Vol. 1044 No. 1
6. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if her Department has examined the substandard condition of buildings at a school (details supplied) in County Clare; if she will give consideration to approving a major capital project to renovate and extend these buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44808/23]
Last week, I took a spin out to Kilmurry McMahon National School in the beautiful west Clare area. I met with the teachers and the pupils. I am very concerned about the state of the building. I ask the Minister if she can offer some hope that it will be extended or improved in the near future.
I confirm to the Deputy that an application for major capital funding has been received from the school in question.
There are significant demand pressures on the school system at present arising from demographic growth, the need to align school place provision with housing developments, increased demand for special educational needs provision and the accommodation of children from Ukraine.
Under Project Ireland 2040, in excess of €5 billion will be invested in school infrastructure during the period 2021 to 2025. The Deputy will appreciate the Department's priority in recent years has been providing additional capacity to ensure that every child has a school place, including children with special educational needs, and this continues to be the case.
The application from the school in question was assessed under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and special educational needs, SEN, accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school's existing accommodation. At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school's accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by my Department, or a new special class has been sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
The Department has indicated to the school authority in question that it is willing to provide modular accommodation for a special education teaching room at the school. The Department awaits a reply from the school authorities in relation to this. It is also open to the school in question to apply for my Department's emergency works scheme, which will consider applications for funding to address any immediate health and safety issues.
The main focus of my Department's capital allocation over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme so that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects our fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.
The Department has a strong track record of project delivery. From 2018 to 2022, nearly 900 school building projects were completed under a variety of delivery mechanisms. Some 300 projects are under construction during 2023, of which 40 are new school buildings.
The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and upgrade of existing infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations are clarified.
Kilmurry McMahon National School was built 57 years ago, in 1966. It is one of the last remaining flat-roof schools in Ireland. As for the walls, there are concrete pillars between the classrooms and then PVC wall panels in between that are not insulated. On the day I visited, water was leaking into the room. Classrooms are being continually flooded and children have to reposition bags and wear coats throughout the winter months.
This school was created when Drumdigus and Tullycrine national schools amalgamated in 2014. As part of that amalgamation, the school inherited an old prefab. It now sits on site. It is supposed to be a special education teaching, SET, room but part of its roof is missing. I am very concerned because the principal and secretary double up their office space with a cleaning room. The staff room doubles up as a SET room. Enrolment is on the increase even though it is a very rural part of the county. I welcome there has been some movement on a modular building but I am extremely concerned about the state of the old building of bricks, mortar and PVC panels. It is simply not fit for purpose. I would love for the capital application to be looked at again.
I appreciate the Deputy’s advocacy for the school. The Department has made an offer to the school in respect of a special education teaching room. We await the school’s engagement on that. For any issues that might be regarded as an emergency and for some of the issues the Deputy mentioned, there is a very clear pathway to make emergency funding made readily available to schools if there is a need. I do not want there to be any doubt about that.
As I said, we keep everything under review in the context of the capital envelope we have. More than 300 buildings are at various stages of construction, of which 40 are new school buildings. In the coming months, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform will engage with other Departments, including my Department, on NDP allocations for the 2026-28 period, with allocation decisions expected during the first half of 2024. In the interim, my Department will continue to engage with the authorities of the school in question with respect to accommodation needs.
While the Minister’s reply is positive, I hope her officials will look at the bricks and mortar building. The day I visited, we stood outside the classroom in which fourth, fifth and sixth class pupils are being educated. The whole PVC wall can be rocked over and back. It is not safe or sturdy and needs to be replaced. I am not a builder and have no engineering experience - the Minister and I are both from the teaching profession – but the obvious thing to do is to remove the PVC panels and most of the windows, which are mostly single glazed, and replace them with bricks and mortar that can withstand the wild Atlantic weather that blows in across County Clare every day of the year. I welcome the news of the modular build for the SET classroom. I am pitching to the Minister and her officials, in whom I have every faith, that they take a fresh look at the full school building. It goes beyond emergency works and ad hoc funding schemes. I hope the matter can be looked at holistically because the building in Kilmurry McMahon National School, which was built in 1966, is no longer fit for purpose and needs a full overhaul.
The Deputy has highlighted a short-term and a long-term vision for the school. I restate that if there is any issue with safety that is causing difficulty in the school, the way forward is through the emergency works scheme, which will be made available to the school to meet its needs.
