Written Answers Nos. 388-407
388. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress the NCSE has made in processing late applications for SNAs for the 2017-18 school year; the number of decisions that have been appealed in respect of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38070/17]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
The NCSE has advised all schools of their allocations for SNA support for the 2017/18 school year. Details of SNA allocations which have been made to schools have been published by the NCSE on their website at http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NCSE-17_18-SNA-Teaching-Allocation-to-Special-Schools2.pdf.
Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support for 2017/18, but wishes new enrolments or assessments to be considered, which were not taken into account when the initial allocation was made, they may continue to make applications to the NCSE.
In circumstances where a school, or parent, is unhappy with the allocation of SNA support which has been made, or considers the level of support allocated is not sufficient to meet the care needs of the pupils concerned, the school or parent, may appeal that decision via the NCSE appeals process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie. The closing date for receipt of appeals is the 29th September 2017.
As the Deputy’s question relates to applications for SNAs support and appeals in respect of same, the matter has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply.
389. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the terms of the agreement made between a university (details supplied) and an organisation regarding the use of St. Laurence's Church in Grangegorman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38071/17]
View answerHigher education institutions such as Dublin Institute of Technology are autonomous bodies and are responsible for the day to day operations of the Institute including the use of buildings, procurement of goods and services, and provision of services for students.
390. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the person or body that has legal ownership of St. Laurence’s Church in a campus (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38072/17]
View answerThe ownership of St Laurence’s Church currently rests with the Grangegorman Development Agency (GDA) until such time as the campus is fully developed at which point it will revert to DIT. However, in line with the arrangements in place between the GDA and DIT, DIT is fully responsible for the operation of that building.
392. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has had discussions with Fingal County Council regarding the location of the new second level school for the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38074/17]
View answerThe building project for the new post primary school to serve Carpenterstown/Castleknock is included in the Department’s 6 year construction programme.
Officials in the Department continue to liaise with officials in Fingal County Council in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in relation to the identification and acquisition of a suitable location for the school and have identified a preferred site option in that regard.
Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time but the school patron will be informed of the proposed location for the school as soon as it is possible to do so.
393. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of the construction works to be carried out at a school (details supplied) as provided for under the capital programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38075/17]
View answerFunding has been approved for the school to which the Deputy refers for an extension project. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that my Department recently gave approval for the project to proceed to tender.
394. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for an additional co-educational secondary school in the Dublin 15 area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38076/17]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases.
With this information, my Department is currently carrying out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed. It is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced later in 2017.
As the Deputy may be aware, following completion of the 2016 patronage process for the nine new post-primary schools to be established in 2017 and 2018, I announced the Edmund Rice Schools Trust as the successful patron for the school to serve the Carpenterstown and Castleknock school planning areas. This school opened in interim accommodation in September 2017 at the Le Chéile Secondary School, Hollystown Road, Tyrrelstown, Dublin 15.
396. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to develop mental health supports for second level students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38079/17]
View answerMy Department promotes a comprehensive and whole of school approach to the promotion of wellbeing and positive mental health. This approach considers the entire school community, as well as focusing on groups and individual young people with identified need. This approach spans the curriculum in schools, whole-school ethos, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, student support, pastoral care, guidance counselling and the provision of professional development for teachers. It also involves accessing other supports such as educational psychology services and the interface with other agencies, both nationally and locally. Additionally, schools engage in a wide range of sport and cultural activities which provide an important opportunity for students to experience success and personal growth. The whole staff shares responsibility for general student wellbeing.
The Well-being in Post Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention (2013) provides a framework for schools to present in an integrated way their existing good practice. The Guidelines promote social and emotional learning, and mental health and direct then to new practices, as appropriate.
The European wide HSE supported Health Promoting School Process (HSP) is also outlined, and the Well-being Guidelines show how the HSP can be introduced to schools to complement existing good practice. The Guidelines outline how schools support young people through early intervention and prevention, modelled on the NEPS Continuum of Support tiered approach.
The Guidelines build on the significant work already taking place in schools, including through the systematic implementation of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum, the whole-school guidance plan, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) continuum of support model and the HSE, Health Promoting Schools Process. Information is also provided on how to access support from the Professional Development Service for Teachers’ SPHE Support Service and other external agencies and support services.
More recently, my Department’s Action Plan for Education 2017 promotes wellbeing as one of its key goals. Other actions, in addition to those outlined above, relating to wellbeing and mental health in the post-primary school sector include:
- Developing an integrated programme of support for all schools to implement the Wellbeing Guidelines and an implementation plan for roll-out of this programme to all post-primary schools.
