Written Answers Nos. 234-258
234. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new school building project (details supplied); the timeline for site procurement and commencement of building works; if the school will be in use by August 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13570/20]
View answerThe provision of permanent accommodation for the new post primary school to serve Greystones and Kilcoole requires the acquisition of a site by my Department.
A potential site option has been identified and negotiations are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site.
My Department is committed to delivering a site for the new post primary school for the Greystones and Kilcoole area of County Wicklow and work is ongoing to achieve this as soon as possible. Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally I am not in a position to provide further details at this time. However, once there is sufficient certainty in respect of a site the project to deliver the permanent accommodation can advance into the architectural planning stage and onwards to tender and construction stages.
It is difficult to indicate a timeframe for any site acquisition as each process is unique and in some instances complex issues can arise which can cause delays.
Until such time as the permanent site is acquired, it is planned that the school will open in suitable interim accommodation in time for the 2020/21 academic year.
235. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be changes in the SUSI grant scheme in 2020 in relation to the financial situation persons find themselves in due to the impact of Covid-19 on the economy. [13573/20]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
For the 20/21 academic year student grant applications will be assessed based on gross income from all sources for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.
However, if a student or party to their application experiences a change in circumstances that is not a temporary change and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future they can apply to SUSI to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision.
In the case of a change of circumstances all household income, and not just the income of the person experiencing the change, will be assessed/reassessed on the basis of the current year (2020). Any award or adjustment will take effect from the month in which the change occurred. This provision may benefit some students whose income has fallen in 2020 due to Covid-19 issues.
SUSI’s online application process for student grant applications for the 2020/21 academic year opened on 23rd April, 2020. Students are advised to submit their renewal student grant application as soon as possible. The priority closing dates for the 2020/21 academic year are 11th June 2020 for renewal applicants and 9th July 2020 for new applicants. Further information in relation to student grant assistance is available from SUSI’s website, www.susi.ie. The telephone number for SUSI’s Helpdesk is 0761 087 874.
My Department is fully aware of the difficulties being experienced by students and their families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. A working group on mitigating educational disadvantage is supporting on-going responses to what is an evolving situation, to ensure the continuation of crucial funding sources such as SUSI grants, the 1916 Bursary Scheme, the Student Assistant Fund, Fund for Students with a disability and other allowances. All stakeholders in this group have worked to support learners without access to sufficient technology and to ensure the continuation of services offered by access and disability offices, guidance counsellors and counselling services.
Students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists full-time and part-time students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended. Institutions have the autonomy to maximise the flexibility in the Student Assistance Fund to enable HEIs to support students during the COVID-19 situation.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from students’ local Tax Offices or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
236. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the time frame of the building of five prefabs for a school (details supplied) which were due to be finished by September 2020 but have been delayed by the Covid-19 restrictions. [13574/20]
View answerI can confirm that in relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, a contract is due to be awarded this week (commencing 29th June, 2020) for the additional interim accommodation required for the school for the next academic year. However, a decision in relation to planning permission for this additional accommodation is still awaited. It should be noted that these delays are related due to the Covid-19 restrictions.
My Department is in contact with the school Principal and the Patron Body in relation to the matter.
238. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the situation of children with additional learning needs that attend a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13596/20]
View answer239. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied); and the action she will take to ensure the ongoing issue is resolved for the opening in September 2020. [13597/20]
View answerThe new school building for the project to which the Deputies refer is over 95% complete. There continues to be a very close engagement between Westmeath County Council (to whom the project has been devolved for delivery) and its design team, the Department of Education and Skills and the contractor in relation to getting the remaining elements of work completed during the summer to enable the school reopen for the coming school year. That being the case, the alternative accommodation kindly provided by the school authorities and patron of the other school in question in the last school year should no longer be required for that purpose.
The school authority is being kept up-to-date on progress in this respect.
240. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of parents of children that qualify for the July provision scheme that will have to arrange their own private transportation to and from schools to access the 2020 scheme; the maximum distance parents will be expected to travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13609/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.
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 the current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
With regard to transport arrangements for the July Programme my Department will provide grant funding to support parents with the cost of transport arrangements for those children who are eligible for school transport and who have been approved to participate in the school based July Programme.
Schools are required to identify children who are on a School Transport service or who are in receipt of a grant. School Transport Section will be in contact with schools and families in regard to the arrangements for payment.
