Written Answers Nos. 379-398
379. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence if the review requested by his predecessor into the case of a person (details supplied) by the Attorney General has commenced; and if so, when is it likely to report in view of the fact the then acting Minister expected the report within three months. [24933/20]
View answerA reviewer in this case has been appointed and is progressing their work. Whilst the indicative timeframe for the report was three months there is scope in the terms of reference for the reviewer to exceed this, as required, and to report to me at the earliest possible opportunity. As there have been some delays in the process due to COVID it is expected that the report will not be made within the indicative three months.
380. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Defence if a Naval Service patrol to be carried out by the LÉ Niamh was cancelled due to a crew shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25204/20]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that, for operational and security reasons, it would not be appropriate to disclose details of the operational deployment of any individual vessel in the Naval Service.
It is also important to say that ships do not sail from time to time for various reasons, including weather, mechanical reasons and personnel issues. The Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection, security operations, and over the recent past, support to HSE in the fight against Covid 19.
381. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of cancelled Naval Service patrols and activities between 1 January 2015 and 1 August 2020, including the reason for the cancellation in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25205/20]
View answerThe Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. The Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the Exclusive Economic Zone. These patrols are carried out on a regular and frequent basis and are directed to all areas of Irish waters as necessary.
Scheduled patrol days can be impacted by a range of factors including adverse weather conditions, unscheduled maintenance as well as staffing issues. The table below sets out the number of patrol days completed in the past five years against the number of scheduled patrol days cancelled.
|
Year |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Number of Fishery Protection Patrol Days carried out |
709 |
1068 |
1091 |
1076 |
1036 |
429* |
|
Number of Non-Fishery Protection Patrol Days carried out |
495 |
308 |
317 |
221 |
25 |
220* |
|
Scheduled Patrol Days Lost: Mechanical Reasons |
276 |
104 |
72 |
170 |
42 |
- |
|
Scheduled Patrol Days Lost: Personnel Issues |
- |
- |
- |
63 |
50 |
12** |
* 31st August 2020
** 1st August 2020
Notwithstanding some mechanical and staffing issues being experienced, the Naval Service continues to carry out the roles assigned by Government, including fishery protection, security operations, and support to HSE in the fight against Covid 19.
382. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence when the review into Defence Force technicians pay and grading will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25342/20]
View answerA review of technical pay was provided for in the Public Service Agreement 2010 - 2014 (Croke Park Agreement). The purpose of the review in the context of the agreement was to rationalise existing technical pay arrangements and consider if the requirements could be met in a more cost effective manner. A review of Technical Pay Group 1 was conducted in 2014 and came into effect at the beginning of 2015.
While the review of Technical Pay grades two to six in the Defence Forces was in progress, the Public Service Pay Commission made recommendations relating to the review which were substantially different to the focus of the original review.
The Public Service Pay Commission recommended that the review of Technical Pay Groups 2 - 6, be completed at the earliest opportunity, without compromising the Public Service Stability Agreement. Two detailed Reports have been completed in line with the High Level Implementation Plan - Strengthening our Defence Forces - Phase 1. The reports have been under consideration and discussions with PDFORRA on the proposals outlined in the Reports will take place in the context of the next pay agreement
383. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Defence if he will reconsider the awarding of distinguished service medals or military medals for gallantry to the men of A Company, 35th Infantry Battalion that engaged and survived the 1961 Siege of Jadotville in the Congolese province of Katanga; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25493/20]
View answerThe siege of Jadotville was a prominent event that occurred during Ireland's peacekeeping mission in the Congo in September 1961. "A" Company, 35th Infantry Battalion took responsibility for the UN post at Jadotville on 3rd September 1961. On the 9th September, a large force of Katangese Gendarmerie surrounded them and early on the morning of the 13th September "A" Company came under attack. From the 13th to the 17th September they endured almost continuous attack. They were taken into captivity on the 17th September and remained in captivity until finally released on the 25th October 1961.
The issue of the award of medals to the men of “A” Company, 35th Infantry Battalion was addressed in 1962 and 1965. A properly constituted Medals Board considered the various cases presented. The board did not award any medals whose citations mention Jadotville. The Chief of Staff of the day considered the decision of the Board and was satisfied with the findings. Subsequently at that time, the question was raised again in a letter to a newly appointed Chief of Staff. He forwarded the letter to the original Medals Board and asked that they reconvene and review their decision. The Board indicated that the issues raised had received due consideration and that they were not prepared to alter their findings.
