditions as employees of the ETB. They have the same pension entitlements as regular ETB staff.
Unfortunately, in the case of the six non-ETB school completion programmes, the teachers do not have the same luxury of pension entitlements or the same pay and conditions. That is a glaring disparity and I hope it will be addressed as the scheme is reviewed. It feeds into the bigger problem we have with regard to school completion, namely, the poor retention of staff in critical areas.
I very much appreciate the Deputy's points and am conscious of the disparity that exists. I am also conscious of the value and importance of the work being done on school completion programmes. The jurisdiction of the SCP coming into my remit is a relatively recent move. I wanted to be fair and honest in saying there had to be considerable work in that respect from a legislative point of view but I am aware of the differences of approach and of impact in terms of staffing throughout the country. The next body of work, focusing on all other aspects of the management of the SCP now that we have jumped the first significant hurdle, will commence imminently.
Special Educational Needs
Charles Flanagan
Question:63. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education if staff from the early years sector are eligible to work on the summer programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49872/22]
Deputy Colm Burke is asking this question on behalf of Deputy Flanagan.
Are staff from the early years sector eligible to work on the summer programme and will the Minister of State make a statement on the matter?
The summer programme has been described by, for example, the Department inspectorate as life-changing, given how important it is for children with additional needs. Indeed, the report of the Department’s chief inspector referred to post-Covid regression and how that is likely to persist for a period, and we need to take that into account when we talk about the importance of the summer inclusion programme.
This year, the Minister and I announced the summer programme for pupils and were in a position to secure an additional €20 million in the budget, which will mean schools will have more time to plan the summer programme for next year. Rather than announcing an additional €20 million in May, when the summer provision is due to start, they will now have time to do that in advance. We have built on the first inclusion summer programme, which I introduced in 2021, and now all primary and post-primary schools, as well as special schools, are able to offer at least one summer programme this year and next year. While we have not yet finalised figures, we think more than 1,000 schools ran a programme this year and it is expected more than 45,000 pupils will have participated in both the school-based and the home-based programmes this year, which amounts to an increase of more than 15% on the 2021 figures.
The Deputy asked specifically about the early years sector. Over the past two years, we have endeavoured to do everything we can to ensure all schools will participate in the summer programme, such as by allowing schools some flexibility in regard to staff who are not currently employed in their school, including those in the early years sector.
I thank both the Minister and the Minister of State for making funding available at such an early date. It will allow for long-term planning and help to ensure the full programme for the summer will be planned out with people involved in it.
The issue with early years sector employees, however, is that they are paid for 38 weeks of the year and must sign on during the summer. It is important that we allow them to participate in this programme and that they are included. They have a huge contribution to make. It is also about widening the base of the people available with regard to providing the support in the schools and to the children. The summer programme is also very welcome, not only for children but also for parents. There is a benefit for both. It is, however, the early years sector about which I am very concerned.
I completely agree with the Deputy that these workers have an awful lot to offer. That is why we have allowed that flexibility for schools to hire staff from the early years sector. This year, for example, provision was made to include newly qualified teachers, undergraduate student teachers and final year students as well as those from the early years sector. We want to expand the potential of the workforce. I am working with the Ministers, Deputies Harris and O’Gorman, to make sure that is done.
For the Deputy's interest, 44 schools in County Cork ran 66 programmes for 1,449 children. They would have benefited from the summer programme this year. We also currently have the programme under review, which is really important. Together with consultation with the special education consultative forum, we are working very closely with stakeholders to make sure we can encourage all schools to participate in this programme.
I presume there will be engagement with people who are working in the early years school sector in order that they will be made aware that they can become more involved in it. The other issue is whether the Minister of State's Department is setting targets for trying to increase the number of schools that are participating, while also increasing the number of young people, students and children who will benefit from it.
Absolutely. One of the primary issues with which I have been tasked is to try to encourage and make it easier for schools to participate in the summer provision. One of the reasons we secured €20 million in the budget is so that €40 million is already set aside for next year. Staff will, therefore, have time to plan in each individual school, particularly special schools in which children have more complex needs. We have also undertaken other measures to improve the situation and the attractiveness of providing a summer programme to schools. There is flexibility around when they can participate or when they can host the summer programme. We have tried to ease the administrative burden. We have appointed an overseer role and introduced preparation hours, thereby allowing principals to delegate functions to other members of staff. We have also increased capitation funding, which is of huge assistance to the schools.
