Tuesday, 2 Oct 2018

Written Answers Nos. 228-245

Schools Building Projects Status

Questions (228)

Robert Troy

Question:

228. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of building works at a school (details supplied). [39718/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on my Department's 6 Year Capital Programme.

I wish to inform the Deputy that the project is progressing to the architectural planning stage and is expected to be delivered by an external agency to my Department. The school is aware of the position. Arrangements are currently being made in this regard and my Department will be in further contact with the school when these arrangements have been finalised.

SOLAS Training and Education Programmes Provision

Questions (229)

Tony McLoughlin

Question:

229. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether SOLAS should operate workshops in secondary schools for pre-junior certificate students in order to better identify children who may wish to participate in an apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39719/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

It is important that all students develop their consideration of career options through their post primary schooling. The wide range of opportunities offered through the apprenticeship programme should be a key part of this process.

As the deputy will know, the Government are currently expanding the range of programmes on offer beyond the craft apprenticeships into areas such as financial services, ICT, hospitality, biopharma and logistics.

My Department has commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out an independent review on career guidance which will be completed shortly. The review will examine the quality and range of information and resources available to students in schools and other settings. This will include an examination of how apprenticeship opportunities are presented to students in our schools.

As set out in the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland, SOLAS is currently reviewing pathways to participation in apprenticeship. The review will identify any barriers that may exist to participation in an apprenticeship programme. The importance of the role of schools at second level in promoting apprenticeship opportunities, and in particular the role of guidance counsellors are being looked at in the context of the review, which will be published shortly.

Furthermore, a national promotional campaign, Generation Apprenticeship, has been underway since May 2017, led by the Apprenticeship Council and with co-ordination support from SOLAS. The campaign promotes apprenticeship on TV and radio along with social media platforms that include Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. It has been designed to inform parents, teachers and potential apprentices on the career paths and further educational opportunities arising from apprenticeship programmes. In addition, the staff of Education & Training Boards play a critical role in promoting apprenticeship by visiting employers, schools and attending career fairs.

Insurance Costs

Questions (230)

Robert Troy

Question:

230. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to tackle the increased cost of insurance for schools; and the effect he envisages that these steps will have. [39722/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Responsibility for procurement of insurance and payment of same rests with Boards of Management in respect of schools operated by them. If a particular school has a query in relation to the cost of insurance it should raise this directly with its insurance provider.

Boards of Management should take a proactive approach when it comes to sourcing insurance in order to ensure best value is obtained and to ensure compliance with public procurement procedures.

The Schools Procurement Unit which has a national remit is available to advise and assist schools in relation to procurement matters.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (231)

Clare Daly

Question:

231. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to improve the provision of resources, particularly special needs assistants or classroom assistants, for a school (details supplied). [39736/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible 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 Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on the 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.

In considering applications for SNA support for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.

SNA allocations to all schools can change from year to year as children with care needs leave the school, as new children with care needs enrol in a school and as children develop more independent living skills and their care needs diminish over time.

My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support.

By the end of this year, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools, a 42% increase on 2011.

The NCSE Appeals Process may be invoked by a parent or a school where it is considered that a child was not granted access to SNA support on the grounds that Department policy was not met in accordance with Circular 0030/2014.

Schools may also appeal a decision, where the school considers that the NCSE, in applying Department policy, has not allocated the appropriate level of SNA support to the school to meet the care needs of the children concerned.

Where a school has received its allocation of SNA support for 2018/19, 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.

As this question relates to a particular school, I have referred the question to the NCSE for their direct reply.

Apprenticeship Programmes

Questions (232)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

232. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost if the budget for apprenticeship training was increased by 15%. [39744/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The 2018 budget allocation for apprenticeship training is €122m and consequently the cost to increase this by 15% would be an additional €18.3m in a full year.

Residential Institutions Redress Scheme

Questions (233)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

233. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills when he will next meet the CEO of Caranua; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39772/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I have no scheduled meeting with the acting Chief Executive of Caranua at present. Officials of my Department meet regularly with both the Chair and Chief Executive of the organisation to discuss relevant matters.