A review was conducted in 2004 by military officers for the purpose of a broader examination of the Jadotville case. This Board recommended that the events of Jadotville and the contribution of the 35th Battalion be given recognition. In this context, a number of measures have taken place to honour and to commemorate the events at Jadotville and the very significant contribution of “A” Company and of the 35th Battalion, as a whole, to the UN Peace Support Mission in the Congo.
Recognition of their contribution over the years include:
A. A presentation of scrolls to "A" Company in 2006.
B. Portraits of Lt Col McNamee (35th Battalion Commander) and Comdt Quinlan (Company Commander “A” Company) were commissioned in 2006.
C. In July of 2010 the 50th anniversary of the first deployment to the Congo was commemorated in a highly publicised and well attended event in Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
D. A nominal roll of “A” Company, printed in copper, was affixed to the monument in Custume Barracks and was unveiled as part of the 50th Anniversary of the Jadotville affair in September 2011.
E. On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Siege of Jadotville, a Unit Citation was issued to honour the collective actions and bravery of the men of “A” Company. This was the first time a Unit Citation was awarded within the Defence Forces.
Furthermore, on 13th June 2017, the Government decided, as an exceptional step, to award a medal known as “An Bonn Jadotville” or “The Jadotville Medal” to each member of “A” Company, 35th Infantry Battalion and to the family representatives of deceased members to give full and due recognition in honour of their courageous actions at the Siege of Jadotville. This medal presentation ceremony took place on 2nd December 2017 in Custume Barracks, Athlone. This location is considered the spiritual home of “A” Company and it is from here that “A” company assembled in advance of their fateful deployment to the Congo.
Over the past number of years various representations have been received in my Department outlining the courage and bravery of "A" Company. All representations have been considered and responded to acknowledging their valiant actions while under siege in Jadotville.
With regard to enquiries about any additional medals, it has been previously indicated that any additional documentation, information or evidence to support the request to award such medals will be considered. At this juncture, no new information has come to light.
384. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the percentage of female recruits in the Defence Forces that progress to the upper ranks of Army, Naval Service and Air Corps. [25622/20]
View answerThe attached table shows the female strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) as at 31st August 2020, the latest date for which such data is available, broken down by ranks, service and gender. The Military Authorities have advised that the data to provide a percentage figure of those female recruits who progress to upper ranks throughout their career in the Defence Forces is not available.
|
- |
ARMY |
AIR CORPS |
NAVAL SERVICE |
TOTAL |
|
LT GEN |
0 |
|||
|
MAJ GEN |
0 |
|||
|
BRIG GEN |
1 |
1 |
||
|
COL |
1 |
1 |
||
|
LT COL |
1 |
1 |
||
|
COMDT |
43 |
5 |
9 |
56 |
|
CAPT |
41 |
7 |
11 |
59 |
|
LT |
36 |
1 |
4 |
41 |
|
TOTAL OFFICERS |
123 |
13 |
24 |
159 |
|
SM |
0 |
|||
|
BQMS |
0 |
|||
|
CS |
3 |
3 |
6 |
|
|
CQMS |
9 |
9 |
||
|
SGTS |
57 |
6 |
6 |
69 |
|
CPLS |
86 |
9 |
6 |
99 |
|
TOTAL NCOS |
155 |
18 |
12 |
183 |
|
PTES |
197 |
6 |
29 |
230 |
|
CADETS |
12 |
12 |
||
|
TOTAL STRENGTH |
487 |
37 |
65 |
584 |
The Defence Forces are an inclusive, equal opportunity organisation that encourages participation of women at all levels. All promotion competitions are merit based and the gender of the candidate plays no role in the selection process. They are competency based competitions and require candidates to meet qualifying criteria as laid down in promotion agreements.
The Defence Forces are committed to promoting equality in all aspects of their work and this is clearly set out in the Defence Forces Equality Policy, which commits to ensuring that the principles of equality are adhered to in all its employment policies, procedures, instructions and regulations.
