Written Answers Nos. 481-500
487. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 494 of 28 April 2021, the levels of learning disability that will be accepted in the schools specifically referred to (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24307/21]
View answerMy Department's policy is that students with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are provided for.
As the Deputy is aware, Minister Foley and I recently announced a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork through the establishment of a new special school and increased capacity in an existing special school to meet the needs of children in the Cork area.
The new provision will see the establishment of a new special school in Carrigaline which will have the capacity to provide 48 school places. It will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
The provision will also provide for a change to the designation of St. Mary’s Special School, Rochestown to also cater for children with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism with 12 new school places becoming available for September 2021.
Priority will now be given to those children who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September.
Special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are working closely with the families of the children concerned to assist them in accessing the new places now coming on stream.
488. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Education if she will review the allocation of special education teaching hours at a school (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the allocation has remained unchanged for the past six years despite the growth in pupil numbers in the school; if she will discuss the allocation with the NCSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24308/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the allocations for Special Education Teachers, for all primary and post primary schools were updated with effect from September 2019. Schools which were due to receive additional allocations, based on the profiled needs of schools, as set out in DES Circulars 007 and 008 2019, received additional allocations at that time.
Schools which had rapidly developing enrolments each years since that time also received some additonal allocations.
There are now over 13,600 Special Education Teachers allocated to mainstream primary and post primary schools.
This represents an increase of 40% in the total number of special education teachers allocated to schools since 2011, at which time 9740 teachers were allocated.
The allocations are based on the profiled needs of schools, and are designed to be updated, based on new school profile data, every 2-3 years.
For the coming school year, in order to minimise disruption and upheaval for schools as much as possible in light of Covid-19, and to provide for continuity of allocations, the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools will be maintained for the 2021/22 school year, with re-profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.
This means that schools will not have to engage in an extensive redeployment of posts, or re-clustering, this year.
It also means that schools will have greater levels of certainty as to the staff that they will have in place for September.
It is important to note that no school will see a cut, or reduction, to their special education teaching support next year.
The allocations for 2021/22 which are being maintained comprise the allocations which were made for schools from September 2019 plus any additionality achieved since plus any developing hours for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years.
Importantly, additional allocations will also continue to be made for new schools, schools which achieve developing status, and for exceptional circumstances. Schools that qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts also qualify for additional special education teaching allocations to take account of this developing status.
In the event that schools consider that exceptional circumstances have arisen in their school which means that they cannot provide for the special educational teaching needs of pupils in their school due to very significant changes to the school profile occurring, school may seek a review of their allocations by the NCSE. Details of this process are available at https://ncse.ie/review-of-special-education-teacher-supports-where-there-are-exceptional-circumstances-or-needs-arising-in-a-school-2.
489. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if she will communicate as a matter of urgency with An Foras Pátrúnachta with regard to the permanent site for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24318/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that officials from my Department routinely meet with the representatives of the Patron, An Foras Pátrúnachta every 4 - 6 weeks to discuss progress made on site acquisitions for schools under this patronage, including the school referred to by the Deputy.
An Foras Pátrúnachta have been fully advised on the progress of the site identification and assessment process for the permanent site for Gaelscoil Laighean.
490. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if she will communicate as a matter of urgency with An Foras Pátrúnachta with regard to the temporary site for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24319/21]
View answerIn relation to the school to which the Deputy refers, my Department issued both verbal and written communication to An Foras Pátrúnachta on Wednesday, 28 April, informing them that the interim location for the school for September 2021 will be in the Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education Training Board (DDLETB) building at Eblana Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
My Department understands that the Patron in turn informed the school of this communication on the same day.
491. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) has been made aware that it will be moving to the current site assigned to another school in September 2021 in view of the fact the school has not been informed of its new location in September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24320/21]
View answerThe first school to which the Deputy refers is a new school being established in September 2021. My Department issued both verbal and written communication to the relevant Patron Body on Friday, 30th April, informing them that the interim location for the school for September 2021 will be at premises on Kill Lane, Deansgrange, Dublin when that building is vacated by its current occupant at the end of the current academic year.
In relation to the second school to which the Deputy refers, my Department issued both verbal and written communication to the relevant Patron Body on Wednesday, 28th April, informing them that the interim location for the school for September 2021 will be in the Dublin Dún Laoghaire Education Training Board (DDLETB) building at Eblana Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
My Department understands that the Patron in turn informed the school of this communication on the same day.
492. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the LMETB does not have a single head office building as per a Government decision of 2013; if she is concerned that eight years after a decision was made to develop a headquarters building for the LMETB in Drogheda, the project has still not commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24338/21]
View answer493. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education her views on the fact that the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project has not formally commenced despite the allocation of funds made by her Department in 2014 under devolved projects for the fully designed project in view of the fact that planning permission was granted for the project in 2016 and in further view of the fact that that her Department approved the project to go to tender and tenders were received in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24339/21]
View answer494. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in February 2017 her Department gave the go ahead to LMETB to issue letters of intent to contractors clearing the way for the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project to commence; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that the devolved section of the building unit of her Department instructed LMETB to retender the entire project in June 2018; her views on the fact the project has seen expenditure of €400,000 of public funding spent on design team fees and related matters to date without any building having commenced on the site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24340/21]
View answer495. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the effective obstacles placed in the way of the commencement of the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project by the ETB in respect of security concerns and subsequently in terms of the size and scale of the planned building since the ETB was instructed in 2017 by her Department to accept the lowest tender for the project; her views on whether this process and the ongoing slow progress of the eight year project with the knowledge her Department raises question marks in terms of the use and effective application of public moneys; her further views on the ongoing delays in delivery which run contrary to the principles of the speedy and efficient delivery of devolved buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24341/21]
View answer496. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education the reason an instruction to retender the Drogheda LMETB headquarters project given by her Department in June 2018 has not been executed; the clear steps that will be taken by the devolved section of the building unit of her Department to compel compliance with its instruction of June 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24342/21]
View answer499. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education the progress being made by the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board in relation to the provision of a headquarters for the board in Drogheda, County Louth since 2014 to be located on St. Oliver's Grounds, Rathmullen Road, Drogheda; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24386/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that a number of design issues have arisen with this project including the security issues to which he refers. These issues were considered by the Department and addressed through changes in the design of the project. Thereafter, the capacity of the proposed building, and the number of staff it is required to accommodate, has been reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of LMETB into the future. As that review is not fully completed we do not yet have a final agreement on the number of persons to be accommodated in the building (particularly as further consideration will need to be given to the Covid-19 implications for the project). However, it has now been agreed that the existing building design will not meet those needs.
Consequently, LMETB, supported by the Department, has been actively progressing a redesign to include an additional floor to the building. A design meeting to consider this proposal will be scheduled to take place next month in that respect.
I would also wish to clarify for the Deputy, as previously indicated in previous responses, that approximately €260k has been spent on costs related to the project including design team fees, planning and statutory consent fees and surveys for the project. This level of cost is consistent with what would be expected to be spent on a project of this scope and scale at this stage of its development.
While my Department acknowledges that the delivery of this project has taken longer than originally envisaged due to the issues already outlined to the Deputy, I want to assure him that when the remaining issues are resolved my Department will be giving approval for the project to proceed to tender and construction. However, it is of the utmost importance that the final outcome for this project will be the correct one for all relevant stakeholders and will meet the needs of LMETB into the future.
497. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to provide early intervention classes in Cobh, County Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24345/21]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
This year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The NCSE through the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), is available to support both families and schools regarding a suitable placement.
As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
498. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education the non-governmental organisations in receipt of funding from her Department; the amount of funding allocated to same in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24370/21]
View answerThe funding allocated to my Department, as set down in the annual Estimates, is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of schools, the payment of pensions to retired school staff, the costs associated with the school transport scheme and the general administration costs of my Department.
Funding is also provided to enable the Department to make grant payments to Education and Training Boards to meet costs associated with the provision of certain educational services and to the various agencies and bodies that come under the aegis of my Department. Funding is also allocated for a range of programmes and initiatives.
The annual Appropriation Account for my Department's Vote provides detailed information regarding expenditure and receipts for the year.
In the course of its work, my Department makes a significant number of payments every year. Such payments are made to individuals and organisations both by way of grants and also for the provision of goods and services to it. Some of the recipients of this funding may be non-governmental organisations. However, as that label is not necessarily assigned to payees it is not possible to provide an accurate and complete list of such recipients. If the Deputy wishes to provide me with the names of specific non-governmental organisations I will arrange to have the level of funding, if any, paid to them by my Department provided to her without delay.
500. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will address concerns identified in a report by an organisation (details supplied) specifically the finding that 84% of teaching principals have considered resigning from their positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24387/21]
View answerMy Department is aware that the National Principals’ Forum has published a report on its Critical Analysis of Supports for Pupils with Additional Educational Needs and their School Leaders in Irish Primary Schools.
My Department will review the report in detail and will take account of its findings and consider the recommendations made in this report.
In the meantime, it should be noted that the number of special education teachers which have been allocated to mainstream schools has increased very significantly in recent years.
There are now over 13,600 Special Education Teachers allocated to mainstream primary and post primary schools.
This represents an increase of 40% in the total number of special education teachers allocated to schools since 2011, at which time 9740 teachers were allocated.
The number of special education teachers has increased by almost 9% since 2017 when the new allocation model was introduced.
Under the model for allocating special education teachers to schools, assessment, or diagnosis of a particular condition is no longer necessary for pupils to access educational teaching resources in schools, nor is there now a requirement for schools to submit assessments annually in order to apply for additional teaching resources.
Schools have flexibility to allocate additional teaching support to pupils where they have identified learning needs, using school based assessment of need.
In addition, Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for allocation to schools, including mainstream and special schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by the end of December 2021.
This allocation represents an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
My Department also recognises the extent of planning and co-ordination work which is carried out by schools and by school Principals.
It seeks to support this by providing for distributive leadership as set out in recent circulars, which incorporates a flexible structure in schools and allows for effective delegation of leadership roles across senior and middle leaders. The circulars allow for greater flexibility in the assignment and re-assignment of roles and responsibilities to Assistant Principals. This will afford school management greater flexibility to respond to the individual needs and priorities of their school.