Provision is being made for special education teaching, which is positive. We have an ambitious building programme, with over 300 school buildings at different stages of development. The programme is kept under constant review. I spoke of our engagement with Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform on the NDP and its allocations. We should have some word on that in early to mid-2024. In the interim, I am very happy for my Department to continue to engage with the school in question.
8. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education to outline progress on the new well-being-counselling initiative that she announced and introduced this year, and which has been warmly welcomed by the education partners and sector. [44807/23]
Following on from the Minister’s very welcome introduction of the new well-being and counselling initiative for primary schools earlier this year, which has been warmly welcomed by the education partners and the sector as a whole, will she update the House on the structures under the initiative, including the employment of counsellors, how the process is working and being advertised and when it will be in situ?
I thank the Deputy for the question. I know it is an area on which he has advocated very strongly. I am very pleased that the counselling pilot has been well received. The Department of Education is committed to supporting the emotional well-being of our children and I am pleased to provide an update on the significant progress that has been made on strands 1 and 2 of the pilot in almost 650 primary schools across the country. I am also pleased to announce that the Department has secured additional funding in budget 2024 to continue the pilot for an additional year, until June 2025.
The pilot includes two strands. Strand 1 will see the provision of one-to-one counselling to support a small number of children in all primary schools in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. Considerable work has been undertaken to identify suitably qualified, experienced and accredited counsellors. In the absence of a single recognised counselling qualification and a national regulatory body for counselling in Ireland at this time, the Department initially liaised with the three largest accrediting bodies for counsellors in Ireland, namely, the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, IACP, the Psychological Society of Ireland, PSI, and the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapists in Ireland, IAHIP. The Department has subsequently liaised with additional associations and is now also accepting applications from counsellors accredited with the Irish Association of Psychotherapy and Play Therapy, IAPPT, the Association of Child Art Psychotherapists, ACAP, and those registered with the Irish Council for Psychotherapy, ICP.
Due to the highly sensitive nature of providing counselling for children, the application and vetting process for these counsellors requires significant time and attention in order to ensure the highest quality in this landmark pilot project. However, I am very pleased to advise that we will be in touch with schools in the coming weeks in relation to the initial allocation of counselling hours to schools. Schools, in consultation with a NEPS psychologist, and guided by the Department of Education’s continuum of support, will identify the children who may benefit most from this counselling service, which will be subject to parental or legal guardian informed consent.
Strand 2 will see the establishment of a new type of support to schools from education well-being teams and the introduction of well-being practitioners to support clusters of schools in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16.
I welcome the reply. This is a very radical and dynamic innovation on the Minister’s part. It will be one of a number of things for which she will be remembered. It represents a shift in the funding mechanism of the Government, for example. I have long believed that every Department has a role to play in well-being and mental health so it is not only the Department of Health’s funding that goes towards these initiatives. Deputy Foley is, I think, the first Minister for Education to allocate a significant portion of funding from her Department to the health and mental well-being of children. I assume this funding will increase in the years ahead. That should be acknowledged.
Building resilience is a key part of the challenge our young children face, particularly because so much of their play is structured compared to previous times. I congratulate the Minister on the radical nature of the introduction of this process.
We are all aware that this initiative will be of enormous benefit and support to our primary schools and their staff who do tremendous work every day. We know there is a growing need in the area of well-being. I am pleased that we have secured additional funding in budget 2024 to ensure the scheme can run longer than was envisaged originally.
Two different schemes will run. Counsellors will be available to schools, as I already outlined, and, in the second strand, education well-being teams and practitioners will be introduced. When we have an opportunity to analyse both schemes , we will learn a great deal about what we need to do in future and what the best approach will be, whether it is one or other strand or a combination of both. It is a significant departure and a landmark for the Department to do this and it is right that we do it.
The Minister is being characteristically modest about the introduction of this initiative. I will highlight some other issues. I particularly welcome that she is allowing the professional organisations most associated with this area to contribute in a meaningful way so that children, schools and parents can be reassured that those who will take on this role with their children are fully qualified and accredited and will have gone through the appropriate Garda vetting. Most importantly, they will have the experience and professional qualifications to deal with and contain any issue presented to them.
I welcome both pilots in the schools in my constituency in Dublin 16. Is the Minister in a position to provide more details about who might qualify for the well-being practitioner position and what professionals would be able to apply for those positions? If not, when will she be able to provide that information to the House?
Before the Minister replies, we will hear from a number of other speakers.