The White Paper also includes further projects to ensure that the development and promotion of strategies that support female participation in the Defence Forces is continued.
385. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence the way in which the Civil Defence made a successful application under dormant accounts for €1 million for vehicles in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25623/20]
View answerIn June 2019 the Department for Rural and Community Development sought proposals from all Government Departments identifying any projects they wished to put forward for consideration for inclusion in the Dormant Accounts Action Plan for 2020. My Department submitted a proposal seeking funding to procure new vehicles in 2020 to upgrade the Civil Defence fleet. The ongoing provision of appropriate vehicles is essential in enabling an efficient Civil Defence response to national, regional and local emergency and non-emergency events, as they arise. While such events can affect the general public at any time, their impact can be more severe on the socially and economically disadvantaged, especially the vulnerable and isolated.
In November, 2019 my Department was allocated €1 million in Dormant Accounts Funding. It was one of 43 different measures totalling €45.5 million in the 2020 Dormant Accounts Action Plan with funding from €50,000 to over €5 million being awarded to various organisations.
386. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence if the refurbishment works on the catering facilities at Custume Barracks, Athlone are fully completed [25624/20]
View answerI am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that works on the Dining Hall at Custume Barracks, Athlone are now fully complete.
387. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education if the need for an ASD unit in the Kilternan, County Dublin will be examined in order that families do not have to send their children to school at a great distance to ensure they receive the education they require; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24779/20]
View answer407. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the breakdown on the autism spectrum disorder units in primary schools in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24769/20]
View answer408. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the resources and funding provided to primary schools to allow them to expand their ASD units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24770/20]
View answer409. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education her plans to establish more ASD units in primary schools in the Kilternan, County Dublin area in view of the fact that many parents have no ASD units within the catchment areas of their home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24771/20]
View answer410. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education the actions that will be taken to support parents and children with autism that are suffering due to the lack of ASD units in primary schools throughout Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24772/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 387, 407, 408, 409 and 410 together.
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. Currently, almost 20% of the total Education Vote or €1.9bn is invested in supporting children with special needs.
Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country, including South Dublin, where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
As Minister I have a power under Section 37A of the Education Act 1998 to direct a school to provide additional special education provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. The schools who received statutory notices in the South Dublin area at the end of June last, were identified following an extensive engagement with schools, their patron bodies and parents in the area.
I understand that already some progress has been made and the NCSE has been working with a number of schools to establish special classes for the current school-year. I really am grateful to the schools for their efforts in this regard.
The NCSE is continuing its engagement with schools, patron bodies, parents and others across South Dublin to bring the required additional special class and special school placements on stream. The NCSE is leading the work in this regard. My Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
I can assure the Deputy that increasing the number of suitable places to cater for the needs of children in this area is a priority matter.
Supports for schools who are establishing a special class are set out in a guidance booklet which is available on the NCSE's website. This booklet sets out guidance for schools on how to establish a class, who should be enrolled, how staffing is allocated along with information on the financial supports available.
The NCSE also provides professional learning support for staff through a programme of seminars and in school supports for principals and teachers. NCSE Advisors also provide whole-school staff training where requested.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the breakdown of Autism Spectrum Disorder units in primary schools in the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Council area is available to access on the NCSE website on www.ncse.ie
388. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the systems her Department put in place to ensure that in circumstances in which a student has received a large downgrade, that this downgrade is fair; the options available to the students that will not progress to their chosen course; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24791/20]
View answerThe decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations.
The design of the Calculated Grades model was informed by advice from a Technical Working Group comprising experts drawn from the State Examinations Commission, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills, the Educational Research Centre and international external expertise.
The focus of the Calculated Grades process has at all times been on the student and not on the system and my decision, announced on 1 September, to remove the school-by-school historical data from the national standardisation process underpinned this commitment, ensuring that the performance of this cohort of students was not constrained by how their school has historically performed at Leaving Certificate.
Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order (the student's place in the class group) for each student’s subjects. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. Schools approached this task in a very professional manner, in line with detailed guidelines about the process, but inevitably some schools were overly harsh in their estimations while others were overly generous. This is to be expected given that there is no national standard on which to base an estimated mark. To be fair to the class of 2020, the teacher judgements made at the level of the school had to be adjusted so that a common national standard was applied.
