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Tuesday, 14 Jul 2020

Written Answers Nos. 599-627

Schools Building Projects

Questions (599)

John Brady

Question:

599. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the construction of a permanent school building for a new secondary school (details supplied); the stage the plans are at; when it is anticipated that the project will be fully completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15282/20]

View answer

Written answers

The provision of permanent accommodation for the new post primary school to serve Greystones and Kilcoole requires the acquisition of a site by my Department.

I can confirm a potential site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site. 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.

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. 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.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (600)

John Brady

Question:

600. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is provision for an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15283/20]

View answer

Written answers

Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department. Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need for next year. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. My Department works closely with the NCSE in this regard.

The NCSE, through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), is available to offer further advice and assistance to both schools and parents.

The school referred to by the Deputy is being established in temporary accommodation in September 2020. My Department is in the process of acquiring a site to construct a permanent building for the school. A Special Education Needs Base will be included in the permanent building when constructed.

English Language Training Organisations

Questions (601)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

601. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if supports will be provided for ACELS, QQI and MEI accredited English language schools that were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March to reopen in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15297/20]

View answer

Written answers

I am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers.

As part of the response to the pandemic, my Department established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers.

As part of this process, the representative bodies for English language education providers have engaged with the Working Group surrounding their proposals for supports to aid the recovery of this sector. In this forum, the providers have been advised of the measures introduced by Government, as part of the wider Covid-19 response, to support businesses at this time. These measures include the temporary wages subsidy scheme to facilitate employers to keep employees on the payroll throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in order to retain this link for when business increases after the crisis. This scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and is available to providers in the English language education sector. Additionally for those staff in this sector who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, they are eligible to apply for the Government’s Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Further to the above, the provider representatives have been advised of the eligibility of businesses in this sector to apply, where appropriate, for further business supports made available by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation via Enterprise Ireland and through its network of Local Enterprise Offices. A full list of these supports and related information is available for providers here: https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-supports/.

Engagement with provider representatives will continue as this sector moves towards its full re-opening and continues on a path to recovery.

Question No. 602 answered with Question No. 566.

School Transport

Questions (603)

John McGuinness

Question:

603. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if school transport will be provided for a person (details supplied). [15306/20]

View answer

Written answers

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

In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.

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.

Under the terms of the scheme, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not attending their nearest school/Post Primary Education Centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may 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.

Protected Disclosures

Questions (604)

John McGuinness

Question:

604. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of protected disclosures from whistleblowers submitted to her Department in respect of institutes of technology; if each of the protected disclosures has been deemed as such by her Department; the number settled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15309/20]

View answer

Written answers

My Department has received 6 protected disclosures in relation to institutes of technology. The details requested by the Deputy are contained in the following table.

Year

Institute of Technology

Outcome

2016

Waterford IoT

Ongoing

2017

Dundalk IoT (anonymous)

Concluded

2017

Cork IoT

Concluded

2017

Letterkenny IoT

Concluded

2018

Carlow IoT

Concluded

2019

Carlow IoT

Concluded

School Transport

Questions (605)

John McGuinness

Question:

605. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school bus place will be provided for a child (details supplied). [15310/20]

View answer

Written answers

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

In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.

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.

Under the terms of the scheme, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school.

All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not attending their nearest school/Post Primary Education Centre and is therefore not eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme.

School Admissions

Questions (606, 607, 608)

John McGuinness

Question:

606. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school placement will be provided for a child (details supplied); and the reason her Department holds the view that existing schools can cope with the number of children in Kilkenny city when the evidence indicates there is a long waiting list for each school. [15311/20]

View answer

John McGuinness

Question:

607. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school place will be provided in schools for a child (details supplied); the action her Department is taking to resolve the waiting lists in Kilkenny city for those wishing to attend secondary schools in the city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15312/20]

View answer

John McGuinness

Question:

608. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school place will be provided for a child (details supplied); and the number of students in Kilkenny city and county. [15313/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 to 608, inclusive, together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that in relation to schools admission, 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.

Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to disclose its enrolment policy and to ensure that as regards that policy that principles of equality and the right of parents to send their children to a school of the parent’s choice are respected.

Under Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 where a board of management make a decision to refuse enrolment, a parent/guardian can appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Where the appeal involves an Education and Training Board (ETB) school, the appeal must be made to the local ETB in the first instance. Further information on the Section 29 Appeals process is available on my Department's website at www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/Appeal-against-Permanent-Exclusion-Suspension-or-Refusal-to-Enrol/

In addition, the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the legal body which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child. The EWS can be contacted at 01-7718815.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that Kilkenny Carlow Education Training Board has confirmed that places for first year applicants are available in Coláiste Pobail Osrai and Kilkenny City Vocational School (KCVS). It is open to the parents /guardians of the children concerned to make direct contact with the schools should they wish to submit an enrolment application to these schools. The schools may be contacted through the following email addresses: Cathy.Mcsorley@KCVS.ie and for Coláiste Pobail Osrai, priomhoide@osrai.ie.

I wish to confirm to the Deputy that in the school planning area for post primary schools in County Kilkenny, the total number of pupil enrolments for the 2019/2020 academic year was 8,320 of which 4,640 pupils were enrolled in post primary schools in Kilkenny City.

State Examinations

Questions (609)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

609. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if post-leaving certificate students prohibited from undertaking practical exams due to Covid-19 restrictions are to be graded under a predicted grade system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15322/20]

View answer

Written answers

COVID 19 has presented challenges to all sectors of education, including PLC colleges, and the facilitating of practical examinations has been a particular challenge. The needs of learners are central to further education and training provision and Education and Training Boards (ETBs) provided alternative assessments across a wide range of courses. Where alternative assessment methods are not possible, and in line with health guidelines, ETBs are working with all stakeholders to enable learners to progress, including for the small numbers of learners with outstanding practical assessments who have made CAO applications. ETB institutions have communicated with these learners on the individual approaches being undertaken to enable them progress.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (610, 613)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

610. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills when schools will be given official advice, not draft advice, on the reopening of schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15329/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

613. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the plan to socially distance third to sixth class pupils will be in official advice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15332/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 610 and 613 together.

On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this.

Receipt of the public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical and curricular arrangements. The advice also sets out the requirements for physical distancing measures in a school setting and how this should be implemented. The advice also contains important measures required for infection prevention and control to ensure a full return to school is safe for children and staff.

My Department’s ongoing work with education partners and other key stakeholders on guidance for re-opening schools is aimed at reducing the burden on schools at a local level by providing central guidance and supports to the greatest extent possible by the end of July in order to allow time for schools to implement the necessary arrangements locally.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (611, 614)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

611. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if sanitisation equipment for cleaning schools will be supplied by her Department; if schools will have to source it themselves in view of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15330/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

614. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional classrooms, equipment and staff will be supplied to schools to accommodate social distancing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15333/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 611 and 614 together.

Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical and curricular arrangements and the issues raised by the Deputy.

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.

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Questions (612)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

612. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if grant funding will be released to pay for additional school cleaning in view of the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15331/20]

View answer

Written answers

I recognise that enhanced cleaning will be required to support schools to prevent COVID-19 infections. My Department is engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the requirement to provide funding to support enhanced cleaning needs and we will provide further details of the support available once the arrangements are finalised.

My Department have 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. 

This Department will continue to engage closely with education partners and other key stakeholders on the plan for re-opening of schools for the 2020/21 school year with the aim of reducing the burden on schools at a local level by providing central guidance and supports to the greatest extent possible.

Question No. 613 answered with Question No. 610.
Question No. 614 answered with Question No. 611.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (615)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

615. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if isolation centres for sick children will be supplied by her Department; if so, the person or body that will be required to supervise them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15334/20]

View answer

Written answers

On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/ September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this.

Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools in relation to logistical and curricular arrangements and wellbeing. The guidance will also outline the requirements for managing suspected cases and appropriate isolation procedures in the event of a case arising.

My Department’s ongoing work with education partners and other key stakeholders on guidance for re-opening schools is aimed at reducing the burden on schools at a local level by providing central guidance and supports to the greatest extent possible by the end of July in order to allow time for schools to implement the necessary arrangements locally.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (616)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

616. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if substitute teachers will be supplied for teachers out sick with symptoms; if the entire bubble in which the teacher is involved will have to remain at home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15335/20]

View answer

Written answers

On Wednesday 1 July 2020, I welcomed the publication of interim public health advice for the safe re-opening of schools in late August/September. This interim health advice sets out the key public health requirements that will be required for a safe full reopening of schools and the measures that will be required to achieve this.

Receipt of public health advice will underpin ongoing engagements with education partners and stakeholders in terms of planning and providing guidance for schools. This ongoing engagement also includes the position of substitution which will be outlined for schools once the arrangements are finalized.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (617, 623, 625, 626, 627)

Alan Kelly

Question:

617. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills when guidelines regarding social distancing and so on will be published for bus companies that transport children from their homes to their schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15337/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

623. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the discussions on public health measures, specifically the wearing of masks, that have taken place with school transport providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15395/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

625. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the person or body with responsibility for policing the wearing of face masks on school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15397/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

626. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if children on school transport will be required to wear face masks; the other public health measures to be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15398/20]

View answer

Jackie Cahill

Question:

627. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills when it will be possible for private school buses to operate at full capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15399/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 617, 623 and 625 to 627, inclusive, together.

School 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 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were 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.

I recently welcomed the publication of interim public health advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in relation to the re-opening of schools. Engagement with stakeholders on the public health advice and planning process for both primary and post-primary schools will continue over the coming weeks.

With regard to the re-opening of schools for the 2020/21 academic year, my Department is currently engaging intensively with Bus Éireann, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the National Transport Authority on the logistical considerations that arise from public health advice in planning for the reopening of schools. The operation of school transport services in September 2020 will be informed by the outcome of this planning for re-opening schools.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (618)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

618. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units within schools in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15355/20]

View answer

Written answers

There are currently 68 special classes for children with autism in Co. Tipperary, of which 46 are primary and 22 are post primary.

A list of special classes for the current school year, including special classes for children with autism, is available on the NCSE website http://www.ncse.ie/.

Ensuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department.

Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs. Budget 2020 provided for an additional 265 special class teachers in 2020, which will allow for the opening of additional classes where required.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need for next year. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. My Department works closely with the NCSE in this regard.

The NCSE's local Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise both schools and the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: https://ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.

Youthreach Programme

Questions (619)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

619. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills if statistics on the ethnic background of children accessing Youthreach programmes are available and if so, if they will be provided by ethnicity. [15359/20]

View answer

Written answers

Statistics regarding the ethnic background of Youthreach Participants are recorded by Education and Training Boards on a further education and training database, the Programme Learner Support System (PLSS ). The following figures are a unique count of learners enrolled in the Youthreach programme during 2019 as reported on PLSS. However it should be noted that the provision of this sensitive information by learners is on a voluntary basis and contingent on learners’ provision of explicit and informed consent. As such, 240 out of the 2689 participants enrolled in Youthreach programmes in 2019 did not consent for data on their ethnicity to be recorded.

Ethnic background of Youthreach Learners enrolled in 2019.

No.

White Irish

1,731

Irish Traveller

336

Roma

46

Any other white background

183

Black or Black Irish - African

56

Black or black Irish – Any other background

7

Asian or Asian Irish - Chinese

6

Asian or Asian Irish –Any other Asian Background

33

Other (Inc. Mixed background)

51

No Consent

240

Total

2689

School Admissions

Questions (620)

John Lahart

Question:

620. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to ensure a person (details supplied) will get a place in a school that suits the person's needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15375/20]

View answer

Written answers

Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year; with 1,353 of these catering for children with autism.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need for next year. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. My Department works closely with the NCSE in this regard.