The Minister is blazing a trail in the Department but this intervention will go down as the most important of all. We have discussed therapeutic hours many times. I see them as key to unlocking many of the problems that arise in a school day in, day out. They also ensure that the child goes down the corridor to a familiar face and does not go on a child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, NEPS or referral waiting list for six, 12 or 18 months, which is a huge crisis in itself. It makes a lot of sense for them to go down the corridor to someone familiar to them and where many of the emotional behaviour and mental health issues can be dealt with and worked through in the school environment. I am delighted that the Minister has expanded this to include play and music therapists, etc. The sooner this is a full-on, fully-funded, full-loaded national scheme, the better. Does the Minister have any ideas as regards people with an educational psychology degree at third level playing a more expansive role in this area? I congratulate the Minister.
I welcome that County Carlow was part of the second phase of the landmark pilot that rolled out counselling services in primary school settings, in-school support and in the form of education on well-being. As we know, mental health teams in clusters of primary schools are important. I ask the Minister about the follow-up. It is great to see intervention in schools but more is needed. In my constituency, there are no occupational or speech and language therapists, there is no CAMHS access and children's disability network team, CDNTs, are not fully in place. How does that work? Well done to the Minister on what she has done.
As regards recruitment for the mental health pilot in primary schools, my understanding is that it excludes play therapists. Will the Minister come back to me on that matter? It is a great initiative which I welcome. In County Carlow, it is absolutely welcome.
Will the Minister outline to the House where the counselling and well-being service ceases and NEPS steps in? There seems to be a level of confusion, particularly if we look at the budget for 2024. The budget for NEPS last year was €33 million, while this year, in the Minister's budget, it is €9.7 million. That is a considerable drop. Will the Minister outline the impact or how these two entities will interact with each other? Where does well-being and counselling stop and where does NEPS start?
Regarding NEPS, I want to be 100% clear. There is no cut - absolutely none - in the NEPS funding made available this year. What has happened, which was clarified, is that the heading under which payments such as salaries, etc., for NEPS are made has been moved to a different subhead. There has been no cut whatsoever in NEPS funding. I welcome the very positive endorsement many Members have given to the roll-out of this programme. There has also been a very positive endorsement from schools.
Reference was made to play therapists. The Department has liaised with additional associations and is now accepting applications from counsellors accredited by the IAPTP and the ACAP and those registered with the ICP. Any involvement of a young person in this scheme will have to be signed off by a parent or legal guardian, as would always be the case.
On the different strands, strand 1 is counsellor-led and strand 2 involves well-being practitioners. Well-being practitioners in strand 2 have been interviewed and positions offered. We anticipate that these graduates in psychology, for example, or social care, will be employed in the four pilot areas in the coming weeks. They will initially receive additional training from NEPS psychologists.
9. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she can explain the circumstances whereby a school (details supplied) was refused a grant by her Department to equip a sensory room because it did not have a door but when it contacted the section responsible for the provision of the new room to ask for a door, it was informed that the policy at this time was to only provide quiet rooms which do not have doors; and if she could advise the school how it can access a grant which will allow it to properly fit out the new room and resolve the issue for its new class. [44713/23]
Will the Minister shed some light on the rather bizarre scenario of a school in County Offaly being prevented from getting a grant for a sensory room because it did not have a door?
I am pleased the Deputy has brought this matter to my attention because there seems to be some confusion. In order to respond to the issue raised, it is important to clarify the distinction between a sensory room, which serves a whole school, and a calming space within a classroom, which may be used by students within a specific classroom. I say this only for the record because I know the Deputy is well aware of it. A sensory room in a school can enhance and promote the health and well-being of the whole school, with a focus on both the culture and environment. It is a designated area within a school which can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate, so they can be better prepared for learning and interacting with others. Funding of €7,000 is made available by the Department's loose furniture and equipment section for the provision of the start-up of a sensory room within a school. In order to be eligible for the grant, the school must demonstrate that it has a National Council for Special Education, NCSE, approved autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class and that there is a suitable room to house the sensory room. The sensory room must be a separate room from that of the ASD class and must have its own separate entry and exit. Only one sensory room grant is funded by the Department per school.