The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. This standardising process happens every year and would have happened in 2020 had the Leaving Certificate examinations been run as normal. The standardisation process applied across all subjects and levels. The adjustments that occurred through standardisation resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The degree to which mark changes occurred related to the degree of over or underestimation in the school estimates for each subject and each level. This means that some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced marks changes from the teacher estimates, leading to grade changes in one or more of their subjects.
Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade which was provided to students on 7th September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.
Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).
The overall data on school estimated marks showed that there was a very significant rise in estimated grades against what would normally be achieved nationally. The level of grade increase based on the school estimates would have been unrealistic. For example, based on the school data there would have been 13.8% H1 grades this year when in a normal year there is 5.8%.
In the absence of the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2020 every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students a possible. The statistical model used was blind to demographic characteristics (e.g. school type, student gender, etc.) either at the level of the student or the school. The standardisation process means that the same standard has been applied uniformly across all schools. This means anyone using the certificate to make a judgement between two people who hold this certificate, either now or in the future, can place equal value on the same grade in the same subject, without regard to where they went to school, as they would in a normal year.
While some students will be disappointed at the results they have achieved, this is the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published. It may be more difficult for students to understand when they see the estimated mark from the school has been adjusted downwards.
The standardisation model has been subject to a high degree of human oversight by the National Standardisation Group and an Independent Steering Committee with a number of safeguards built in to ensure fair results for students.
Technical details of the Calculated Grades model and standardisation process were published on the date of issue of the results and are available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2ed9b-leaving-certificate-2020-calculated-grades-technical-reports/.
The CAO system is a system that works on the assumption that grades obtained in the Leaving Certificate by candidates determine their points. It is on this basis that the CAO system allocates places to applicants including those from different years.
For the 2020 CAO system to proceed to pave the way for entry to higher education for the majority of applicants within the current timelines, and in a manner than can be properly upheld, 2020 results and the results of leaving certificate examinations from previous years must be treated equally in the CAO system.
In order to help mitigate the impact of the changes to the grading system, the Minister for Further and Higher Education announced the creation of an additional 2,225 places on high-demand courses in Higher Education Institutions. These places have resulted in the highest ever number of applicants receiving CAO offers, with 53,815 CAO applicants receiving round one offers on 11 September.
Nonetheless, there were fluctuations in CAO points this year, as there are every year. These are dependent on the volume of applications, the number of applicants who meet the entry requirements, the number of places available and the grades received by applicants. As we are in the midst of a global pandemic and economic flux, there is more uncertainty than usual this year due to factors such as reduced opportunities in the economy, students seeking to defer or re-apply in subsequent years and uncertainty around students travelling internationally both to and from Ireland.
CAO applicants who have not received an offer they wish to take up may wish to look the Available Places facility, which allows for application to courses that have unfilled places remaining. Information on Available places can be found on the CAO’s website here: https://www.cao.ie/index.php?page=aboutVPL
There are also a wide ranges of options available in the Further Education sector, and more about these opportunities can be found on the Further Education and Training website www.thisisfet.ie.
I know how difficult a time it has been for students and parents, but I would like to stress the range of options available both in further education and training and apprenticeships, but also in pathways in higher education. For those whose route into higher education may not be what they originally planned, once they have a place there may be a pathway back to their preferred option.
389. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if she will address the current issue of school buses affecting persons in rural areas (details supplied); and if discretion will be shown in these situations. [24879/20]
View answer390. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to some parents not living on the school bus routes being left to pay over €1,000 for private bus providers to get children to schools less than ten miles away; and her plans to address this issue. [24880/20]
View answer454. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education her views on the effect of the reduction in school buses on persons in rural areas (details supplied). [25155/20]
View answer455. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some parents not living on school bus routes are paying over €1,000 for private bus providers to transport children to schools less than ten miles away; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25156/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 389, 390, 454 and 455 together.
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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. All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time have been accommodated on school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year where such services are in operation.
Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme Primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Post primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
In October 2019, my predecessor announced a review of the school transport scheme with a view to ensuring funds are being spent in the most effective way to meet the objectives of the scheme. Terms of reference and the scope of the review have been drafted and a Steering Group has been established.
