Written Answers Nos. 175-193
175. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the lack of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, services in an area (details supplied) notwithstanding the best efforts of the service providers; the current provision of services in the area; and his plans to rectify this matter. [15129/19]
View answerI understand that the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to the provision of ASD special classes in the Cork area.
Individual school boards of management are responsible for the establishment of special classes. It is open to any school in the area to make application to the National Council for Special education (NCSE) to establish a class.
The National Council for Special Education, an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
The NCSE’s team of locally based Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents whose children have special needs and identify available placements. They also support and advise schools in this area. Parents who are experiencing difficulties in locating a special class placement, should contact their local SENO.
In deciding where to establish a special class in an area, the NCSE take account of the current and projected demand and the available school accommodation both current and planned. In this regard, the SENO may approach individual schools to discuss the matter with a view to finding the optimal location in terms of convenience and sustainability.
When the NCSE sanction a special class in a school, the school can apply to my Department for capital funding to re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class and/or to construct additional accommodation.
From time to time, the NCSE identifies local areas where additional special class provision is required. In those circumstances, Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) work with the schools and families concerned to resolve the issues involved. This process is ongoing and the NCSE are actively engaging with schools in Cork in relation to establishing ASD classes where there is an identified need for the 2019/2020 school year.
160 new special classes have been opened for the 2018/19 school year, which means there are now 1,459 special classes in place, compared to 548 in 2011.
There are currently 246 special classes attached to mainstream schools in Cork City and County. Of these, 28 are ASD early intervention classes, 119 are primary ASD classes and 54 are post primary ASD classes. Details of all special classes for children with special educational needs are available on www.ncse.ie.
My Department is aware that the establishment of special provision in some schools and communities can be challenging.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 will assist in addressing this issue in areas where the NCSE is of the opinion that there is insufficient education provision for children with special educational needs.
Section 8 of the Act provides the Minister with a power, after a process of consultation with the NCSE, the board of management and the patron of the school, to compel a school to make additional provision for the education of children with special educational needs.
176. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration has been given in the past three years to the designation of primary schools as DEIS band 2; and if consideration is being given to this at present. [15130/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my Department has introduced an objective, statistics based model for assessing which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme, so that all stakeholders can have confidence that we are targeting extra resources at those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. This new model involves a calculation of the level of disadvantage in each school, based on the socio-economic background of their pupil cohort, using centrally held data as previously outlined and is based on the geographical CSO Small Areas where the pupil cohort resides. A detailed document explaining the methodology used in the Identification process under DEIS plan 2017 is available on my Department’s website at www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Identification-Process.pdf.
Following an initial application of this new methodology, 79 new schools, including 66 primary schools, were brought into the DEIS programme in 2017 with a further 30 primary schools being upgraded from Band 2 to Band 1 status. These schools were assessed as having the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage.
DEIS Plan 2017 states that the improved data on the socio-demographic of schools resulting from the new identification model will have an impact not only on the assessment of schools for inclusion in the programme but also on the scaling of resources to allow for more graduated levels of support. This is turn allows for the ultimate objective of allocating resources to best meet the identified need of individual schools.
Further analysis is currently being undertaken to examine other variables known to be strong predictors of educational disadvantage in the context of resource allocation. An analysis is also underway on the quality of the address data of individual schools. Until the further analysis is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.
177. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the stage of the plans for a new Educate Together school for Killarney, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15133/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department is implementing new plans aimed at accelerating the provision of multi-denominational and non-denominational schools across the country, in line with the choices of parents, families and school communities and the Programme for Government commitment to reach 400 such schools by 2030.
The previous model of patronage divestment yielded only a very limited number of schools for transfer to multi-denominational patrons (11 since 2013, with a twelfth school, Westport ETNS, due to be established under this process for September 2019). I believe that the new Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process has the potential to significantly increase patron diversity in our school system.
While the Schools Reconfiguration process is being advanced, my Department is continuing to work with the main stakeholders to progress delivery of diversity in areas already identified, including Killarney.
To date, it has not been possible to secure a school property to facilitate a new school being established in Killarney. However, my Department will continue its efforts in relation to identifying a suitable solution under the patronage divesting process, which would facilitate a new Educate Together school being established to serve the Killarney area.
178. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a teacher (details supplied) will be put on a pay grade appropriate to their experience and qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15140/19]
View answerThe position is that the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
Circular Letter 0031/2011, issued by my Department, states that each employer shall ensure that a person proposed for appointment to a teaching post for which salary grant is being sought must be registered with the Teaching Council and have qualifications appropriate to the sector and suitable to the post for which he/she is to be employed.
The teacher, referred to by the Deputy, is secondary trained and registered under Route 2 post primary with the Teaching Council. The teacher is therefore not qualified to teach in the primary sector and in accordance with Circular Letter 0031/2011 is not eligible to be paid the qualified rate of pay for that sector.
179. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date position regarding a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15142/19]
View answerIt is a matter for the relevant Institutes of Technology in a technological university (TU) development consortium to lead on the progression of their plans to seek designation as a TU under the Technological Universities Act 2018.
In relation to the Technological University for South East Ireland (TUSEI) consortium comprising Waterford Institute of Technology and the Institute of Technology Carlow, both institutes are committed to achieving TU status.
The Department understands that the TUSEI consortium is working towards the submission of an application for TU designation under the 2018 Act later this year.
180. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with an autism diagnosis that require school placement in preschool settings, mainstream primary schools, ASD units or second-level schools at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15143/19]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs.
The NCSE’s policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) noted a national ASD prevalence rate of 1.55% or 1 in every 65 students.
The greater proportion of children with Autism attend mainstream classes, but some students may find it difficult to manage full-time placement there and will require the environment of an ASD special class for some or all of their time in school and for a minority of children with Special Educational Needs including Autism, placements in a Special School may be required.
The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year, and where special class or special school provision is required it is planned and established to meet that need.
The Council ensures that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as having special educational needs, including those needing special class or special school placements.
Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) who are locally based are available to assist and advice parents whose children have special needs. Parents experiencing difficulty in enrolling their child in school should contact their local SENO.
SENOs are also available to assist and advise schools on special education supports and planning.
Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of special classes from 548 in 2011 to 1,459 across the country now, of which 1,196 are Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) special classes.
There are currently 33 special classes attached to mainstream schools in County Carlow. Of these, 6 are ASD early intervention classes, 13 are primary ASD classes and 11 are post primary ASD classes.
The number of ASD special class placements available in County Carlow has increased from 36 in 2011/2012 to 180 in 2018/2019.
Details of all special classes for children with special educational needs are available by county on the NCSE website at www.ncse.ie.
As the Deputy's question relates to a particular area I have arranged for the question to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
181. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Skills if €54,000 will be allocated to provide a critical bus service in Navan, County Meath (details supplied). [15154/19]
View answerSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
There are currently over 117,500 children, including over 13,000 children with special educational needs, transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually.
The purpose of my Department's Post Primary 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 where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary school.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time will be accommodated under the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme in the 2019/2020 school year.
182. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding an application for additional accommodation in a school (details supplied) in County Cork; if a previous summer works application to change the boundary is being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15184/19]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question has submitted an application, to my Department, for capital funding under the 'Additional School Accommodation Scheme'.
The application is currently under assessment, as soon as this process has been completed my Department will be in direct contact with the school authority concerned.
I can also confirm that the school in question has a Category 10 application under the 2016/17 Summer Works Scheme. With regard to the remaining applications under Category 10, which relate to external works such as upgrading and resurfacing of playgrounds and car parking, these applications require more detailed analysis. It is intended to undertake this analysis shortly.
183. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no transition year co-ordinator is in place at a school (details supplied). [15198/19]
View answerA post of Programme Co-ordinator is available to all second-level schools offering one or more of the following programs: Transition Year, Junior Cycle Schools Program, Leaving Certificate Vocational Program, Leaving Certificate Applied Program as outlined in Circular 3/2018 which is available on my Department's website.