In addition to a sensory room, a school may have a calming space, the design of which is very different from a sensory room. The calming space should be located within or directly off the classroom base and is intended as a safe, quiet area that a pupil, under the supervision of a staff member, can access for a short period of time if they need some quiet time to themselves The design of the space must allow staff to observe pupils unobtrusively from the classroom. The calming space is designed to ensure that a student may choose to access it to take a break or to help with regulation. Calming activities are made available to the student depending on their individual needs and preferences and may include items such as stress balls, books, soft toys and-or noise-cancelling headphones. The calming space is to be designed as a quiet zone or alcove within the classroom without enclosing walls and not as a separate room. These spaces may involve an area of the classroom set up with cushions or a tent to limit sensory stimuli or a space with calming activities and materials which is visible to either a teacher or a special needs assistant.
I raised the case in County Offaly of Shinrone National School but it is an issue that lots of schools could come across. Apparently, it is Department policy not to provide a door to the opening into a quiet space. This allows for active supervision of the quiet space from the SEN classroom. However, it is my understanding that there is a clear distinction between a quiet space and a sensory room; they are not the same thing. A sensory room is a dedicated room with a door and a school must demonstrate that this is a spare room within the school building in order to access the grant. According to the Department, "As part of the current programme we are not providing ‘Sensory Rooms’ this type of accommodation may be revisited next year as Phase II." I am quoting directly from a communication. It appears that people in the modular projects section, who decided that the quiet space should not have a door, do not communicate with those in the grants section, leading to a level of confusion. This probably needs to be ironed out.
I want to be very clear that there is a distinction between the two. The sensory room is a room open to the entire school. The quiet space is contained within a given classroom at a given time. It is supervised by the existing teacher and-or an SNA.
With regard to the specific case raised by the Deputy, I emphasise that the Department has not refused a grant to equip a sensory room. The school applied for funding in relation to a calming space - not a sensory room - within a classroom, which does not qualify for the sensory room start-up grant funding. It applied for funding for a calming space, not for a sensory room. A special educational needs classroom has also been approved for the school under the Department’s modular programme, which is currently in train. The Department provides start-up funding of €6,500 for each SEN classroom. This funding can be used by the school in question to purchase furniture and equipment for a calming space if it so wishes. In addition to this funding, the option remains open to the school to apply for a sensory room start-up grant if the school has not previously received such a grant and has a suitable space available. The application will need to include the drawings or whatever else is required. It is open to the school to make such an application.
In fairness to schools and the Department, everyone is trying to do the right thing and ensure they can provide an environment for children in which they can flourish. These interventions are important. In terms of terminology and communication between Departments, we do not want a grant to be apparently refused because of a misuse of language regarding a door.
We want different sections within the Department to deal with each other in a more communicative fashion. Can we streamline this to ensure that schools understand exactly what sort of terminology they are supposed to be using and what sorts of grants they are supposed to be pursuing? Can we also ensure that sections in the Department communicate effectively with each other to prevent bizarre situations such as a school being under the impression that a door is the difference between getting and not getting a grant?
I will be very clear; my Department has engaged with the school and has communicated the information I imparted to the Deputy to the principal of the school in question. We would be more than pleased to engage with the principal on an ongoing basis to satisfy the needs presented. However, let me be very clear that there is no ambiguity. I visit schools all of the time and this has never been raised with me before. Schools are very clear on the distinction between calming spaces, which are located within classroom settings, and sensory rooms. Sensory rooms are open to the entire school and therefore must be independent and distinct. Calming spaces are within the students' classroom. I am at a loss to understand where the difficulty arose here. Be that as it may, difficulties and misunderstandings can arise. The Department has proactively reached out to the school. We are very happy to work with it in whatever respect is required.
10. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aindrias Moynihan den Aire Oideachais an dul chun cinn atá á dheanamh le straitis don Gaolinn sac horas Oideachas in iomlán agus an ndeanfadh sí raiteas ar an abhar. [45013/23]
Tá plé le fada ar straitéis don Ghaelainn laistigh den chóras oideachais ina iomláine ón réamhscolaíocht tríd an mbunscolaíocht agus an mheánscolaíocht agus ar aghaidh chuig an tríú leibhéal. An dtabharfaidh an tAire tuairisc dúinn maidir leis an dul chun cinn atá déanta leis an straitéis sin a chur i gcrích? Cad é an scéal is déanaí maidir leis?
Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Ó Muimhneacháin as a cheist. Tá céimeanna glactha ag mo Roinn chun an gealltanas atá i gclár an Rialtais maidir le polasaí agus straitéis don Ghaeilge sa chóras oideachais a chomhlíonadh le dúthracht. Tá an obair seo á cur chun cinn i gcomhthéacs chuspóirí na straitéise 20-bliain don Ghaeilge.