Given the current evolving situation with Covid-19 and the continued restrictions the work of the Steering Group has been delayed. It is intended to convene the Steering Group shortly and to agree and supplement revised terms of reference to reflect the Programme for Government.
The Review will build on the proposals in the Programme for Government, including examining issues such as the nearest or next-nearest school.
391. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the process to be followed by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25050/20]
View answerThe decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisations process. The adjustments that occurred through standardisation resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.
Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.
Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).
Some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced changes to the marks leading to a change in the grade that would have been awarded based on the school estimates in one or more of their subjects.
In terms of the grades awarded, 83% (almost 340,000) of all Leaving Certificate subject grades are either the same or higher than the school estimates while 17% (under 70,000) grades are lower.
Every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible. The statistical model used was blind to demographic characteristics, either at the level of the student or the school and the standardisation process has been applied uniformly across all schools. This means anyone using the certificate to make a judgement between two people who hold this certificate, either now or in the future, can place equal value on the same grade in the same subject, without regard to where they went to school.
We appreciate that some students will be disappointed at the results they have achieved. This is the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published.
Students, at an individual level, had access to an appeals process the closing date for which has now passed. The appeals system is, by design, restricted to looking for technical errors in the data provided on behalf of students and in the processing of that data. The nature of this appeal process has been part of the system of Calculated Grades from the outset. The appeal process will involve a technical appeal focused on looking for errors in the transmission of the data through the process. An example of this would be whether any mistake has been made in entering the information to any of the systems used in the process.
It was fundamental to the adoption of a system of Calculated Grades that the professional judgement of the school (teachers and principals) would be outside the scope of the appeals process.
The integrity, validity and reliability of the process of national standardisation was overseen by the National Standardisation Group whose role was to oversee the application of the statistical model to the school data. Any appeals process that would allow an individual student level appeal to reopen the application of the statistical process to the school sourced data would fundamentally undermine fairness and equity in the system of calculated grades which relies on the uniform application of the statistical model.
Students dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeals process can invoke a separate process to have their appeal reviewed by independent Appeals Scrutineers. These Scrutineers are independent of the Department.
Students who consider that their appeal has not been processed correctly can make a complaint to the Ombudsman or, in the case of students under 18 years of age, the Ombudsman for Children.
Students dissatisfied with their results will have the opportunity to sit written Leaving Certificate examinations in November (subject to public health advice). Those who sit the examinations will be credited with the higher subject grade achieved between the Calculated Grade and the written exam.
392. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she is considering allowing families relying on the Covid-19 payment to access free school transport for the academic year 2020/2021 in view of the fact that the current payment regime is causing great difficulty for many families particularly in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25235/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. 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 School Transport Scheme Primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Post Primary children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who hold valid medical cards (GMS Scheme) are exempt from paying the annual charge. In addition, there is no charge for children who are eligible for school transport under the terms of the Department's School Transport Scheme for children with Special Educational Needs.
The appropriate annual charge applies to all other children and there are no current plans to change this.
393. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Education her views on whether the leaving certificate class of 2020 are by no means the only leaving certificate students who will be directly affected by loss of class time and alterations and non-completion of their curriculum (details supplied); her further views on whether the incoming sixth class due to take their exams in 2021 will also be directly affected; the measures being taken by her Department to alleviate the concerns of the incoming sixth class students; her plans to return these students to a fully-functional educational environment in which they can complete all aspects of their subjects be it oral or written; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24701/20]
View answerMy Department is acutely aware of the disruption caused to students as a result of school closures resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and which led the decision not to run the state examinations this summer.
In the context of the return to schools of students for the 2020/21 academic year my Department published a range of documentation and support material as part of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, which is available at www.gov.ie/backtoschool. On 21 August, I announced a series of changes that would be made to assessment arrangements for both Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for 2021. This announcement was accompanied by a published document detailing these changes, Assessment Arrangements for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate Examinations 2021, and forms part of the Roadmap for the Full Return to School.
These arrangements are designed to take account of the disrupted learning experienced by students during the 2019/20 school year and to factor in for some further possible loss of learning time in the 2020/21 school year as a contingency measure. As the loss of learning through school closures will have affected students’ engagement with their course of study in different ways, the adjustments put in place will play to students’ strengths by leaving intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice. The adjustments were arrived at through discussions between my Department, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and key stakeholders.