St. Ciaran's Community School have an entitlement to a Programme Co-ordinator post at Assistant Principal I level.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts and Posts of Responsibility is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to agreed procedures. The deployment of teaching staff in the school is in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
184. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projected size of the national training fund from 2019 to 2024; and the projected size of the fund if it was maintained at its current rate of contribution of 0.7 %, in tabular form. [15256/19]
View answerAs part of Budget 2018, the NTF levy was increased by 0.1 per cent in 2018 from 0.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent – providing over €47m (net) of additional investment in the Higher and Further and Training Education Sectors. On foot of decisions taken in Budget 2019, the levy increased to 0.9 per cent in 2019 providing €69 million (net) of additional investment in higher and further education and training bringing the total expenditure allocation from the NTF to €486 million in 2019. A further increase to 1.0 per cent in 2020 was announced in Budget 2019. There is no further increase in the levy planned beyond the 1.0 percent in 2020 and, therefore, no further increases due to levy changes are projected.
Decisions taken as part of Budget 2019 will also see the creation of a new ring-fenced funding line, the Human Capital Initiative, to be established within the National Training Fund to draw down €60 million per annum from the accumulated surplus, over the 5 year period 2020- 2024.
The following table sets out the annual forecasts for National Training Fund (NTF) levy receipts for 2019 to 2021, based on different levy rates. These forecasts were provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and are based on macroeconomic employment and wage projections. Forecasts beyond 2021 are not available.
The net additional expenditure available from increases in the levy would be lower than the gross revenue yield as the calculation of such increases must take account of the increased costs which arise for public sector employers. The expenditure ceiling for the National Training Fund is set as part of the Estimates process, having regard to the Government's overall budgetary and fiscal stance, and so the amount available for expenditure in any given year may vary from the forecast income.
|
- |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Income generated from 0.8% levy |
€589.2m |
€620.1m |
€650.3m |
|
Income generated from increase to 0.9% levy from 2019 |
€662.1m |
€703m |
€737m |
|
Income generated from increase to 0.9% levy from 2019 & 1% from 2020 |
€662.1m |
€780.5m |
€824.9m |
185. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter regarding an additional teacher for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15257/19]
View answerThe 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 30 September.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.
The staffing schedule also includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the appeal process and application form are available in Circular 0019/2019, "Staffing Arrangements in Primary Schools for the 2019/20 School Year", which is published on the Department website.
My Department has received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy for consideration by the Appeals Board under the Small Schools criteria. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board will meet to review appeals for the 2019/20 school year in the coming weeks and the school will be notified of the outcome of the appeal.
The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
186. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the use of workbooks in primary school and the high cost associated with purchasing numerous revised additions. [15258/19]
View answerMy Department published Circular 0032/2017 - Measures to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs - in April 2017. One of the measures under the “Principles of cost-effective practice” which are to be adopted is that school authorities, ‘phase out the use of workbooks which cannot be reused’. My officials have engaged with the Irish Education Publishers’ Association (IEPA) to consider how best to ensure the provisions of the circular can best be implemented. It is acknowledged that use of workbooks can be beneficial in supporting the development of rudimentary skills, such as, fine motor skills, pre-writing and letter formation skills and phonological awareness skills.
In relation to revised editions of textbooks, members of the Irish Educational Publishers’ Association subscribe to a Code of Practice which includes an agreement that publishers will not revise any texts within at least four years - unless there is a change in the curriculum, the state examination or methods of assessment, or if there is a recognised teacher-led demand to do so.
187. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills when a person (details supplied) will be accepted as a pupil at a school. [15260/19]
View answerThe National Council for Special education (NCSE), an independent agency of my Department, is responsible for planning, coordinating and advising on education provision for children with special educational needs. The Council ensures that special schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special school placements. However, occasionally this may result in some pupils not getting a place in the school of their first choice.
The NCSE’s team of locally based Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents whose children have special needs and identify available placements. They also support and advise schools in this area. Parents who are experiencing difficulties in locating a special school placement, should contact their local SENO.
Special school placements are provided for students with ASD and very complex special needs who wouldn’t manage in a mainstream school even for part of the week. Enrolment of a child in a special school is based on a professional recommendation for a special school placement in consultation with the NCSE.
Special schools are staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation. School staffing levels are reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.