Ó foilsíodh é, tá an polasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta tar éis oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge a neartú i gceantair Ghaeltachta. Faoin bpolasaí sin, tá tacaíocht láidir tugtha ag mo Roinn do scoileanna Gaeltachta tríd an scéim aitheantais. Tá critéir theanga leagtha amach do na scoileanna chun a chinntiú go bhfuil oideachas den scoth á chur ar fáil acu trí mheán na Gaeilge. Chun tacú leis an obair seo: cuirtear deontas ar fáil dóibh chun ábhair a cheannach; faigheann siad uaireanta tacaíochta teanga don Ghaeilge bunaithe ar rollú na scoile; baineann siad leas as cuairteanna comhairleacha ón gcigireacht; agus tugann an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, COGG, tacaíocht ghairmiúil dóibh chomh maith. Tríd an tionscadal e-hub do scoileanna Gaeltachta, tá scoláirí anois ag déanamh staidéir ar an fhisic agus ar an cheimic don ardteistiméireacht trí fhoghlaim ar líne. Ní raibh sé seo ar fáil dóibh roimhe seo. Chomh maith, tá infheistíocht déanta againn faoin bpolasaí chun soláthar na múinteoirí atá in ann oibriú go héifeachtach trí Ghaeilge a mhéadú. Is féidir tionchar dearfach an pholasaí a mhothú i scoileanna agus i bpobail ar fud na Gaeltachta.
Tá obair faoi lán seoil i mo Roinn chun polasaí nua a fhorbairt don oideachas lán-Ghaeilge taobh amuigh den Ghaeltacht freisin. Tógann an polasaí nua seo ar a bhfuil bainte amach ag an bpolasaí don oideachas Gaeltachta. Is céim thábhachtach eile i dtreo cuspóirí chlár an Rialtais a bhaint amach é seo. Bunaíodh coiste stiúrtha le hionadaithe ó na Ranna agus ó na gníomhaireachtaí Rialtais chun maoirseacht a dhéanamh ar fhorbairt an pholasaí.
A public consultation process has been conducted to gather the views of stakeholders, including young people, parents, educational professionals, education stakeholders and Irish language organisations. There were three phases in the consultation comprising an online questionnaire, a call for written submissions and a series of focus groups and bilateral meetings between the Department and stakeholders.
Tá gá leis an straitéis seo. Tá sé an-tábhachtach agus is cinnte go bhfuil céimeanna dearfacha á dtógáil do na scoileanna Gaeltachta, mar a luaigh an tAire, mar aon le céimeanna éagsúla eile laistigh den chóras ach feidhmíonn na céimeanna seo mar chuid den straitéis ina iomláine. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh straitéis iomlán ann don tslí go léir ón réamhoideachas tríd na bunscoileanna agus meánscoileanna agus ar aghaidh chuig an tríú leibhéal. Cloisim go bhfuil roinnt taighde déanta ag an Roinn ach tá sé seo ar siúl le tamall anois. An féidir é a bhrostú ar aghaidh? Cén dul chun cinn atá a dhéanamh? Tá sé fíorthábhachtach go mbeadh straitéis iomlán ann i gcomhair an chórais oideachais ar fad, is é sin, i gcomhair daltaí agus iad ag teacht tríd an tslí go léir ón réamhoideachas go dtí go gcríochnaíonn siad a gcuid oideachais. Caithfidh straitéis mar sin a chur i gcrích. An bhfuil aon amchlár nó sprioc-am ag an Aire chun é sin a bhrú ar aghaidh?
To give some detail on what is happening in the process, which is quite involved, SEALBHÚ, the research centre in Dublin City University, DCU, is currently carrying out an analysis of all of the information that has been gathered throughout the process. The reports will be shared with the steering committee and with the interdepartmental working group in due course. A number of actions are being taken to ensure that the new policy will be informed by current research. A review of national and international literature has been commissioned through a public procurement process and is being carried out by SEALBHÚ at DCU. A report giving an overview of provision for Irish-medium education outside of Gaeltacht areas was compiled and published by the Department. Research on Irish-medium aonaid and sruthanna in English-medium schools is being carried out. Two composite reports on inspection findings on the quality of education provision in Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí were published in spring 2021. These reports provide a helpful insight into practice in schools. A report on inspection findings from visits to Irish-medium early learning and care settings is also being prepared.