Special Educational Needs
Joe Carey
Question:64. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the number of special class places that have been sanctioned in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49869/22]
Will the Minister of State provide an update on the number of special class places that have been sanctioned for the 2022-23 school year?
I thank the Deputy. The provision of special classes throughout the country is another issue with which I have been extremely seized. I secured €2.6 billion in this budget to provide some of those places to children with additional needs. We have increased the budget by 10% from last year. In fact, the special education budget is 27% of the entire education budget, which is an acknowledgement of the significance of special education. That includes the setting up of special classes.
In total, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has sanctioned 392 special classes this year and 370 for 2023, of which 260 are in primary schools and 132 are in post-primary schools. That will create 2,352 special class places. There will be more than 2,900 special classes in Ireland by the end of next year, which is the highest level ever. This is absolutely necessary in order that children can thrive in that environment. In each special class, we have two special needs assistants, SNAs, and a special education teacher to look after the children.
Across the special education sector in its entirety, we now have more than 19,000 special education teachers and more than 20,000 SNAs. Therefore, we have 40,000 dedicated staff enthusiastically looking after children with additional needs. For the Deputy's information, we have 62 special classes in County Clare comprising 47 classes at primary level, including two new classes that opened in September, and 15 classes at post-primary level, including two new classes that also opened in September. We also have 188 children in two special schools in County Clare.
I thank the Minister of State for that response. Special classes play a significant role in the development of children with special education needs. I acknowledge the Minister of State's really welcome work in securing €2.6 billion in the recent budget, which is the biggest budget in the history of the State for special education. The priority of the Government and the Minister of State has been to ensure that every child in the country has access to a school place.
I had the pleasure of working with the Minister of State on the issue of Doonbeg National School together with the principal, Mr. Neil Crowley. After an in-depth review of the school's needs, a special class was sanctioned, which I had the honour of opening. I can see on the ground the impact that is having on the school community. It is really welcome. Could the Minister of State perhaps expand on future plans to expand it further?
I thank the Deputy for his acknowledgement of Doonbeg National School. I commend his and Mr. Crowley's efforts to secure a sanction from the NCSE for the opening of a special class. It is wonderful to hear that the school has had a positive experience. There is not a school I have visited with a special class that has not had a positive experience. Some of them go on to open two or three special classes.
One of the things we are doing, which is pertinent to the Deputy's question around forward planning, is that we now have a proper forecasting model whereby the Department and the NCSE can see data in real time. One thing I want to stress this evening is the extra €13 million I secured for the NCSE. Its CEO, Mr. John Carney, is doing incredible work, particularly on operational issues. He will now be in a position to hire 161 new staff who, through the special educational needs organisers, are the people who liaise with the school community about opening special classes. This will do an incredible amount to assist schools. Again, it is not just about opening the classes but also about adequately resourcing them.
I want to pay credit to the Minister of State for her intervention in bringing forward emergency legislation during the year to strengthen section 37A. She must be commended for that whole process. Every school community should be encouraged to open a special class. I have seen first-hand the positive impact it has.
I look forward to welcoming the Minister of State to County Clare in the next number of weeks when she will visit Scoil na Mainistreach in Quin to perform an official opening of its two new autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classrooms. This is an area to which the Minister of State has given real attention. I look forward to school communities right across the country benefitting from her work in this area.
I will call Deputy Ó Murchú before the Minister of State comes back in.
The Minister of State recently visited Coláiste Chú Chulainn in Dundalk and the two ASD classes there. Many parents have come to me and their issue is ensuring that their kid coming from primary school has a space in an ASD unit, if that is what is suitable, in secondary school. We have insufficient places or classes. At the Joint Committee on Autism a number of stakeholders recently stated that they believe one the solutions is that the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 would be altered from a point of view of allowing special education kids a 24-month run-in. That would allow schools to do preparatory work and ensure resourcing was in place and ready for the kids. Then if it was the case that a school was a bit slow in putting an ASD class in operation, section 37A could be put into action.