Education Policy

Questions (234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 253, 257)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

234. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position on the need for regulation of restraint or seclusion in educational settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39858/18]

Thomas Byrne

Question:

235. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the monitoring and oversight arrangements for the use of restraint or seclusion in educational or school transport settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39859/18]

Thomas Byrne

Question:

236. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of complaints received in 2018 about the use of restraint and-or seclusion in educational settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39860/18]

Thomas Byrne

Question:

237. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of guidelines for schools on the specific issue of restraint or intervention. [39861/18]

Thomas Byrne

Question:

238. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the impact of the use of restraint or intervention in educational settings has been examined; if so, the results of this examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39862/18]

Catherine Martin

Question:

253. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the introduction of best practice guidelines for schools on the use of restraint or intervention when responding in circumstances in which students pose an immediate threat of harm to themselves or others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39980/18]

John Curran

Question:

257. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to issue guidelines to schools on students who pose an immediate threat of harm to themselves or others; when guidelines will be issued to schools to assist teachers responding in such circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40051/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I propose to take Questions Nos. 234 to 238, inclusive, 253 and 257 together.

The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school. Schools should supervise and support children who are distressed or out of control until they have recovered and are able to re-engage in the classroom. In some circumstances this may mean the temporary removal of a child from the environment where the problems have arisen. Schools are not required to report on such interventions. Schools owe a duty of care to all their students and any action taken in relation to managing behaviour must be proportionate.

The National Educational Welfare Board, which is now under the aegis of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has developed guidelines for schools on Codes of Behaviour. The guidance document on Developing a Code of Behaviour advises that specialised behaviour management strategies, such as the use of restraint, should not be used without expert advice, training and monitoring. In particular, the guidelines point to certain sanctions which are regarded as inappropriate, including leaving a student in an unsupervised situation while in the care of the school. All parents must be made aware of behaviour management strategies employed by the school.

Schools may seek advice from their local National Educational Psychological Services psychologist, from the NCSE’s Support Service which includes Special Educational Needs Organisers, the National Behavioural Support Service and the Special Education Support Service, as to how children with behavioural needs can best be supported in school.

A range of guidance is available for schools in relation to the management of student behaviour. The Department published Guidelines for Supporting Pupils with Behavioural, Emotional, and Social Difficulties, which is available on the Department’s website, www.education.ie. The National Educational Psychological Services document Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties – A Continuum of Support also provides advice for teachers, including some advice on the use of “time out” procedures in the classroom.

Training is available for schools in relation to the provision of support for children with special educational needs from the NCSE’s Regional Service. The Special Education Support Service can, as part of their designated training modules, provide guidance for schools in relation to the management of difficult behaviour.

Following a request by the Department for policy advice from the NCSE, which provided recommendations in relation to crisis situations and complex behavioural needs, work on developing guidelines for school is underway. The Department will engage with education partners on these in the coming months. It is anticipated that the guidelines will be finalised by the end of this school year. The guidelines will assist schools in responding in circumstances where students pose an immediate threat of harm to themselves or others.

The guidelines will be underpinned by the principles that restraint intervention is never used for the purposes of discipline; that it should be applied proportionately and should last only as long as is necessary to de-escalate the situation. The guidelines will also underline the importance of continued supervision of children during a crisis period including matters related to behaviour. It is also expected that the guidelines will underline the importance of recording such incidents and how they are managed.

Where a parent, or any other person, has concerns about the care or safety of a child in school they should report these concerns to the Board of Management of the school in the first instance.

Where a parent or other person has a concern about the welfare or protection of a child in a school they may report the matter as a child protection concern to Tusla or to the Department of Education and Skills who will then report any child protection complaint in accordance with the Department's procedures. The Department has, to date in 2018, received one complaint which referenced a child protection concern relating to restraint and this complaint was dealt with in accordance with Departmental procedures, including referral to Tusla.

Capitation Grants

Questions (239)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

239. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of increasing the cap for capitation payments to schools to €550, €600 and €650, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39863/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

My Department attempted to contact your office to seek clarification regarding your question. If you can provide further information regarding the information you are seeking, my department will attempt to be of assistance.

I recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools, having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.

Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education and I remain committed to achieving this. However, I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures and prioritise where it is not possible to do everything that I would like to do in the education sector in any one year. In that regard it is critical that any additional resources that are available in the education sector are utilised in such a way as to maximise teaching and learning outcomes.

The Deputy will be aware that Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion. Through budget 2017 and Budget 2018, we are now investing €1 billion more in education.

Improvements have been made for the restoration of grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation. A similar type approach in relation to improvements in grant funding was applied, as appropriate, as post-primary level.

Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Questions (240)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

240. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of implementing the National Council for Special Education’s policy advice on educational provision for children with autistic spectrum disorders by extending the level of capitation to post-primary schools on the same basis as that which applies to primary schools with special classes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39864/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

Capitation funding is intended to contribute towards the cost of heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep and general teaching aids required in schools.

The primary school capitation grant is €170 per pupil, subject to a minimum grant equivalent to 60 pupils. Enhanced rates are payable to Special Schools and Special Classes attached to mainstream primary schools, the rates are determined by the special education needs category of the class. The enhanced capitation rate for primary ASD special classes is €840 per pupil (inclusive of the mainstream rate of €170).

The funding arrangements made by my Department for second level schools reflect the sectoral division of our second-level system. At the core of all arrangements is reliance upon capitation as the principal determinant of funding.

The standard per capita grant for voluntary secondary schools is €296 per pupil. At Post Primary level, an additional enhanced capitation grant of €190 per pupil is currently only paid in respect of pupils enrolled in special classes for mild or moderate general learning disability.

The Deputy may be aware that the National Council for Special Education’s Policy Advice on Educational Provision for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2016) included a recommendation to extend the enhanced level of capitation grant to post-primary schools with special classes on the same basis as primary schools to assist them with the increased running costs associated with these classes. The estimated cost of implementing this recommendation for the current school year is approximately €1.1m.

My Department has convened an Implementation Group with representatives of the NCSE, NEPS, the Inspectorate and representatives from other Departments and agencies to ensure that the Report’s recommendations are fully and appropriately considered.

While a number of the recommendations have already been partially or substantially implemented, work is planned on the implementation of the remaining recommendations.

I have asked my officials to prepare a progress report setting out expected timeframes for full implementation and I expect that report in the coming weeks.

Emergency Works Scheme Applications

Questions (241)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

241. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) submitted in July 2018. [39869/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme to address a number of issues at the school some of which are complicated. The application required to be examined by my Department's Professional and Technical staff. This examination is nearing completion and my Department expects to be in contact with the school shortly with an outcome to its application.

School Transport Eligibility

Questions (242)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

242. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of ineligible children refused school transport in County Wexford in each of the years from 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [39878/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

School transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.

In the 2017/18 school year over 117,000 children, including over 12,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.

Under the terms of the Primary and Post-Primary Transport Schemes, children are generally eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.

Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the current school year where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has provided information on the number of ineligible children in County Wexford who completed the application process on time and who were not allocated seats in the last four years, as per the detail in the table:

Year.	Number of Children.
2015	3
2016	5
2017	19
2018	22

The terms of the School Transport Schemes are applied equitably on a national basis.

School Funding

Questions (243)

Niamh Smyth

Question:

243. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the funding available in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39885/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the school, the students and parents in competing at this international event. Unfortunately, however, the Department has no provision available to assist in the costs of travel.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish the students every success at the event.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Questions (244)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

244. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the pupil-teacher ratio in small schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39887/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

While Budget 2012 increased the appointment and retention ratios for small schools (i.e., schools with up to four classroom teachers), several improvements have been made to the staffing of these schools recently.

In the 2015/16 school year improved retention thresholds for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th classroom teacher and also improved appointment and retention thresholds for two-teacher schools situated 8km or more from the nearest school of the same type of patronage and/or language of instruction were implemented. In addition, Budget 2016 announced a 1 point improvement to the primary staffing schedule with this improvement implemented in the 2016/17 school year.

Budget 2017 announced two adjustments in relation to one teacher schools. Where the school is the sole primary school on an island the school will be able to appoint a second teacher. In relation to single teacher schools generally with an enrolment of 15 or more pupils the school can apply to the staffing appeal board for a second post where the single teacher has children across 6 or more class groups.

Improvements to the staffing schedule announced in Budget 2018 brings the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the most favourable ever seen at primary level and these improvements were introduced in the current school year.

The staffing process includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria, including small schools that were affected by the Budget 2012 changes, to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board.

Any additional improvement in the pupil teacher ratio would have to be considered as part of the next annual budgetary process, alongside the many other demands from the education sector.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Questions (245)

Niall Collins

Question:

245. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the assistance that can be provided to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39930/18]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30th September.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.

My Department is currently finalising staffing in primary schools for the current school year.

Staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2019/20 school year will be published in February next year. The staffing arrangements include an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the appeal process for staffing in the 2019/20 school year will be published alongside the staffing arrangements next February.

At that stage, schools will be able to establish their staffing for September 2019 and submit a staffing appeal if required.