These changes to the national assessment arrangements have been made with due regard for the principles of equity, fairness and integrity, as these principles apply to assessment and examinations and refer to student to-student, subject-to-subject, and year-to-year comparisons over time. The changes provide reassurance to students, their parents/guardians, teachers and schools.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC), which has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations, intends to operate the 2021 state examinations as normally as possible, with appropriate contingency built in, in line with prevailing public health advice. It is not intended that there would be any change to the length of the written examinations. For subjects where the SEC issues project briefs during the 2020/21 school year, the intention is to issue these at least four weeks earlier than normal. For subjects with course work completion dates typically late in the school year, schools will be asked to submit this coursework two weeks earlier than normal as a contingency measure. In this context teachers are being encouraged to plan and undertake these projects as early as possible in the programme of study.
Other documents published by my Department to support the return to school include Guidance for Practical Subjects in Post-Primary Schools and Centres for Education and Returning to school: Guidance on learning and school programmes for post primary school leaders and teachers. These documents provide guidance for teachers and schools that is specific to each practical subject area, so that students can be facilitated to actively engage with their learning. All documentation published is available on www.gov.ie/backtoschool.
The www.gov.ie/backtoschool site also contains information on wellbeing supports for Leaving Certificate students. This includes a series of supports on managing wellbeing, coping with uncertainty and managing stress and anxiety, developed by the National Educational Psychological Service, to support students. The webpage has links to more individualised support for students to access, should these be needed. My Department worked with the Department of Health and the HSE to ensure the most appropriate services and resources are clearly signposted for students.
Promoting the wellbeing of school communities has been a fundamental element of my Department’s overall plan to support a successful return to school as we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that most students have been happy and relieved to get back to school, reconnect and prepare to re-engage with learning. My Department is providing for approximately 120 extra posts for guidance to support student wellbeing, recognising the particular importance for this support in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic challenges.
394. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the stage plans are at for a new school building for a school (details supplied); the proposed time frame for the build; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24704/20]
View answerI can confirm that Officials from my Department have identified a number of potential site options in Wicklow Town for the permanent location for Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School and negotiation are ongoing with the landowners.
Officials are working towards acquiring the most suitable site for this school while ensuring value for money for the exchequer is achieved. Officials from Wicklow County Council are assisting my Department in this regard.
The school building project will be progressed into Architectural Planning once a suitable site has been acquired.
While a site acquisition process is underway, given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
395. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education if there will be more seats awarded on the bus from Dromahair to a school (details supplied) for those who have registered and paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24705/20]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of my Department. In the 2019/2020 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.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal re-opened on the 7th September. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 2020/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that payment for the ticket for the child referred to by the Deputy was not received prior to the payment deadline of 4th August and such their payment is late.
Payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
396. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the reason the leaving certificate standardisation process allows a student to be downgraded in several subjects resulting in a considerable reduction in points and losing out in college offers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24715/20]
View answer397. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the reason the standardisation of grades was used in the leaving certificate grading in 2020 when a student has no option to have a paper rechecked as would have been done in previous years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24717/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together.
The decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisations process. The adjustments that occurred through standardisation resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.
Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.
Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).
Some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced changes to the marks leading to a change in the grade that would have been awarded based on the school estimates in one or more of their subjects.
In terms of the grades awarded, 83% (almost 340,000) of all Leaving Certificate subject grades are either the same or higher than the school estimates while 17% (under 70,000) grades are lower.
Every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible. The statistical model used was blind to demographic characteristics, either at the level of the student or the school and the standardisation process has been applied uniformly across all schools. This means anyone using the certificate to make a judgement between two people who hold this certificate, either now or in the future, can place equal value on the same grade in the same subject, without regard to where they went to school.
We appreciate that some students will be disappointed at the results they have achieved. This is the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published.
Students, at an individual level, had access to an appeals process the closing date for which has now passed. The appeals process is, by design, restricted to looking for technical errors in the data provided on behalf of students and in the processing of that data. The nature of this appeal process has been part of the system of Calculated Grades from the outset. The appeal process will involve a technical appeal focused on looking for errors in the transmission of the data through the process. An example of this would be whether any mistake has been made in entering the information to any of the systems used in the process.