I welcome the increased funding for the NCSE and our SENOs. That is an important area that needed to be strengthened, especially the engagement with principals and educators in both primary and secondary schools. How swiftly will these 160 additional staff posts be advertised and is there a breakdown of the allocation per county as a result of this €13 million investment in the NCSE?
I will answer Deputy Dillon's question first. Mr. John Kearney is the CEO of the NCSE. The budget provided €13 million for the NCSE to hire this staff. I know Mr. Kearney is actively pursuing that as quickly as possible because he badly needs the staff in order to make sure we can assist parents and families that have a child with an additional need who is looking for a special class. I know he will be doing that in early course.
I note Deputy Ó Murchú's remarks on Coláiste Chú Chulainn. I met the principal, Thomas Sharkey, there with Senator McGahon. They are to be commended for the incredible work they do in that school and it is a prime example of what inclusivity is in the school environment in terms of providing special classes.
I would be delighted to visit Scoil na Mainistreach in Quin, County Clare, and to open those special classes. I thank all the school community that open special classes. It is of huge significance to children with additional needs.
Questions Nos. 65 to 70, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
Home Schooling
Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:71. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to sanctioning the post of home school community liaison officers to special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49773/22]
I did not expect that we would get down this far so that is great. I want to ask the Minister of State about sanctioning the post of home school community liaison officers to special schools and if she will make a statement on the matter.
The Deputy will be aware that the DEIS programme is the Department of Education’s policy response to the issue of educational disadvantage. The home school community liaison, HSCL, scheme is an integral element of the DEIS programme. It is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of pupils at most risk of educational disadvantage. The role of the HSCL co-ordinator is to work primarily with the salient adults in the child’s life, in order to empower them so they can better support their children to attend school, participate in education and develop positive attitudes to life-long learning. Central to that initiative is the identification of educational needs and the provision of a tailored and proportionate response to those needs, through a range of interventions, which are evidence-based, focused and structured.
While the Department of Education undertakes the provision of resources for this scheme, the Tusla education support service has the operational responsibility for the HSCL scheme, providing training and support for co-ordinators nationally. It comes under the DEIS programme and is only for schools within this programme. The Deputy will be aware that special schools receive significant funding and supports relative to their settings. I stress again that the allocation of €2.6 billion, which is over 27% of the entire Department of Education budget, is going towards children with additional needs and special education in general.
The upshot of the Deputy's question is the fact that the HSCL scheme is really only for DEIS schools, at least at present. I understand that the rationale for that is that special schools receive significant funding and supports relative to their settings.
When I put down the question I knew that only DEIS schools were able to avail of home school community liaison officers. I am quite aware of that but I am asking that this would be looked at and reviewed over a period of time. I lifted the following information off the Tusla website earlier. The website states that part of the role of the home school community liaison officer is to enhance a child's educational experience, particularly through offering family supports, parent classes, courses and home visits etc. That goes to the nub of the issue; the parent is as much the focus here as the child. One is dealing with children in special school settings who have emotional and behavioural issues, might suffer from anxiety, and probably have an intellectual disability of some form, be it profound, mild or otherwise. Those parents are dealing with those children 24-7 and 365 days of the year and there should be scope here for home school community liaison officers.
It is important that the Deputy raised this question because we have to consider these matters, which the Department does. The Deputy conceded that the scheme comes under the DEIS programme and that it is only for schools within that programme at present. It is also important to point out that special schools receive more in capitation than a DEIS school receives in combined funding of capitation and DEIS. The special schools have substantially more teaching and SNA staff than similarly sized DEIS schools, so even where some schools may potentially come under the DEIS banner their funding, due to their special school status, is better. Special schools may already have greater family or community interaction and support due to the student profile they have and they may also have other additional supports assigned to them, such as bus escorts, therapists and nurses.
The simple truth is that there will never be enough resources for the kids in these special school settings with some of the needs I have described earlier. Let us be honest about that. Whether it is kids who need to be helped to feed; need PEG feeding, need help to go to the toilet, or whatever the case may be, the harsh reality is there will never be enough resources. The staff in those settings do a massive job and they are to be commended for it but at the end of the day the parents, who are the focus of the home school community liaison programme, are often forgotten about. As I said, they are at home with those children 24-7 and we lose sight of the fact that they are the most important people in those students' lives. Now that the Minister of State and the Minister, Deputy Foley, are here, I would ask that in time for next year's budget at least some analysis would be done on this issue. I understand that special schools get so many resources but it is comparing apples and oranges with mainstream schools and DEIS schools. There is merit in doing some kind of review and looking into the matter.