The NCSE has informed my Department that there are currently sufficient special school placements available in Westmeath for those students that require this level of support.
A major project is currently under construction in the school referred to by the Deputy with a proposed handover date of November 2019. The new school project will deliver a new 2-storey 6-classroom base Special Needs School including a General Purpose Hall, all staff and pupil facilities, allowing for the school to accommodate an additional class for students with complex needs, should it be required in future years
My Department consulted with the NCSE when planning the new school build for this school. The NCSE is satisfied that the additional accommodation this project will deliver will meet future potential need for such placements.
If the family of the child in this case require further support, they should contact their local SENO.
188. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the leaving certificate appeals system can be reviewed with a view to facilitating the appeal scripts going back to the local schools for the second viewing session; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15262/19]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
189. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the pressure on school places for primary school students in the Swords area; if consideration has been given to the addition of extra capacity for a school (details supplied) to alleviate this pressure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15279/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, two new Primary schools will be established to provide additional school capacity in the Swords area in North County Dublin. These schools will open in September 2019 in suitable interim accommodation.
In relation to school admissions, parents can choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available, the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The Deputy will note however that the selection process procedures and enrolment policy are the responsibility of the individual school authorities.
My Department has no record of receiving a current application, for capital funding, for the provision of additional accommodation at the school in question.
190. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be an additional income disregard for a family in receipt of a SUSI grant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15294/19]
View answerUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The assessment of means under the student grant scheme is based on gross income from all sources, with certain social welfare and health service executive payments being exempt.
The means test arrangements of the Student Grant Scheme are applied nationally on the same basis to both employed and self-employed applicants. Gross income, before the deduction of income tax or the universal social charge is assessed, with certain specified social welfare and health service executive payments excluded.
The Student Grant Scheme provides for different levels of income thresholds where families have:
(i) less than 4 dependent children;
(ii) between 4 and 7 dependent children; and
(iii) 8 or more dependent children.
Furthermore, in recognition of the additional cost to families where more than one person is attending college, income thresholds may also be increased by up to €4,830 for each additional family member attending college at the same time. In this way, the Student Grant Scheme is responsive to the individual circumstances of particular families
The assessment of means and decisions regarding grant eligibility are matters for the awarding authority (SUSI) to determine, upon receipt of an application for support. As such, it is not possible to definitively state what prospective applicants may be entitled to. However, the SUSI website contains an eligibility reckoner which may be of assistance to prospective students. This can accessed at: https://susi.ie/eligibility-reckoner-app-irish/index.html.
191. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education and Skills when clearance to issue a revised version of a grant letter will be provided in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15297/19]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that approval has been given for an Additional Accommodation project for the school to which he refers. A letter confirming same is being finalised and will be issued very shortly in that respect.
192. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the statement by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection at a recent meeting that social welfare data cannot be relied upon for accuracy by the Department of Education and Skills in its forward planning. [15307/19]
View answer193. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has previously been advised by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection that the data of her Department cannot be relied upon for forward planning purposes. [15308/19]
View answer196. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of information sharing between his Department and the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. [15320/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 192, 193 and 196 together.
In 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 Employment Affairs and Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.
A number of sections in my Department share information with DEASP such as the Forward Planning Section (Child Benefit data is utilised for demographic analysis/requirement for new schools) and Statistics Section (Single Customer View is utilised to verify PPS numbers for the Primary Online Database (POD).
Child Benefit data is one of the sources utilised in the nationwide demographic exercises and provides comprehensive information on numbers and locations of children for school planning purposes. The data is considered to be reliable and accurate at the time at which it is provided and allows my Department to project likely demand across the 314 school planning areas. As the Deputy will appreciate, this data is subject to change for example where families relocate between the time the information is supplied and the following year's provision of updated Child Benefit data to my Department.
The Child Benefit data from DEASP as a source of information for our nationwide demographic exercises is used in conjunction with other sources of data such as information from local authorities on additional residential development in each area. The requirement for new schools is being kept under on-going review and in particular will have regard to the impact of the increased rollout of housing provision as outlined in Project Ireland 2040.