Normally, special class and school places are established with the full cooperation of the schools in areas where they are required. However there are some parts of the country where the NCSE has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to voluntarily agree to provide special class or school places.

As Minister I have a power under Section 37A of the Education Act 1998 to direct a school to provide additional provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. The legislation contains a procedure through which the capacity of schools in an area can be tested and through which ultimately a Ministerial direction can be made requiring a school to make additional special education provision available.

The legislation was used for the first time in 2019, in respect of the Dublin 15 area. Significant progress has been made in that area on foot of action taken under Section 37. A new Special School was established and six schools have agreed to open special classes thereby meeting the need for additional places in the area. The experience of Dublin 15 shows that real and practical challenges can be addressed by working together to provide additional special class and special school places.

The legislation was activated for a second time on 29 October 2019 following a report by the NCSE which identified children in South Dublin needing special education school places. Since then, the NCSE in consultation with the relevant education stakeholders, has been testing the capacity amongst schools in the South Dublin area.

On 21 April 2020 my Department received a report from the NCSE, pursuant to Section 37A(2) of the Education Act 1998 (as inserted by section 8 of the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018) in respect of South Dublin, as the NCSE Council remains of the opinion that there is an insufficient number of special class and special school places within the South Dublin area for September 2020.

The report identifies the schools who it is considered have potential to provide additional places. These schools were identified following an extensive engagement with schools and their patron bodies and parents in the area.

Having considered the report, the Minister accepted the opinion of the NCSE and statutory notices have been served on 39 schools in the area on 26 June last.

I understand that already some progress has been made and the NCSE is working with a number of schools to establish classes for this coming school year.

My Department, in conjunction with the NCSE will continue to work through the next steps in this process but in the interim the NCSE, through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), is available to offer further advice and assistance to parents.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (621)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

621. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a child (details supplied) who fits the criteria of qualification for the July provision is being denied the provision due to the fact the child is transferring from preschool to primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15378/20]

View answer

Written answers

Summer Provision is aimed at helping children with complex needs prepare for a return to education, particularly after the health restrictions that have been in place over recent months. As work continues on planning for the re-opening of schools, it is important that we take measures help the prevention of regression among these children in terms of their education and social interactions. Based on the information provided by the Deputy it appears that the child in question is eligible for summer provision.

The eligibility criteria for summer provision includes children in the following categories:

1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism

2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties

3. Any child in a special school or a special class

4. Children transitioning into a special class from early years settings to primary school

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

The Government has also approved the inclusion of children with Down Syndrome who are attending post primary school in the home-based strand of the Programme.

Children entering primary school next September are also eligible for the programme.

State Examinations

Questions (622)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

622. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the timing for the sitting of the leaving certificate 2020; if it will be completed in time for college intake in September and October 2020; if not, if these students will be categorised as deferred entrants for the 2021 college intake; and if so, if they will have more than one choice available to them on the CAO system. [15379/20]

View answer

Written answers

The timeframe for sitting the postponed Leaving Certificate 2020 examinations cannot be determined at this time pending public health advice that would identify a safe period of time to do so and pending the confirmation of the number of candidates that will sit each subject. It is not expected that students who seek to rely on the results of the postponed examinations will be able to commence a third level place in the 2020/2021 academic year.

Students who opt to sit the Leaving Certificate examinations at a later stage when it is safe to do so, and who receive an improved CAO offer on foot of these results, will receive a deferred college offer to start their course in the 2021/22 academic year. If a candidate who has started first year of a course becomes entitled to a higher CAO offer and chooses to accept same in the following academic year, attendance for the first year on the new course would remain eligible for free fees and SUSI funding as appropriate.

Question No. 623 answered with Question No. 617.
Question No. 624 answered with Question No. 551.
Questions Nos. 625 to 627, inclusive, answered with Question No. 617.
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