I am really pleased with the level of interest that has been demonstrated in the consultation to date and with the number of responses received. I look forward to progressing the important work of strengthening Irish-medium education provision and building on the positive outcomes already being achieved in the implementation of the policy on Gaeltacht education.
Is cinnte go bhfuil céimeanna dearfacha á dtógáil. Is ceann de na céimeanna seo é an t-aitheantas do scoileanna Gaeltachta. Sna Gaeltachtaí éagsúla ar fud na tíre, tá an-chuid de na scoileanna tar éis iarratas a dhéanamh chuig an scéim agus tá siad ag obair i dtreo an stádas sin a bhaint amach. Is córas fada é an córas chun stádas mar scoil Ghaeltachta a bhaint amach agus, fiú nuair atá an chigireacht déanta, ní chloiseann an scoil ar ais. Tógann sé tréimhse mhaith ama sula bhfaightear an cháilíocht. Cén chúis leis an moill sin? Cén fáth nach bhféadfaí aitheantas a thabhairt do na scoileanna, go háirithe tar éis cigireacht dhearfach? Tá an obair déanta. Ba chóir brú ar aghaidh leis. Cad go díreach is cúis leis an moill? An bhféadfaí na cáilíochtaí sin a sheoladh ar aghaidh agus aitheantas a thabhairt do na scoileanna atá tar éis é a bhaint amach?
Tá an-dul chun cinn déanta ó thaobh aitheantais do na scoileanna Gaeltachta. As the Deputy will be aware, the validation process commenced in October 2022. Recognition as a Gaeltacht school will be awarded to a school when it is confirmed that the school's practice has been developed in accordance with the language-based criteria. As the Deputy has outlined, the process involves a visit from the inspectorate to schools participating in the scheme to assess their progress in implementing the criteria. The visit includes input from school staff, students and parents' representatives. Following the visit, the inspector writes a report on the detailed findings of the evaluation. The school is then given an opportunity to verify the facts in the report and to respond to it. It is therefore quite an involved process but it is important that, on foot of the inspectorate's visit, the school is given an opportunity to reply. It is expected that the inspectors' evaluations will be entirely completed by Easter 2024. Over half of the schools in the scheme have received an evaluation visit to date. Official recognition has not been awarded to any school yet as the process is ongoing. Schools will be contacted in due course as regards the outcome of the validation process. It is likely that the first batch of results under the validation process will be received by schools prior to Christmas.
Ag bogadh ar aghaidh, we will just about have time to take three questions if everybody co-operates.
11. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the progress to identify measures to make school transport more sustainable as identified in the annexe of actions in the climate action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44987/23]
Will the Minister make a statement on the progress that has been made in identifying measures to make school transport more sustainable, a measure identified in the annex of actions attached to the climate action plan?
The school transport scheme is a significant operation and, as the Deputy will be aware, it is managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2022-23 school year, over 149,000 young people, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country every day. In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,400 children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9 million. There has been an overall increase in the numbers of both applications and tickets issued for the 2023-24 school year in comparison to the 2022-23 school year.
Under the current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live not less than 3.2 km from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post-primary level, students who live not less than 4.8 km from and are attending their nearest post-primary school are deemed eligible. Any pupils or 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. Temporary alleviation measures, TAMs, at post-primary level are being continued for the current school year.
Undoubtedly, the school transport scheme is of enormous importance in terms of encouraging the use of public transport and taking cars off the road. It also brings significant benefit in the area of congestion and traffic management in towns and villages. Considering how to best maximise these benefits now and into the future has been a significant factor in the ongoing review of the scheme. The review has been conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately. This review has built upon the commitments within the programme for Government, as they relate to school transport, including examining options to reduce car journeys and assessing how the school transport scheme can work in liaison with the safe routes to schools programme.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications was on the membership of the steering group for the review and its input and views on how the school transport scheme can support climate action targets have been included in the final report. It is also important to note that officials from my Department also engage regularly with their counterparts in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications on the development of the climate action plan, CAP, both the current CAP 23 and the forthcoming CAP 24.
When are we likely to see the review and the implementation of its recommendations? There were interim proposals and some of them were taken on board but even in the period since the interim proposals and the change to include the second nearest school, which was welcome, there has been a significant step change in terms of climate policy and transport policy and in terms of school transport policy. When might we see that review?