Grant payment is based on the distance that a family reside from their child’s school of attendance. The calculation is based on four trips per day (home to school and school to home, morning and afternoon) multiplied by the number of days a child attends school for the programme. The current rate of grant is 39.12 cent per kilometre for the first 6,437 kilometres travelled and 21.22 per kilometre for each kilometre travelled thereafter.
241. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason reports from parents indicate that capacity numbers do not meet requirements further to his statement of 5 June 2020 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13612/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include additional primary aged children with complex needs.
The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that these children can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers.
In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with complex special educational needs.
The eligibility criteria includes the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in special school or a special class in a Primary School
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
- Children with Down syndrome
- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
- Children who have a moderate general learning disability
- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
A child must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria.
If a Parent is in doubt about their child’s eligibility, they should consult their child’s school or contact my Department. Contact details are available on my Departments website www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/summerprovision/summer-education-programme-2020.html.
242. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the preparation and guidelines her Department has issued to schools for the summer scheme; the number of children it is expected to facilitate; and the schools that have confirmed they will take part by county in tabular form. [13618/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.
All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students. This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.
My Department issued guidance to these schools to support management and staff in the delivery of summer programmes for children with special educational needs and those experiencing educational disadvantage as we continue to operate in line with public health advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
This guidance includes information in respect of hand hygiene, physical distancing, use of PPE and a risk assessment template.
The programme is reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.
It is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of the school having regard to the resources available whether or not it will participate in the programme.
To date 231 have indicated they intend to provide the school based summer provision.
A list of participating schools is being finalised which I will forward to the Deputy in the coming days.
Home-based provision is available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year.
In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher/SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.
A dedicated online registration system for families of children with complex special needs to access Summer Provision is now available on Gov.ie/summerprovision.
Parents are asked to register their participation online, providing some outline information of the extent of their participation in the programme e.g. number of weeks.
Once registered, the parent or school is then free to plan and organise the programme in accordance with with the guidance on my Departments website.
A programme for DEIS schools for this Summer was also announced.
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.
243. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the anomaly in the SUSI grant scheme by which a student applies initially as a dependent of their parents but subsequently gets married during the period of their third-level education but are still assessed as a dependent of their parents. [13627/20]
View answerThe decision on eligibility for student grant applications is a matter for the centralised grant awarding authority, SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland).
For student grant purposes, students are categorised according to their circumstances either as students dependent on parents or a legal guardian, or as independent mature students.
A student may be assessed as an independent student (i.e. assessed without reference to parental income and address) if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved course, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1st October. Otherwise, he/she would be assessed as a dependent student, i.e. assessed with reference to parental income and address.
A student’s status for grant purposes is defined at their first point of entry to an approved further or higher education course or at their point of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and continues to apply for the duration of their studies.
When considering whether a student meets the conditions to be assessed independently of his or her parents, the grant awarding authority (SUSI) is obliged to satisfy itself beyond doubt that an acceptable degree of proof of independent living in the relevant period has been submitted by the grant applicant. The onus is on the grant applicant to provide the necessary documentary evidence as requested by the grant awarding authority.
Applicants who do not meet the criteria to be assessed as an independent student for grant purposes, or who cannot supply the necessary documentation to establish independent living for the required period, may still apply to SUSI to have their grant eligibility assessed as a dependent student. The relevant information, including details of parental income, would be required by SUSI to determine grant eligibility as a dependent student.
Further information regarding class of applicant (independent or dependent) and the types of documentation accepted as evidence of living independently from parents is available from SUSI’s website: https://susi.ie/eligibility/applicant-class/.
If the student in question considers that he has been unjustly refused a student grant or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, he may appeal this decision to SUSI within the statutory time limit of 30 days of his decision letter.
Where an individual applicant has an appeal turned down in writing by SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted online by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe of 30 days.
244. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if she will make accommodation for instances in which parents choose to delay their child’s start or return to primary school on the grounds of Covid-19 health concerns, in so far as enrolment figures required for the retention of teachers are concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13639/20]
View answerOn 12 June, my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Announcements/framework-for-reopening-and-operating-schools.html.
The report sets out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to fully reopen schools at the start of the next school year in late August/September in line with normal timeframes.
The report also sets out in brief the contingencies that must be considered during the coming period in the context of Covid-19 including those referred to by the Deputy. These contingencies and guidance will be worked through in detail in the coming weeks with education partners and stakeholders to ensure that the return to school is safe for children and staff.
245. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure school secretaries are employed as full-time public servants particularly in view of the contribution they made to the education of children during the course of the Covid-19 crisis and in view of the increased role they will have to play to ensure public health measures are followed as the schools go back in the autumn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13656/20]
View answerI recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools. I have spoken to a number of secretaries about their employment conditions and understand the issues they have raised.
In Budget 2020 I increased the number of secretaries and caretakers in certain schools, allowing schools with enrolments of 500-625 to fill secretary vacancies provided they have fewer than 1.5 secretaries; schools with enrolments of 626-699 to fill vacancies provided they have fewer than two secretary posts filled, and schools of 700 or more to fill caretaker vacancies provided they have fewer than two caretakers. These measures will take effect from September 2020.
In Spring 2019 I relaxed the moratorium for those C&C and ETB schools with enrolments of 700 and more which allows them to employ additional school secretaries up to a maximum of two per school. There are 91 schools in the C&C and ETB Sector who meet this criteria, based on the information currently available to this Department. This was an initial step and took immediate effect.
Schemes were initiated in 1978 and 1979 for the employment of clerical officers and caretakers in schools. The schemes were withdrawn completely in 2008. These schemes have been superseded by the capitation grant schemes. The current grant scheme was agreed in the context of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, published in 1991.
The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools now receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under these grant schemes. It is a matter for each individual school to decide how best to apply the grant funding to suit its particular needs. Where a school uses the grant funding for caretaking or secretarial purposes, any staff taken on to support those functions are employees of individual schools. Specific responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.
On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department engaged with the Unions representing school secretaries and caretakers, including through an independent arbitration process in 2015. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 for staff and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period. This arbitration agreement covered the period up to 31 December 2019.
The arbitration agreement was designed to be of greatest benefit to lower-paid secretaries and caretakers. For example, a secretary or caretaker who was paid the then minimum wage of €8.65 per hour in 2015 prior to the arbitration has from 1 January 2019, been paid €13 per hour which is a 50% increase in that individual’s hourly pay.
The increases recommended by the Arbitrator are binding and must be applied by all schools who employ staff to whom the Arbitrator’s recommendation applies.
A survey of Secretaries and Caretakers undertaken in 2019 identified some schools that are non-compliant with the provisions of the 2015 Arbitration Agreement, and my Department has contacted these schools to remind them of their obligations under the agreement, as implemented through various circulars. The links below will bring you to the most recent circulars in respect of the pay increases under the 2015 Arbitration Agreement.
www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0076_2018.pdf.
www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0077_2018.pdf.
Officials from my Department attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Education and Skills on the 9th of April 2019 to discuss the status of non-teaching staff.
In May last year officials from my Department had discussions with FÓRSA trade union representatives as part of a planned meeting. FÓRSA took the opportunity to formally table a pay claim.
This was tabled as a follow-on claim from the pay agreement for this cohort of staff which lasted until December 2019. The Department issued surveys on the 10th of July 2019 to establish the full current cost of the trade union’s claim. This is standard practice.
Officials from the Department met with FÓRSA representatives in September 2019. Management Bodies representing the employers of schools impacted by the action were also in attendance at the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to further explore the details of the pay claim as presented by FÓRSA and the nature of the industrial action.
On 30 September 2019 FÓRSA requested the Department to agree to use the services of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to resolve the dispute. As is normal practice the Department agreed to use the industrial relations machinery of the state in an effort to resolve this matter.
In order to address the various issues within the claim and to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution, the Department and Management Bodies are in discussions with FÓRSA under the auspices of the WRC. These talks are subject to the normal procedures including confidentiality. The talks began in the WRC in October.
Following industrial action, which commenced on the 10 January 2020, both parties have agreed to return to talks at the WRC. FÓRSA agreed to the WRC request to suspend their ongoing work-to-rule to allow the talks to progress. This suspension was effective from 21 January 2020.
246. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if school secretaries that are normally laid off during the summer will be kept in full employment to help prepare for post-Covid-19 education in the autumn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13657/20]
View answerThe Boards of Management of schools are responsible for the employment of school secretaries and it is a matter for each school to determine the level of secretarial services required for the school. Funding to cater for these services is made available from the Ancillary Services and Capitation Grants
On Friday 12th June my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Announcements/framework-for-reopening-and-operating-schools.html.