- Increasing the capacity of NEPS: an enhanced educational psychological service to schools, through the appointment of an additional 11 educational psychologists. The focus of additional support will be on extending the delivery of training to teachers in DEIS schools.
There will be a suite of Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) supports provided to post-primary schools to enable them to implement the new National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s Wellbeing Guidelines for Junior Cycle which are being introduced from this September for first years. These supports will range from a full day whole staff professional activity event, workshops varying in length from 2 hours to 1 day. The workshops will address the needs of both mainstream and special schools. There will be a dedicated wellbeing section on the JCT website full of resources to assist the implementation of wellbeing within the junior cycle. JCT will liaise closely with National Educational Psychological Service and the Health Service Executive as they develop their involvement in this very sensitive area.
Measures announced by my Department as part of Budget 2016 and 2017 mean that 400 guidance posts, or two thirds of the guidance allocation that was withdrawn in Budget 2012, will be restored to schools from September 2017. All of these 400 posts are allocated separately and transparently on the staffing schedule of posts for schools. The pupil teacher ratio (PTR) will revert to 19:1 with effect from September 2017 with the guidance allocation shown separately on the staffing schedules and will represent 0.4 of the PTR for each school. There is now an obligation on schools to ensure that the hours are used for guidance activities. Principals may decide to allocate more hours to guidance activities than the amount allocated on the schedule; they cannot decide to allocate fewer.
While most of the 400 posts restored over the past two years are likely to be allocated to guidance counsellors, schools may decide, in the context of their guidance plans, to allocate some resources to others who may also play a role in delivering guidance in the schools. However, my Department has made it clear that schools’ guidance plans should include specified time allocation for guidance counsellors to be available for one-to-one guidance counselling and time allocation for the role in supporting the organisation and work of the Student Support Team.
397. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of second level pupils granted school transport on the grounds of ethos of the school they are attending. [38117/17]
View answer398. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of second level pupils who may have been refused school transport on grounds of the ethos of the school they are attending. [38118/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 397 and 398 together.
School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2016/17 school year almost 116,000 children, including some 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million km annually.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
In relation to school transport provision, ethos relates to religious ethos and is in the context of provision for minority religions.
The information requested is not available as it is not collected during the application process.
399. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which his Department plans to act on its responsibility regarding a healthy weight for all in respect of the provision of potable water in all learning centres; the way in which schools can apply for potable water aside from the emergency works scheme as none of the 12 categories under emergency works covers this area; if his Department has had contact with school authorities regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38127/17]
View answer400. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 302 of 13 July 2017, if he will undertake a national audit of all learning centres, especially for persons under 18 years of age, in respect of the availability of potable water, in view of the fact that his Department's attention has not been drawn to schools in which there is no access to a drinking water supply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38128/17]
View answer401. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on discussions with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Health and the Environmental Protection Agency with a view to the implementation of the national strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water, which involves the development of a national testing strategy and subsequent remediation programme; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38129/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 399 to 401, inclusive, together.
I can confirm that remediation for tap drinking water supplies is covered by my Department's Emergency Works Grant Scheme under the "mechanical" category. Mechanical components of a building incorporate, among other things, all water systems, including tap drinking water supply. It is also open to schools to apply for remediation works under my Department's Summer Works Scheme which, likewise, has a "mechanical" category. Primary schools receive a minor works grant too which they can use for this purpose if they so wish.
In addition, drinking water systems are automatically included in new school buildings and extension projects. My Department has dedicated guidelines for Design Teams setting out the standards to be implemented for these construction projects and for all remediation projects.
Officials in my Department continue to engage with the National Strategy to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water in public buildings. This will ultimately lead to an approach for addressing this issue in schools. I have no plans to introduce an audit ahead of this. It will remain the position, however, that individual schools can apply to my Department for financial assistance to address their own particular tap drinking water issues, as has always been the case, or primary schools can use their minor works grant to deal with any such issues.
402. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he or bodies and agencies under the remit of his Department plan to make services or payments dependent on the mandatory use and production of the public services card; if so, the services and payments which will now be dependent on the mandatory use of the public services card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38146/17]
View answerIn line with the 2013 Government Decision, S180/20/10/1789, the Public Services Card (PSC) infrastructure is the Government’s standard identity verification scheme, which is to be used for access to all public services, where appropriate. As such, the widespread adoption of the PSC infrastructure, including its online counterpart MyGovID, to underpin access to public services by citizens is critical to the successful delivery of the eGovernment strategy.
With effect from the 2018/19 academic year, MyGovID will be used by SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) as the user authentication mechanism, to provide access to the online student grants system. Student grant applicants will also have to be SAFE (Standard Authentication Framework Environment) registered in order to make an application.