Quarter 4 of 2023 is indicated in the annexe of actions in the climate action plan. Is that still the indicative timeline for the review and, importantly, for the implementation of the recommendations?
I know Deputy O'Rourke has an enormous interest in this area, both from the climate action point of view and from recognising the importance of the benefit of the school transport scheme. He is quite correct that there was an interim review and a final review. Phase 1 of the review was completed in June 2021 and examined the impact of eligibility criteria for the scheme on mainstream pupils who were eligible for transport to their nearest school but attending their next nearest school. The steering group presented me with that report and, following consideration of the report, the Deputy will be aware that we introduced the TAMs for students who are attending not just their nearest post-primary school but their next nearest. These measures have been continued for 2022 to 2023.
There has been a significant body of work in terms of engagement with parents, students, providers, those who do not use the scheme, and looking at best practice with our European counterparts. It is my expectation that it will be published shortly, but prior to that it has to go to the Government, and then it will be published. That is quite imminent.
I know from a reply to a recent parliamentary question about the school transport scheme that there are more than 6,400 vehicles in the scheme. From meeting with transport providers I know there is a similar challenge for the private fleet to deliver reduced emissions. It is a reasonable expectation that it might be slower in that fleet. That raises the question of the importance of a fuel efficient and modern fleet in terms of the school transport fleet owned by Bus Éireann. Is that something that is going to be a priority for the Minister? From what I hear from lots of providers is that Bus Éireann is running older buses and it is not replacing the buses when they are scrapped. Will Bus Éireann be getting a modern fleet for school transport?
A key aspect of the review is that we would be very much within our climate action targets. The climate action plan includes a specific target to increase the number of journeys being taken using sustainable travel, whether it is cycling, walking or sustainable public transport by an additional 125,000 journeys by 2025 and a 30% shift in escort-to-education car journeys to more sustainable modes of transport by 2030. By that I mean people driving children to school or whatever.
The plan also requires Ireland to achieve a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions not later than 2050. Encouraging greater uptake of school transport scheme services can support the achievement of these targets. That involves looking at everything in the most holistic way, whether it is the fleet itself or encouraging more people to engage in it and meeting our climate action targets.
12. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date position on delivery of a new building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45012/23]
First, I must declare an interest as a member of the board of management, a past pupil, and the parent of a student. I speak on behalf of so many locals about our pride in Coláiste Ghobnatan, our school in Baile Bhuirne, which provides such fantastic education services locally. There is a very strong team of staff there, as well as facilities. We need to advance that building. Could the Minister outline the up-to-date position in advancing that building?
Through Project Ireland 2040, over the period 2021-25, in excess of €5 billion will be invested in upgrading school facilities across the country for the almost 1 million students and more than 100,000 staff members who learn and work in our schools every day.
The Department has approved a large-scale building project for the school to which the Deputy refers. He has advocated very strongly on an ongoing basis for this school. The project involves the provision of a new-build extension and alterations to the existing school buildings that will provide modern school facilities and cater for an enrolment of 300 students. The project has been devolved for delivery to Cork Education and Training Board, ETB, and has recently been approved to move to stage 2B of the architectural design process.
In November 2022, officials from my Department met Cork ETB and its design team and a number of recommendations were made in relation to the design of the project. Cork ETB's design team incorporated these recommendations in its stage 2A addendum report, which was submitted to the Department of Education in August. This was reviewed by the Department's professional and technical team and approval to progress to stage 2B is now sanctioned.
The next step for Cork ETB and its design team will be to obtain the requisite statutory planning approvals and incorporating same into the detailed design and tender documentation for the new school project. The Department will continue to work closely with Cork ETB to ensure support and to monitor progress on this project. Cork ETB will also engage with the school community to keep it updated on all significant developments.
This project is part of the strong pipeline of projects being delivered under the Department's school building programme involving almost 300 projects at construction in 2023, which include more than 40 new school buildings. This is a very positive step forward for this school. I know it is a school that is very close to the Deputy's heart. It is a school that is richly deserving of advancement. It is a very positive news story that we can say that stage 2B has now been sanctioned and that the next step is to move towards the requisite statutory planning approvals.
Táimid an-bhródúil as Coláiste Ghobnatan agus as a foireann. Tá an-chuid á déanamh acu ann agus iad ag cur córas oideachais iontach ar fáil don phobal. Tá gá leis an bhfoirgneamh nua sin le fada. Is maith an rud é a chloisteáil go bhfuil sé anois ábalta dul ar aghaidh i dtreo an chórais phleanála. An dtabharfaidh an tAire soiléiriú ar na céimeanna eile atá amach romhainn chun an foirgneamh nua seo a bhaint amach?