I want to reassure the Deputy that I know this is being looked at and that it has been looked at. I will bring the Deputy's contribution on further analysis back to the Department. The staffing ratios in special schools are significantly lower than in mainstream schools and that is intended to ensure the needs of their students can be met effectively. The Deputy is correct that they are our most vulnerable children, above and beyond mainstream education. These are special schools and we have about 8,500 children in special schools. Some families of students in special schools who have a sibling attending a DEIS school may already have access to a HSCL co-ordinator. I know that scheme is an integral part of the DEIS scheme and we will be considering all matters pertaining to it in relation to special schools.
Questions Nos. 72 to 78, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
School Transport
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:79. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the additional funding received in budget 2023 for school transport; the way in which additional school transport places are being provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49958/22]
I did not think we would get to this question. The Minister has dealt somewhat with the issue I raise but the fact is we have a school transport fiasco every year. We must ensure that is not the case into the future. A review will need to deal with eligibility and distances, including allowing for circumstances where schools are equidistant, and facilitate as many concessionary tickets as possible.
As the Deputy is aware, the school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. It is important to look at the figures. In the most recent school year, more than 121,400 children, including more than 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The cost of the scheme in 2021 was €289 million. It is an important service for families and children.
The purpose of the scheme, having regard to available resources, is to support the transport to and from school of children who reside at a remote distance from their nearest school. In July 2022, the Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the 2022-23 school year as part of a wider package of cost-of-living measures. School transport ticket registration for the current school year closed on 29 July, by which time almost 130,000 applications were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applicants as well as rollovers from the previous school year. More than 125,000 tickets have already issued for the 2022-23 school year. At the start of the previous school year, approximately 103,600 children were carried on mainstream school transport services. This means in the region of 21,400 additional places have been created, which is a 20% overall increase. Compared with the start of the 2021-22 school year, there has been an increase of 18% to date in the number of tickets issued to eligible pupils and an increase of 27% in the number of tickets issued to concessionary pupils.
Bus Éireann will continue to process applications and issue tickets as soon as extra buses and drivers are sourced and become available to provide transport for the higher numbers qualifying for the service. Regrettably, however, the unprecedented numbers of new applications for the current school year have led to some delays in the issuing of tickets. The normal eligibility criteria for the scheme still apply and tickets continue to be allocated in line with those criteria. Pupils at primary level are eligible if they live no less than 3.2 km from, and are attending, their nearest primary school. At post-primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 km from their nearest or next nearest school are eligible.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. At this point, what we want to see is accommodation of all the pupils who previously got concessionary tickets, as well as those in receipt of what are now being called concessionary 3 tickets. For students who have no siblings who ever travelled on the school bus and are the first in the family to enter the fray, I would like to think the numbers will work out for them. The difficulty with all this is that we have been relying on an element of luck.
We definitely cannot go back. We must plan into the future for the delivery of the current provision and more. The best news I had today was in dealing with families in Annagassan whose children have got their tickets following severe disruption over the past while. I am still waiting for a number of results in other parts of County Louth, including north Louth and for several students travelling to The Bush. Their difficulty is they are not located more than 4.8 km from their nearest school, which is something that definitely needs to be revisited.
I acknowledge the Deputy's ongoing commitment to this issue. The scheme for the waiving of school transport fees was very clear in that it applied to those students who met the eligibility criteria. We have outlined those criteria, which are that pupils must live more than 3.2 km from their nearest primary school or 4.8 km from their nearest post-primary school or, to include the temporary alleviation measures I introduced, their next nearest school. Those who have met those criteria are being catered for. The difficulties we have identified concern pupils who had concessionary tickets last year. We received additional funding in the budget to ensure those who were in receipt of concessionary tickets last year and had applied on time would, where capacity allows, be accommodated. However, I absolutely acknowledge the whole impetus behind the review of the school transport system is to look at the issue of eligibility and the criteria and, as I said earlier, to maximise the potential to have a greater number of students availing of the scheme.
