Written Answers Nos. 266-285
267. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the status of the provision of a new post-primary school for Sallynoggin and Cherrywood, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49269/21]
View answerThe planned establishment of a new post-primary school in 2021 to serve the Sallynoggin_Killiney_DLR/Cherrywood school planning area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. A further exercise has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of a number of planned new schools, including the school to serve this school planning area, taking into account a number of factors, including the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in the school planning areas, associated enrolments and the capacity in existing schools in the areas.
My Department is satisfied that demand in the Sallynoggin_Killiney_DLR/Cherrywood school planning area can be accommodated at present by the existing and growing schools in this area. As a result, the establishment of the planned new school has been deferred.
The pace of delivery of additional residential development in this school planning area, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of school requirements.
268. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the status and timeline for the construction of a new school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49270/21]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process. Unfortunately, the recommended bidder withdrew from the tender process after they had been offered the contract and subsequently a number of the shortlisted tenderers have withdrawn from the process. In accordance with procedures, the Design Team have proceeded to the next lowest tenderer to ascertain if they are willing to stand over their Tender.
If a Contract is awarded to this tenderer, it is envisaged that construction could commence late in Quarter 4 with a construction period of approximately 18 months.
271. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the reason for the recent Departmental decision to stop the banking of special education teacher hours lost by a lack of substitute availability to cover special education teacher absences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49308/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there is no facility to carryover hours from one school year to the next. Hours accumulated in any given school year must be utilised in the same school year.
Where hours were accumulated due to a school receiving a backdated increase to their Special Education Teaching hours, or due to a Special Education Teacher being used to cover substitution, as an emergency measure, schools were advised that any loss of special education teaching time should be made up at the first available opportunity by employing additional teaching resources to make up for the shortfall.
DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools. DES Circulars 007 and 008 of 2019 set out how the allocations for schools are being updated from September 2019.
The Special Education Teacher allocation process provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
Under the allocation model, schools are provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need in each school.
Under the allocation model schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay. This reduces the administrative burden on schools as schools no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.
In order to minimise disruption for schools, in the current circumstances, and to provide for continuity of allocations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Special Education and Inclusion have agreed to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools for the 2021/22 school year, with re profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.
Additional allocations will continue to be made for new schools, schools which achieve developing status, or for exceptional circumstances arising in schools, in the interim.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in the Primary and Post Primary School Staffing Schedule for the 2021/22 school year.
Schools who qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualify for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.
It is also acknowledged that there are some circumstances, which may arise in schools, which fall outside the allocations for developing school status.
These relate to exceptional or emergency circumstances which could not have been anticipated e.g. where the school profile changes very significantly, or where other exceptional circumstances have arisen in a school and which may require a review of schools capacity to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who need it in the school, or of their utilisation of their allocations.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their allocations by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
If a school wishes to make an exceptional needs review, they may do so at the following link: ncse.ie/for-schools
272. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if there is a plan to extend the temporary accommodation for schools (details supplied) given the land ownership issues that are delaying the construction of the new school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49329/21]
View answerMy Department has reached agreement in principle with the Local Authority to acquire a site for the proposed development of a new school building for the school referred to by the Deputy. The Local Authority has provided my Department with consent to lodge planning permission for the new school on these lands while this acquisition is being concluded.
The permanent school building project has been assigned to my Department's Design and Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
An application for planning permission for the new school was submitted to the Local Authority in June 2021. A Request for Further Information (RFI) has been received and my Department's Project Manager is actively working on the response to the RFI which will issue as soon as possible.
My Department is liaising with the patron regarding the school's interim accommodation needs.
273. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education when she expects the 50% capacity rule for school transport to be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49335/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
Planning for school transport for the 2021/22 school year has proceeded on the basis that the public health measures in place as schools closed at the end of the last school year would remain as term began in this new school year. This includes the recommendations from Public Health that post-primary services would operate at 50% capacity. All other measures relating to hygiene, pre-assigned seating, cleaning and the wearing of masks by post-primary students are also in place. However, as the vaccination programme for children on post-primary services is rolled out and as the lifting of restrictions on public transport services proceeds, the capacity limit of 50% on post-primary school transport services will be subject to ongoing review and the Department will be considering the position in this regard over the coming weeks.
274. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education when a school transport grant will be approved for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49336/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest school that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
The child referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of the above scheme and resides 21.6km from his school of attendance. I am pleased to advise that School Transport Section has sanctioned the extension of an existing bus service to cater for this pupil's transport to the school in question. The pupil's school has been notified of this sanction and the family will be contacted by the local Bus Éireann office with regard to travel arrangements.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for special educational needs school transport may therefore avail of the Special Transport Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements until services are finalised.
275. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) requires a €100 admission fee in order to apply for placement at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49350/21]
View answerThe Education (Admission to Schools) Act, 2018, specifically prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to a school or for the continued enrolment of a student in a school. This applies to all recognised primary and post primary schools with exceptions only for fee charging secondary schools, boarding schools and schools that provide post leaving courses or courses in further education in respect of these courses.
The Department is engaging with the school referred to by the Deputy. The school have confirmed to the Department that this is not an admissions fee and it is not a condition of admission or continued enrolment in the school.
276. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education if she plans to amend procedures to permit adult escorts such as special needs assistants to accompany children in their care on mainstream school transport when this is deemed appropriate by school authorities and when there is space on the bus, considering the benefits this will bring from the perspective of costs and the development of the children concerned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49359/21]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
In general, children with special educational needs are eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest school that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO). There is a facility within the Special Needs Transport Scheme for the appointment of a School Bus Escort where a child’s care and safety needs while on school transport are such to require the support of an escort.
My Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in February 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately. The review encompasses the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs and the Primary and Post-Primary School Transport Schemes in terms of how each element of the schemes currently operate, to include eligibility criteria, trends, costs and cost drivers, and overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives of the schemes. The review will also examine the potential for integration of different strands of the scheme and a more co-ordinated approach with other Government Departments that also use transport services.
277. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education the estimated net cost to the Exchequer of funding fee paying schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49381/21]
View answerGross expenditure on the order of €121 million was incurred by my Department on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools in the 2020/2021 school year. Capital supports (building related and ICT grants) are also available to such schools. In recent years, an annual average of approx. €1m has been paid to such schools in capital supports.
If the parents of children in the fee-charging sector chose to send their children to the non-fee-charging sector, the State would have to fund those school places. In this respect, the figures quoted relate to the gross cost of fee-charging schools and not the net financial position. Since it is not possible to predict these patterns of behaviour it is not possible to calculate the net financial position.
278. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education the annual capital funding provided to fee-paying schools in the past five years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49382/21]
View answerThe total amount of capital funding (primarily building related and ICT grants) paid by my Department to fee-charging schools from 2017 to date is set out in the attached table.
279. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the impact of the decision by her Department to stop banking SET hours lost by the lack of substitute availability to cover SET absences; if she will acknowledge the negative impact identified by an organisation (details supplied) that this will have on the most vulnerable children in schools as provision of SETs was never restored to pre austerity levels as promised; if she will consider the significant difficulties this decision will place on classes divided up into bubbles and pods that cannot accommodate moving children between classes when a teacher is out, therefore necessitating the use of the SET in class; if her Department will review this decision with a view to a reversal of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49389/21]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that there is no facility to carryover hours from one school year to the next. Hours accumulated in any given school year must be utilised in the same school year.
Where hours were accumulated due to a school receiving a backdated increase to their Special Education Teaching hours, or due to a Special Education Teacher being used to cover substitution, as an emergency measure, schools were advised that any loss of special education teaching time should be made up at the first available opportunity by employing additional teaching resources to make up for the shortfall.
DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools set out the details of the model for allocating special education teachers to schools. DES Circulars 007 and 008 of 2019 set out how the allocations for schools are being updated from September 2019.