Detailed engagement with education partners and stakeholders is underway in relation to the development of public health guidance in a school setting. A core objective will be to ensure that schools and other education settings can re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
247. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the type of PPE provision (details supplied) that will be provided to schools for the reopening; if the cost of same will be covered by her Department; and if so, if the budget will be allocated based on geography and size of school or enrolment numbers. [13659/20]
View answer248. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the protocol for school staff and students that are at high risk to Covid-19 or living with a family member at high risk when schools reopen. [13660/20]
View answer254. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students have been involved in the process for schools reopening; and if not, if they will be included in the process. [13666/20]
View answer255. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a budget will be made available to schools to rent nearby facilities such as youth clubs, churches, sports halls and so on to provide space for students for non-contact teaching days if a hybrid model is adopted to provide space outside of the home and enable parents and guardians to work. [13667/20]
View answer256. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to change the absence system for students and teaching staff when schools reopen in view of the fact students will need to stay home if they have symptoms. [13668/20]
View answer257. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there will there be an increase in allocation to hire more teachers or rehire retired teachers necessary for student to teacher ratio. [13669/20]
View answerOn 12 June, my Department published the report to Government “Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening society and business” www.education.ie/en/The-Department/Announcements/framework-for-reopening-and-operating-schools.html.
The report sets out the clear ambition to develop a sustainable plan to fully reopen schools at the start of the next school year in late August/September in line with normal timeframes.
The report also sets out in brief the contingencies that must be considered during the coming period in the context of Covid-19. These contingencies including those referred to by the Deputy, will be worked through in detail in the coming weeks with education partners and stakeholders to ensure that the return to school is safe for children and staff. Student representatives have been involved in stakeholder consultations.
Staff and students who have symptoms of COVID-19 must not attend school, are required to phone their GP and follow the HSE guidance on self-isolation. Guidance in relation to these absences will be developed centrally following consultation with education partners.
My Department recognises that additional funding will be required for schools to support enhanced cleaning to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirement to provide funding to schools for this purpose.
My Department has also arranged for a drawdown framework to be established to enable schools purchase hand-sanitisers for use in the school and classroom. The procurement process for this framework has already commenced and it is intended these materials will be available in early August.
249. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if students with Down's syndrome entering mainstream primary school or in mainstream post-primary schools are eligible for the July provision; and if not, the reason the matter was not made clear in the announcement of 5 June 2020. [13661/20]
View answer250. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the recommendations for families and students that cannot secure a tutor and their school is not participating in the July provision. [13662/20]
View answer251. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the percentage of children deemed eligible for July provision in past years; and the percentage of these children that were able to avail of the July provision. [13663/20]
View answerMy Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.
The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.
Approximately 15,000 children were eligible for July Provision in 2019 of which 10,563 or 70% accessed the scheme. There were two strands to the July Provision scheme, a school-based scheme and a home-based scheme. In 2019, 7,158 accessed the home based scheme and 3,405 accessed the school based scheme in 232 participating schools.
With regard to Summer Provision 2020, to date 231 schools have indicated that they intend to run a school based programme involving approximately 3,700 children. 9,781 families have registered for the home based summer programme involving 9,820 children.
In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with complex special educational needs.
The eligibility criteria includes the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in special school or a special class in a Primary School
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
Children with Down syndrome
Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
Children who have a moderate general learning disability
Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
Funding for summer provision is not available to in respect of children who are not covered by the programme criteria. A child must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria.
If a Parent is in doubt about their child’s eligibility, they should consult their child’s school or contact my Department. Contact details are available on my Departments website www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/summerprovision/summer-education-programme-2020.html.
All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students. This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.
Home-based provision will be available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year. In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher/SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.
A dedicated online registration system for families of children with complex special needs to access Summer Provision is now available on Gov.ie/summerprovision.
Parents are asked to register their participation online, providing some outline information of the extent of their participation in the programme e.g. number of weeks.
Once registered, the parent is then free to plan and organise the programme for their child by consulting with the guidance on my Departments website.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has published information to assist Parents in sourcing the services or a Tutor or SNA for the 2020 Summer Provision The information is available on the NSCE website at https://ncse.ie/information-for-parents-on-private-home-tutor-services-advertising-platforms-for-the-2020-summer-provision-scheme.
A programme for DEIS schools for this Summer was also announced.
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.
252. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to replace the leaving certificate examinations for the class of 2021; the type of assessment the class of 2021 can expect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13664/20]
View answerFollowing the school closure in March 2020, my Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students as well as supporting their wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This guidance aimed, inter alia, to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of curriculum subjects, provision of regular assignments and regular, practical, supportive and customised feedback on work submitted.
Schools adopted various ways to engage with their students in accordance with the technology and broadband resources available in school and at home, including by post, e-mails, communication apps, the school website, use of other digital communicative platforms, including live meetings. Schools were asked to be conscious of pupils who may not have access to online facilities and to adapt approaches so that these pupils continued to have the opportunity to participate in learning.
The aim of these distance learning approaches, the guidance which issued to all schools and the regular engagement with students, was to ensure that students stayed connected with and progressed their learning. These actions will, therefore, have helped to minimise the impact of school closure.
In the context of planning for a return to school which is underway, the Department recently published a report to Government on Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening. This report is available on my Department’s website.
My Department, in consultation with relevant agencies, including the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), identified the following key priorities in supporting students in re-engaging with the curriculum in the new school year:
1. The wellbeing and socialisation of students
2. Assessing where students are in terms of their learning
3. Identifying the additional supports that particular learners may require
4. Exploring options for remote provision that will compliment in-school provision and address curriculum gaps experienced during school closure
It is recognised that schools continue to be best placed to make decisions about how to support and educate all their learners during this period. My Department will continue to collaborate with the NCCA to develop guidance to schools to assist them in their planning for the next school year so as to ensure that curricular priorities are delivered and that teaching and learning is optimal in these circumstances, guided at all times by public health advice.
Students going into sixth year in post primary schools are a group that will receive a particular focus in the context of their preparations for the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2021. The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for the operation of the state examinations. My Department will engage with the SEC in their development of fair and robust assessment arrangements in relation to both the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021.
My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students at this difficult time, and how the current circumstances will continue to present challenges into the future. The welfare of students is, and will continue to be, front and centre in all decision making.
253. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to a video by parents and guardians raising issues and problems concerning the move of a school (details supplied) out of the community to Citywest; the alternative measures that can be taken in order to keep the school within the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13665/20]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was established in 2018 and is currently in interim accommodation on the Firhouse Education Campus.
Due to additional accommodation requirements in the Gaelscoil in which they are currently located my Department has been informed that it is not possible for the secondary school to continue to operate in that building.
My Department has informed the secondary school that interim accommodation for the school will be provided on the Citywest Education Campus for the 2020/2021 academic year.
My Department is in on-going communication with the Patron Bodies concerned regarding all options.
258. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to move the two tier pay scales for teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13670/20]
View answerThe public service agreements have allowed a programme of pay restoration for public servants to start. The starting salary for a new entrant teacher in 2012 was €30,702. As a result of the programme of pay restoration, the starting salary of a teacher is now €36,953 and from 1 October 2020 onwards will be €37,692.
Section 11 of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 provides that “the Minister [for Public Expenditure and Reform] shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Oireachtas a report on the cost of and a plan in dealing with pay equalisation for new entrants to the public service.”
The report laid before the Oireachtas on foot of this provision by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform assesses the cost of a further change which would provide a two scale point adjustment to new entrants recruited since 2011. The total cost of such an adjustment across the public sector is of the order of €200 million, of which Education accounts for €83 million. The report also acknowledges that, during the financial crisis, there were policy changes which affected remuneration in different occupations across the public sector (including education).
The matter of new entrant pay is a cross sectoral issue, not just an issue for the education sector alone. The Government supports the gradual, negotiated repeal of the FEMPI legislation, having due regard to the priority to improve public services and in recognition of the essential role played by public servants.
On 24 September 2018, an agreement was reached between the Government and the public services committee of ICTU in respect of new entrant pay.
This agreement is benefitting 16,000 teachers and nearly 5,000 SNAs within the education sector. The deal provides for a series of incremental jumps for new entrants.
Minister McHugh is fully aware that the teacher unions have outstanding issues of concern following the September 2018 agreement. These outstanding matters will be given full consideration. This will happen either in the context of any pay review mechanism agreed by the parties to the Public Service Stability Agreement, or in the context of the next round of pay talks. The positions of each of the parties on these matters must be given due regard in endeavouring to reach a mutually agreed resolution.
The current series of restorative measures for new entrants have been achieved through continued engagement and collective bargaining between the Government and the public service unions and shows the benefits that such engagement can bring.
