Thursday, 23 Sep 2021

Written Answers Nos. 79-95

Disadvantaged Status

Questions (86)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

86. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education the status of the DEIS bands reassessment as committed to earlier in 2021. [45194/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

A key part of the DEIS Plan was the introduction of a new DEIS identification process based on an objective, statistics based model to determine which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS programme. An extensive body of work has been undertaken in terms of the refinement of this model, based on the latest school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index.

A detailed quality analysis of the data has been carried out by members of the DEIS Technical Group which contains representatives of the Department’s Statistics and Social Inclusion Units, the Inspectorate and the Educational Research Centre. My Department has commenced a consultation process with education partners on the technical aspects of this model, and work is now ongoing on final elements of the model.

It is envisaged that this will provide the basis for the development and application of a refined DEIS resource allocation model to ultimately match resources to identified need. All schools will be considered for inclusion under the refined DEIS model. Until this work is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.

Nonetheless, additional resources have been made available to DEIS schools in order to address educational disadvantage, such as an increase in the budget of the School Completion Programme, the expanded Summer Programme which ran this year and the reduction in pupil-teacher ratio for DEIS Band 1 schools.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (87)

Patrick Costello

Question:

87. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department has made to further the availability of ASD education in Dublin 8. [45689/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.

The level of investment in special education, at almost €2 billion, is at an all-time high.

An additional 269 additional special classes are being opened this school-year. This will bring the total number of special classes nationally to 2,118. The new classes provide 1,600 additional places, spread right throughout the country.

Two new special schools are also opening this year, one in Dublin and one in Cork.

Despite this unprecedented increase, I am very aware of the need for further specialist education places in a small number of areas, mainly concentrated in Dublin.

Currently, there are eleven special classes for students with autism attached to mainstream primary and post-primary schools in Dublin 8., three of which opened in September 2021. This also includes an Early Intervention class, providing placements for students in the area.

I acknowledge that any delay in securing a suitable school placement can cause much anguish for parents and families involved.

Delays can happen for a variety of reasons including, for example, assessment reports for children coming available over the summer period while schools were closed. In other cases, parents may change their preference for a class placement and request that their child move from a mainstream class to a special class.

My Department and the NCSE have therefore put in place new planning structures and procedures to ensure sufficient places become available to meet local need. As new need emerges, there is a cohesive response available to ensure places become available in a timely and targeted way.

The willingness of school communities to open special classes is central to ensuring that every child can obtain a suitable placement. My Department and the NCSE can provide the necessary funding, teaching and SNA resources, professional supports and training so that the required special class places can be provided as soon as possible.

Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) are working closely with parents and schools to address the needs of the Dublin 8 area. My Department will support their work in any way necessary to ensure the required number of school places become available as quickly as possible.

Questions Nos. 88 and 89 answered orally.

Schools Building Projects

Questions (90)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

90. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) will receive funding for a new school building; when is it expected works will start on the new building; and the expected completion date for the new school building. [45234/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The major building project for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann is to provide a new 600 student school building on the school’s existing site.

The project is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design.

In October 2020, in order to expedite the progression of this major building project my Department authorised Dublin and Dun Laoghaire ETB (DDLETB) and its Design Team to commence a pre-qualification process to select a shortlist of contractors, in parallel with the Department’s review of the stage 2(b) submission for this project.

The Stage 2(b) report has been reviewed and my Department recently received the necessary Design Team confirmations from each member of the Design Team that they have carried out a final review of all of its tender documentation to ensure compliance with Department requirements.

My Department has this week authorised the ETB and its design team to complete the pre-qualification process to shortlist building contractors and then proceed to Tender Stage.

The construction period is anticipated to be approximately 22 months.

With regard to the temporary accommodation on the site, my Department initiated contact with the ETB in relation to an application for Emergency Works Funding to address roof condition issues with a number of prefabs at the school. This application was submitted to my Department yesterday and was approved.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (91)

Réada Cronin

Question:

91. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the amount of HEPA filtration that has been acquired by the State for use in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45189/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided at the end of May following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19.

A copy of the guidance is published on the Gov.ie website.

The over-arching approach in the Department’s ventilation guidance for schools is to have windows open as fully as possible when classrooms are not in use and partially open when classrooms are in use. The practical steps and stepwise approach set out in the guidance are sufficient to ensure good ventilation practices in school while at the same time ensuring an appropriate balance between ventilation and comfort.

As part of following through on the updated guidance, the Department has procured CO2 monitors from a central framework and a supply of these are being distributed directly to schools which will assist them in managing their ventilation strategy. 25,000 monitors have been delivered to date with 96% of primary schools (including all special schools) having received their full allocation of CO2. Ten CO2 monitors have been provided to schools at post-primary level with the balance of their allocation expected to be distributed in October.

The Departments guidance also sets out the role air cleaners can play in our schools but it is important to note that they do not remove CO2 and are not a substitute for good ventilation.

A school’s Architect or Engineer can guide a school on whether an Air Cleaner is necessary or appropriate. If an individual school has particular difficulties in managing ventilation the Department is available to guide and support it as required on the appropriate strategy to address same. As part of contingency planning, the Department has put arrangements in place for a small reserve of air cleaners to facilitate quick deployment to any primary or post-primary school which has an immediate need and has been unsuccessful in sourcing locally.

School Patronage

Questions (92)

Duncan Smith

Question:

92. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied with the division of secondary school patronages across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43948/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

As the Deputy may be aware there is a broad range of patronage arrangements across the post-primary sector.

In the school year 2020/2021, there were 730 post-primary schools in the post-primary sector comprising voluntary secondary schools, ETB schools, community schools and comprehensive schools.

In terms of ethos, approximately 50% of post-primary schools are either multi-denominational or inter-denominational and the other 50% are denominational.

The table below gives provides an overview of school type in the post-primary school sector including the types of patron involvement in each.

Overview of post-primary school type and patron involvement 2020/21

School type	Number of schools	Nature of patron involvement
Voluntary Secondary School	383	Denominational (6 denominations) Inter-denominational Multi-denominational
Community School	82	Inter-Denominational Multi-denominational
Comprehensive School	14	Inter-denominational Denominational
ETB School/College	251	Multi-denominational Inter-denominational
Total schools	730

If the Deputy wishes for further information on any of these sectors this can be provided.

Question No. 93 answered orally.

School Staff

Questions (94)

Matt Carthy

Question:

94. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education her proposals to regularise pay and conditions for school secretaries. [44740/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

School secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools.

I welcome the significant progress that has been made through the WRC in recent days. This builds upon previous recommendations of an independent arbitrator for a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period.

Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim and officials from the Department and school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the issues. On the 27th of October 2020, under the auspices of the WRC, an understanding was agreed on a pathway to progress the issues.

Following intensive discussions at the WRC on the 13th September, significant progress has been made in this dispute. Subject to agreement on all elements of the claim, the Department has offered to move School Secretaries’ pay rates to a scale which is aligned with the Clerical Officer Grade III pay scale within education and training boards on a pro rata basis with an effective date of implementation for these new pay arrangements of 1st September 2021.

There is also agreement in principle to take the same approach to the consideration of appropriate pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers and when the final package for secretaries has been agreed and an implementation plan in place intensive engagement will begin on achieving that.

I welcome the deferral of the action scheduled for Wednesday 15th September to allow for intensive talks to resume aimed at resolving the claim and agreeing a final package and I look forward to continued progress under the WRC.

Question No. 95 answered orally.