It was originally intended to advance a plan for the school in 2016 and it has taken some time to get through the various hoops and get to this stage. It is good that at this point the plan is now being moved on towards planning permission. Could the Minister outline the next stages to bring about a new building in Coláiste Ghobnatan?
Tá an-dul chun cinn déanta againn go dtí an pointe seo. Tá dea-scéal againn ó thaobh Choláiste Ghobnatan inniu. Tá céimeanna eile ann anois.
There are a number of next steps. The first and perhaps most important step has now been taken in that it has progressed to stage 2B, and that has been sanctioned. The next step will be for Cork ETB and its design team to obtain the requisite statutory planning approvals and to incorporate them into the detailed design and tender documentation for the new school project.
The Department will be very happy to work and liaise with Cork ETB to support and monitor progress of the project. Cork ETB in turn will also engage with the school community to keep it updated on all significant developments. That is hugely important because there is extraordinary buy-in, in both the immediate school community and the wider community, when they see developments for schools going forward. This is a very positive, good news story for Coláiste Ghobnatan, and I look forward to it moving ahead from all these demands as quickly as possible.
13. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education when her Department will review and sanction the application for a building extension at a school (details supplied) as the current situation around accommodation for students is not sustainable due to its enrolment at 663 (an increase of almost 50% since its original accommodation was granted in 2019) which includes a co-educational aonad stream. [45048/23]
Across from my constituency office on Pearse Road in Sligo is Mercy College, Sligo. On numerous occasions, I have heard nothing but positive references to the parents, teachers and students of this great college. Its enrolment is now at 663, which is an increase of almost 50% since the original accommodation was granted in 2019. It has applied for a building extension and has been informed that a review of the accommodation is taking place within the Department. I would like to know when that review will take place, and whether it will be positive.
An application for provision of additional capacity at the school in question was given initial approval in 2019 for delivery on a devolved basis under the Department's additional school accommodation, ASA scheme. This approval included provision for mainstream, specialist rooms and two special educational needs classes.
The main focus of the Department’s additional accommodation scheme is on provision of additional capacity to meet the requirement for school places, including for students with special educational needs. The accommodation needs of the school in question were assessed in that context and a requirement for additional classroom accommodation was identified. Having appraised the accommodation needs of the school based on the information that was available at the time, the project brief was agreed by the school authorities, with an agreed long-term expected enrolment of 650 pupils. Official approval issued to the school to proceed with this project and it is currently at stage 1 of the architectural planning process.
However, the school has since submitted a further application for the ASA scheme and requested a full review of its entire accommodation. The needs of the school and the wider school planning area are currently being reviewed by my officials, to consider the scope of necessary provision in the school under reference. A key overarching priority is to ensure that existing school capacity is fully utilised across a local area before any additional capacity is considered.
Officials have been in touch with the school authorities directly to seek information relating to a number of issues, in order to allow for a full review of the application as requested by the school. When this information is received, the assessment process will be concluded and a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities directly. In the interim, it is also open to the school in question to apply for the Department's emergency works scheme, which will consider applications for funding to address any immediate health and safety issues arising.
The main focus of the Department’s resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on the provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme in order that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and replacement of existing infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations for future years are clarified.
I thank the Minister, and I appreciate that the Department has a large number of projects to manage but we would appreciate if the Minister could follow up on our request so this project can be moved forward. Three years on from the announcement of this project, the accommodation remains the same despite an increase of 25% in our student enrolment. When the Minister is down in Sligo and the north west in time, I invite her to call in to my office and call over to see this wonderful school.
I would be delighted to, when I am in the Deputy's area. I will say that initial approval was granted but the school itself came back with a request for a full review of its application. The Department is working with the school in that regard. As I have said, the Department engaged directly with the school to seek information on a number of issues in order for it to make the fullest review of the application. When the Department is in full receipt of this information, the assessment process will be completed as quickly as we possibly can. I am very pleased to say that there is engagement between the school and the Department.
I appreciate the demands that are there but we need to keep lines of communication open between the Department and the school. We will do everything to ensure that this happens.
I thank the Deputy and we look forward to receiving the information from the school and continuing to engage with it prior to the full review of the application.