The Special Education Teacher allocation process provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
Under the allocation model, schools are provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need in each school.
Under the allocation model schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay. This reduces the administrative burden on schools as schools no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.
In order to minimise disruption for schools, in the current circumstances, and to provide for continuity of allocations, the Minister for Education and the Minister for Special Education and Inclusion have agreed to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools for the 2021/22 school year, with re profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.
Additional allocations will continue to be made for new schools, schools which achieve developing status, or for exceptional circumstances arising in schools, in the interim.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in the Primary and Post Primary School Staffing Schedule for the 2021/22 school year.
Schools who qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualify for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.
It is also acknowledged that there are some circumstances, which may arise in schools, which fall outside the allocations for developing school status.
These relate to exceptional or emergency circumstances which could not have been anticipated e.g. where the school profile changes very significantly, or where other exceptional circumstances have arisen in a school and which may require a review of schools capacity to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who need it in the school, or of their utilisation of their allocations.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their allocations by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile.
If a school wishes to make an exceptional needs review, they may do so at the following link: ncse.ie/for-schools
280. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the total costs her Department has incurred on temporary accommodation land, prefabs and former educational buildings in County Wicklow in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, by municipal district in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49393/21]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that the total current costs incurred by my Department on the rental of temporary accommodation, land, prefabs and former educational buildings in County Wicklow in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021 is detailed in the following table.
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Grand Total |
|
€770,857 |
€1,194,777 |
€1,543,226 |
€1,828,611 |
€5,872,840 |
€11,210,312 |
A breakdown of the figures by municipal district is not readily available.
As the Deputy will appreciate, within the context of a rapidly increasing school population, my Department's priority is to ensure that every child will have access to a physical school place. In this regard, it is sometimes necessary to make use of rented temporary accommodation in order to meet the accommodation needs of schools.
Furthermore, it may also be necessary to make use of temporary rented accommodation when an immediate or short term need arises. For example, a school may require a temporary building in circumstances where a major school construction project is planned. Such temporary accommodation is removed when the major project concerned is completed. The length of time it is necessary to make use of temporary rented accommodation will vary from project to project.
My Department is taking an integrated approach with the Prefab Replacement Programme through the replacement of prefabricated units as part of large-scale and devolved projects, or as part of new projects approved under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
281. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education if a full review of the overall process for the handover of a new school building will be undertaken by her Department as a result of the difficulties experienced with the handover in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49394/21]
View answerThe issues in relation to the handover of the building referred to by the Deputy were particular to this project.
My Department took a prudent approach to ensure it was fully satisfied that the school building met the required safety requirements prior to handover and occupation.
As the Deputy will be aware, the school building was handed over on July 30th 2021 and is in use by the school.
282. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the status of the construction of a new school building and the estimated completion date for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49395/21]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural planning which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of Planning Permission.
As part of the conditions of sale, the lodgement of planning permission is under the remit of the vendor. The Department has been working closely with the vendor to expedite a planning application for the new school.
As with all school building projects, pre-planning meetings are required with the Local Authority in advance of preparing a Planning Application. This is to ensure the highest probability of a successful planning application in the shortest time possible. A considerable amount of work is required following the pre-planning meeting to prepare a suitably detailed application. It is anticipated that the planning application for Greystones CC will be lodged in Q4 2021.
283. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the progress which has been made in evaluating the potential in local areas in which there is a substantial demand for non-religious education but the catchment is only served by religious schools to facilitate the change of patron by a process of needs assessment and release of one of the religious schools to a new patron. [49396/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to achieving a target of at least 400 multi-denominational primary schools by 2030 to improve parental choice.