Submission of a student grant appeal from the above academic year, will also require the appellant to be SAFE registered - this registration will already have been carried out prior to making the original grant application to SUSI. Online submission of an appeal will also use MyGovID as the user authentication mechanism.
403. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will investigate the possibility of including sensory processing disorder as a qualifying medical condition for access to SNA support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38162/17]
View answerSpecial Needs Assistant (SNA) support is provided specifically to assist recognised primary, post primary and special schools to cater for the care needs of pupils with disabilities in an educational context, where the nature of these care needs have been outlined in professional reports as being so significant that a pupil will require adult assistance in order to be able to attend school and to participate in education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is an independent statutory agency, is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating a quantum of SNA support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0030/2014, which is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed. The Circular provides details of the primary care needs for which SNA support will usually be provided and details the types of secondary care associated tasks which SNAs may often perform.
In considering applications for SNA supports for individual pupils, the SENOs take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additional SNA support is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.
The consideration of professional reports is an integral part of determining the extent of supports to be provided for pupils with special educational needs; medical or relevant professional reports should indicate the outcome of assessments carried out and the range of needs of the child as clearly as possible, Health staff have, however, been directed by the HSE not to include references to the specific quantum of educational resources in their reports. Whereas professional reports provide valuable assistance to education providers in identifying a diagnosis or identifying appropriate interventions, the Health professional will not have knowledge or awareness of the current resources available to a school to cater for these care needs, will not be aware of the layout of the school, or have had an opportunity to observe the child in class or observe their interaction with their teachers and classmates on an ongoing basis.
It should be noted that SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
The NCSE has advised all schools of their allocations for SNA support for the 2017/18 school year. Details of SNA allocations which have been made to schools have been published by the NCSE on their website at http://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/NCSE-17_18-SNA-Teaching-Allocation-to-Special-Schools2.pdf.
Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support for 2017/18, but wishes new enrolments or assessments to be considered, which were not taken into account when the initial allocation was made, they may continue to make applications to the NCSE.
In circumstances where a school, or parent, is unhappy with the allocation of SNA support which has been made, or considers the level of support allocated is not sufficient to meet the care needs of the pupils concerned, the school or parent, may appeal that decision via the NCSE appeals process, details of which are set out at www.ncse.ie. The closing date for receipt of appeals is the 29th September 2017.
404. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the additional accommodation application by a school (details supplied); when decisions on applications for the summer works scheme will be returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38163/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department approved funding for the construction of one mainstream classroom at the school in question to facilitate a new teacher appointment from September 2016.
I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has subsequently received an application for a further mainstream classroom. The application is currently being considered and a decision will be conveyed to the management of the school when the assessment process is completed.
The Deputy will be aware that I announced details of the successful applicants under round two of the SWS (2016-2017) for categories 3 – 6, last May, details of which are published on my Department's website, www.education.ie.
Funding of €47 million is being made available and 438 schools nationwide will benefit from this announcement.
In total, funding of almost €80 million has now been approved in respect of 635 schools for Categories 1 to 6 under the multi-annual Summer Works Scheme (2016-2017). Nearly 50% of all schools have applied for inclusion under the scheme which reflects a very high demand. Applications under further categories will be considered in the event of further funding becoming available.
405. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in his Department in releasing its interest in a school building (details supplied) which is to be acquired and used as a community facility. [38192/17]
View answerThere is a charging lease in place on the property referred to by the Deputy which means that I have a vested interest in the property. I can confirm that my Department has received a request from the property owner to release my interest.
Officials in my Department have been in contact with the property owner to inform them of the steps which will need to be taken on their part in order to release my interest in the property. The Chief State Solicitor's Office has been instructed to progress matters on this basis.
406. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary school closures where there are 30 or more students for the 2017-18 academic year and the 2016-17 academic year respectively, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38203/17]
View answerI wish to clarify for the Deputy that there were no primary school closures with 30 or more students for the school years 2016/2017 or 2017/2018.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is very aware of the importance of small schools to rural communities and particularly the most dispersed and remote communities. To provide such communities with security about the future of their schools, a commitment is contained in the Programme for a Partnership Government not to close any small school without the consent of parents.
In that regard, there were 3 primary school closures in school year 2016/17 and one primary school closure in school year 2017/18. These schools, which did not have sustainable pupil numbers, closed with the agreement of the Patrons concerned.
407. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of additional accommodation for a national school (details supplied) in County Mayo. [38222/17]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application to my Department for capital funding for additional accommodation. The assessment process has been completed and a decision was conveyed to the school authority recently.