Yes, the review needs to look at all the criteria and we must ensure this particular issue is not ongoing. I like to think all sensible politicians would welcome that, as will families. There is no point repeating myself other than to say we need to deliver for people as quickly as possible, accepting the capacity issues and making sure they do not arise next year.
I thank the Deputy. I reiterate that we have seen an increase this year in the numbers who are eligible. We have also seen a 27% increase in the number of concessionary tickets offered this year compared with last year. It is a substantial increase. Notwithstanding that, the entire root-and-branch review will give us an opportunity to look at new opportunities into the future for enhancing and increasing eligibility and meeting the demand that exists.
Questions Nos. 80 to 82, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
We have time for two more questions, although I am not sure whether the Minister has the replies to hand.
National Educational Psychological Service
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:83. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education the number of vacancies at graduate level in the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49673/22]
Bríd Smith
Question:143. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the number of educational and child psychologists currently working in NEPS; the number of vacancies for positions in the organisation; if consideration has been given by her Department to funding trainee educational and child psychologists during their unpaid placements in order to ensure these positions are filled and the required number of graduates are attained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49972/22]
My question concerns NEPS, which I have asked the Minister about on several occasions over the past few weeks. How many vacancies are there currently in NEPS at graduate level?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 143 together.
I do not have the full reply as I did not think we would get to these questions. I apologise to the Deputy for that and will provide her with the updated data. I take the opportunity to say the work NEPS does is absolutely invaluable, as the Deputy will appreciate. We have increased the number of staff in the service in recent years, including provision in the recent budget for the recruitment of an additional 54 psychologists. That recruitment process will begin in November. Even as late as the past few days and weeks, we have seen the importance of the work NEPS does locally and its value to schools.
I will ensure the Deputy gets the specific data she has requested. I can give the positive message that we are consistently increasing the number of NEPS psychologists in post locally. I welcome the provision in the budget for an additional 54 to be provided. In recognition of the importance of their work, that recruitment process will begin as a matter of priority and it is my expectation it will happen next month, with a view to continuing to maximise the provision. Over the past two years, we have looked at consistently increasing the numbers. An additional 54 psychologists this year is what is provided for in the budget and recruitment will begin in the coming weeks. I will ensure the Deputy gets the outstanding data she is seeking.
That would be great. The specific question I had relates to an issue that has been brought to my attention in my office, namely, that budget 2023 resulted in educational psychologist trainees being the only cohort of trainee psychologists who are not funded. They pay more than €30,000 in fees, leaving them financially burdened and feeling almost disregarded by the Minister's Department, albeit she is aware of the significance and value of the work of educational psychologists in the school context. Will she give consideration to funding this programme either in full or part, with a view to students giving State agencies such as NEPS three years' service when they graduate?
I appreciate having the opportunity to confirm the Department has set up a high-level working group on this issue chaired by the Secretary General, which is a testament to the importance we are placing on how we advance the service provided by NEPS. The working group has agreed on a number of actions that will be taken. Following analysis of the various options that were laid out by the group, it has been decided the Department will use some available NEPS funding to sponsor a cohort of third-year students of the educational psychology doctoral programme in University College Dublin, UCD, and Mary Immaculate College, which is linked to the University of Limerick, for the academic year 2022-23 by providing a contribution towards their fees and associated expenses.
The workforce planning group that I referenced previously, under the Secretary General, will be asked to make some interim recommendations in quarter 2 of next year regarding any other short-term measures required in advance of the final report. I want to acknowledge that we are making considerable progress in this area. I think that is a positive announcement.
I would agree. I do not want to follow up with any further questions. I just want to read some of the words from one of the many representations that I have received. It states: "Why fund us? Because we deserve equality. We are not funded and therefore financially burdened, carrying up to €30,000 in debt before we even start our careers. We work unpaid for children and families facing significant difficulties in relation to mental health, disabilities and education from birth to adulthood. There is precedent now, and we need our voices heard."