It was fundamental to the adoption of a system of Calculated Grades that the professional judgement of the school (teachers and principals) would be outside the scope of the appeals process.
The design of the statistical model and the application of the national standardisation process is also outside the scope of the appeals process.
Students dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeals process can invoke a separate process to have their appeal reviewed by independent Appeals Scrutineers. These Scrutineers are independent of the Department.
Students who consider that their appeal has not been processed correctly can make a complaint to the Ombudsman or, in the case of students under 18 years of age, the Ombudsman for Children.
Students dissatisfied with their results will have the opportunity to sit written Leaving Certificate examinations in November (subject to public health advice). Those who sit the examinations will be credited with the higher subject grade achieved between the Calculated Grade and the written exam.
398. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the appeals process for 2020 if a student is not happy with a downgraded result and requests an appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24718/20]
View answerThe decision to adopt a model of Calculated Grades by my Department was a direct result of COVID-19, which prevented the state from running the conventional Leaving Certificate Examinations. The purpose of this process is to allow as many students as possible to progress to employment, further education and training, or higher education in a way that is fair and equitable to all Leaving Certificate students.
Schools provided an estimated percentage mark and a rank order for each student’s subjects. The process of national standardisation was applied to the school information in order to ensure comparability between the standards applied by individual schools and the national standard. We know from research that teachers are very good at making judgements about their students in the local context of the school. It was inherent to the system of calculated grades that school estimates would be subject to adjustment through this standardisations process. The adjustments that occurred through standardisation resulted in the school estimates staying the same or being revised upwards or downwards. The standardisation process operated on the premise that the school estimates should only be adjusted through the standardisation process where there was credible statistical evidence to justify changing them.
Following standardisation, the estimated percentage mark was converted to a calculated mark and subsequently, a calculated grade which was provided to students on 7 September. It is only at this point that students were awarded a grade.
Therefore, it is not accurate to state that student(s) were downgraded, or upgraded, through the standardisation process. Rather the grade that was awarded following the standardisation process is the grade for the 2020 Leaving Certificate (Calculated Grades).
Some students experienced mark changes from the school estimates but no changes to the grades based on the school estimates; while others will have experienced changes to the marks leading to a change in the grade that would have been awarded based on the school estimates in one or more of their subjects.
In terms of the grades awarded, 83% (almost 340,000) of all Leaving Certificate subject grades are either the same or higher than the school estimates while 17% (under 70,000) grades are lower.
Every effort has been made to make the system as fair as possible for as many students as possible. The statistical model used was blind to demographic characteristics, either at the level of the student or the school and the standardisation process has been applied uniformly across all schools. This means anyone using the certificate to make a judgement between two people who hold this certificate, either now or in the future, can place equal value on the same grade in the same subject, without regard to where they went to school.
We appreciate that some students will be disappointed at the results they have achieved. This is the case every year when the Leaving Certificate results are published.
Students, at an individual level, had access to an appeals process the closing date for which has now passed. The appeals system is, by design, restricted to looking for technical errors in the data provided on behalf of students and in the processing of that data. The nature of this appeal process has been part of the system of Calculated Grades from the outset. The appeal process will involve a technical appeal focused on looking for errors in the transmission of the data through the process. An example of this would be whether any mistake has been made in entering the information to any of the systems used in the process.
It was fundamental to the adoption of a system of Calculated Grades that the professional judgement of the school (teachers and principals) would be outside the scope of the appeals process.
The integrity, validity and reliability of the process of national standardisation was overseen by the National Standardisation Group whose role was to oversee the application of the statistical model to the school data. Any appeals process that would allow an individual student level appeal to reopen the application of the statistical process to the school sourced data would fundamentally undermine fairness and equity in the system of calculated grades which relies on the uniform application of the statistical model.
Students dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeals process can invoke a separate process to have their appeal reviewed by independent Appeals Scrutineers. These Scrutineers are independent of the Department.
Students who consider that their appeal has not been processed correctly can make a complaint to the Ombudsman or, in the case of students under 18 years of age, the Ombudsman for Children.
Students dissatisfied with their results will have the opportunity to sit written Leaving Certificate examinations in November (subject to public health advice). Those who sit the examinations will be credited with the higher subject grade achieved between the Calculated Grade and the written exam.