I fully support this commitment and am working with the Department to develop a number of different approaches in the context of an expanding population in some areas and an increasing demand for multi-denominational education. The Schools Reconfiguration process, along with approaches such as the patronage divesting process, voluntary reassignments of patronage under Section 8 of the Education Act 1998 and the patronage process for new schools, which includes consideration of parental preferences for different types of school patron, will contribute to the achievement of this target. In recent years there has been progress towards increasing the numbers of multi-denominational primary schools with the vast majority of new primary schools established to cater for demographic demand in the last decade having a multi-denominational ethos.
The Schools Reconfiguration for Diversity process, supporting transfers of schools to multi-denominational patrons in response to the wishes of local families, has been developed in order to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools across the country. This Reconfiguration process involves the transfer of existing live schools as opposed to the amalgamation and/or closure model of the patronage divesting process.
The initial identification phase of the process involved each of the 16 Education and Training Boards identifying an initial pilot area within their functional area where they considered there may be unmet oncoming demand for a multi-/non-denominational school and arranging for surveys of parents of pre-school children in these areas.
My Department has been engaging with representatives of the Irish Episcopal Conference (Catholic Bishops) with a view to developing an agreed approach to the next Phase of the process. The identification phase work provides useful learning and is informing the development of the process.
The “Early Movers” provision of the Schools Reconfiguration process enables school communities which have already decided to seek a transfer of patronage (independent of the survey process envisaged as part of the Reconfiguration process) to engage with their school patron on the matter. A patron may transfer patronage under section 8 of the Education Act 1998. A number of patronage changes have taken place in recent years in this context, resulting in the provision of an additional 11 multi-denominational Community National Schools. In addition, an Irish-medium gaelscoil has recently changed patronage from its Catholic patron to An Foras Pátrúnachta. From September 2021, this school offers parents of junior infants the choice of undertaking an Ethics and Morality Program and, for parents who so chose, a Catholic programme is provided.
School communities who wish to explore the potential to transfer patronage should contact their school patron in the first instance.
284. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49409/21]
View answer285. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49410/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 284 and 285 together.
Under the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. Equipment is provided under this scheme for children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment which they do not already have, or which cannot be provided for them through the school’s existing IT provision.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Education Needs Officers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for assistive technology support.
Schools make applications directly to the SENO, providing details of the student’s special educational needs or disability, including details of the approach taken by the school in making relevant interventions. Professional reports (from psychologists or occupational therapists, for example) must be submitted by the school along with the application. These reports must have a recent and comprehensive professional assessment of the nature and extent of disability, and outline that the equipment is essential for the pupil to access the curriculum.
Equipment may only be provided where medical and/or other professional reports outline that the degree of communicative disability is such that this equipment is essential to allow the pupil to access education and set out how the equipment will provide for this.
The type of equipment provided under the assistive technology scheme is varied, and includes audiological supports for students with hearing impairment, braille equipment for children with visual impairment, and computer equipment with associated modified software for students with physical or severe communicative disabilities.
SENOs review the application and professional reports, in order to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. A recommendation is then made to my Department as to whether or not assistive technology is required; and based on this recommendation, my Department decides on the level of grant, if any, to be provided.
The SENO for this case recommended that Assistive Technology be approved for this pupil in the form of a laptop up to the maximum value of € 550 plus software giving a total grant due of € 980.70. On foot of this decision and in line with procedures an appeal was received on the grounds that amount provided was insufficient for equipment necessary.
The Department sought further clarity from the SENO with regard to the appropriateness or requirement for the provision of equipment applied for. Having reviewed the case, the NCSE agree that 980.70 is sufficient to purchase suitable equipment to access the curriculum and the decision was made not to increase the amount originally sanctioned. This decision has been conveyed to the school.
It was informed to the school that many lightweight laptops on the market that can be purchased for less than € 550 on which Dragon Naturally Speaking software can be uploaded, and the SENO has confirmed this.
Separately, where an appeal has been unsuccessful, but if new information becomes available, it is open to the school to submit a new application to the SENO for consideration.
It is also open to parents to contact SENOs directly to discuss their child’s special educational needs, using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/seno-contact-list