I do not disagree with the value and importance of the work, as I have said. I think it is a positive that we can say that the high level working group, which is chaired by the Secretary General, underlining the importance that we in the Department place upon it, is looking at a whole variety of opportunities going forward. Among those is the decision that has been taken to sponsor a cohort of third year students for the 2022-2023 academic year by providing a contribution to their fees and associated expenses. Given the particular time pressures for students in the third year of the programme, interviews will be held in the coming months to provide financial support to those students currently on training placements in NEPS who are due to complete their doctoral training programme in 2023. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Questions Nos. 84 to 86, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
Educational Disadvantage
Alan Dillon
Question:87. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education if her Department has completed the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model; if so, if her Department will carry out a review of schools (details supplied) to ascertain if DEIS status can be given; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49914/22]
I ask the Minister to provide an update on the current status of the review of the DEIS identification model.
As the Deputy is aware, the single biggest expansion of the DEIS programme was announced by me recently, with an investment of €17 million, increasing to €32 million next year. We are very conscious of the benefit of the DEIS programme. All analysis and studies on the programme show that it makes a considerable impact in our schools. We have grown it to such an extent that one in four of our students benefits from the DEIS programme.
In terms of the review process, more than 300 schools were announced as benefiting from the DEIS programme. Schools that were not successful on this occasion were given the opportunity to appeal the findings of the programme. The schools have been notified of their status on foot of that. The entire funding allocation for the programme for 2023 will be in the region of €180 million. Consequently, because of the recent enhancement, schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage have now been identified for inclusion in the programme through the new refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics-based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools. The model uses information from the school’s individual enrolment database and 2016 national census data as represented by the Pobal HP deprivation index. It also takes into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and by students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie.
I thank the Minister for her response. I welcome the recent major expansion of the DEIS programme, which demonstrates the Minister's commitment, and that of the Department, to inclusive education and supporting students facing disadvantage. However, I am concerned about the identification model, which the Minister has stated is objective and statistics-based. I regularly meet with many principals and boards of management of schools in the DEIS programme in my own constituency, including in my own town of Castlebar. Despite the area of deprivation, St. Gerald's DLS College in Castlebar is in close proximity to Davitt College, a school with similar enrolment data and risk of educational disadvantage, yet one school is included in the programme and the other is not. There was a similar issue with St. Patrick's Boys' National School, which has now amalgamated with another school. While I welcome the DEIS appeals process, will there be further expansion of the programme in the coming months? I ask the Minister to provide an update on that.
I appreciate the point the Deputy has made. As I have outlined already, there is a detailed paper on the refined DEIS model, which is available on gov.ie. At its core, it is about identifying concentrated levels of disadvantage. That is the nub of it. I accept that schools may be in close proximity to one another, but they do not necessarily have the same cohort of students. Notwithstanding that, I think it is important to acknowledge that the expansion of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one phase of the work that we seek to do. I absolutely accept that there are students who are attending schools that are not DEIS schools and would benefit from the DEIS supports. Therefore, we are looking at a whole range of supports being provided to schools. We have seen that in the additional supports that we are providing via budget 2023.
I welcome the expansion of the programme. Within County Mayo, an additional 15 schools were included in the expansion announced in March of this year, which was most welcome. However, I wish to highlight the inconsistency of there being no DEIS schools in west or south Mayo. All the schools allocated DEIS status are in north or east Mayo. Certainly, while I understand that the model is a statistics-based one, there are issues around trying to get clarifications for principals and boards of management who are in desperate need. It may be the case that in one family, one child attends one school and siblings attend another school, resulting in a huge disparity in terms of the levels of teaching, learning and supports being provided. It is important that we get some consistency around it.
I appreciate the Deputy's point that one school in an area may be awarded DEIS status and another may not. However, because it is about concentrated disadvantage, that will be the case unless the other school absolutely mirrors the school that is awarded DEIS status in terms of the entire student population. Again, I reiterate that a detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie. I also recognise that there is a need to target resources at those schools that need them most. The next phase of work, which I am undertaking now, will explore the allocation of resources to all schools to tackle educational disadvantage. This will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders. We will seek to build on many of the positive initiatives from budget 2023, including the €50 million investment providing free books to primary schools, the reduction in class sizes for all schools and all the other initiatives that have been made available in the budget.
Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.