Written Answers Nos. 122-141
122. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Defence when the independent review of the revelations made in a documentary (details supplied) will commence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51691/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I met recently with participants from the Women of Honour group and with a group of serving female members of the Defence Forces, where I had the opportunity to listen carefully to their experiences, in what were very informative meetings. In addition, participants from the Women of Honour group have met with the Secretary General and senior officials from my Department and I understand these were also productive meetings.
The Terms for an Independent Review to examine the effectiveness of the policies, systems and procedures currently in place for dealing with bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Defence Forces, had been under consideration for several months and are being reviewed in light of these recent meetings and the views expressed.
I also intend to invite, very shortly, members of Women of Honour, serving members of the Defence Forces and other stakeholders, including the Representative Associations, to provide their input into the finalisation of these Terms.
I wish to underline again that this Review will be undertaken by external and entirely independent and unbiased experts in this field.
The Deputy will also be aware that I have recently announced interim measures for both former and serving members of the Defence Forces who have been affected by unacceptable behaviour in the workplace. Former members of the Defence Forces, both male and female, affected by any of the issues raised, are being advised to note details of these supports.
An agreement has been reached with Raiseaconcern, an organisation working with private sector and public bodies on issues relating to workplace wrongdoing, on the appointment of an external Confidential Contact Person (CCP) who will be available to assist both serving and former members of the Defence Forces who have been affected ]by these issues. This facility will provide a safe place to support the reporting of alleged wrongdoing.
In addition, I have announced that my Department and the Defence Forces are engaging with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in terms of assistance for both serving and former personnel who have suffered sexual harassment, sexual assault, or rape, in the workplace.
Finally, I wish to reiterate my commitment and that of the Secretary General and Chief of Staff, to ensure that every member of the Defence Forces, male and female can carry out their duties in a safe, and respectful workplace based on dignity, equality and zero-tolerance for any kind of unaccepatble behaviour.
123. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if his attention has been drawn to fact that Bus Éireann will not allow drivers over 70 years of age to drive (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51645/21]
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 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 have completed the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and who have applied and paid on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This latter arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
It is Bus Éireann company policy that normal retirement age for all Bus Éireann staff is currently 66 years. However Bus Éireann part-time School Bus Drivers and drivers nominated by private operators who operate service as part of the School Transport Scheme may continue to perform in the role provided they hold the requisite licence and satisfy an annual medical examination until they retire at age 70.
This policy and criteria is applied to all drivers who provide school transport services on behalf of Bus Éireann equally.
124. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education when the 980 special education teacher positions announced in Budget 2022 will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51334/21]
View answerInvestment in special education is an ongoing priority for this Government.
Budget 2022 provides for the creation 980 new teaching posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.
The new allocation is broken down as follows:
- 620 of the new posts will provide additional support for children attending mainstream classes including new and expanding schools.
- 360 posts will facilitate the opening of 287 new special classes providing over 1,700 new places in 2022 and 140 new special school places
A new model for allocating special education teachers in respect of students with special needs enrolled in mainstream classes was introduced in 2017. 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. The profile of each school takes account of enrolments and a number of other factors that are considered to be indicative of the level of need in each school. There is a commitment to update profiles on a regular basis with the last update being for the 2019/20 school.
In addition, there is a provision for schools to seek additionality through the Exceptional Needs Review process if there is a significant change in their level of need in between profile updates.
The additional 620 SET posts will be allocated to schools based on updated SET school profiles in 2022.
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.
125. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she or any official from her Department has held meetings or conducted correspondence with a company (details supplied) from 1 January 2017 to date; if her Department has engaged the services of the company for any purposes from 1 January 2017 to date; if so, the nature of such services and the costs incurred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51351/21]
View answerThe Department has not held meetings or conducted correspondence with the company in question.
126. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education when a special education transport grant will be paid to a person (details supplied). [51367/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 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.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised school/class 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 pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for transport under the Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs as he is not attending the nearest recognised school/class that is resourced to meet his special educational needs.
The familly is advised that if there is additional relevant information in relation to the child's application for transport that was not submitted with original application they should make it available to the SENO to establish if there are grounds for reviewing the application.
127. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if satisfactory arrangements ensuring the continued education of a person (details supplied) have been put in place notwithstanding the decision to expel which their parents intend to appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51388/21]
View answerA student cannot be expelled from a school before the passing of 20 school days following the receipt of a notification under Section 24 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The Educational Welfare Service have confirmed that they received the notification of intention to expel, in respect of the student (named by the Deputy) on 24th September 2021.
An official from my Department has been advised that a section 24 meeting has taken place, which was attended by the Educational Welfare Officer and the school Principal . The parent was invited to attend this meeting but was unable to do so.
I understand that at this meeting the school advised that they have made educational provision for this student during the interim period with school work regularly uploaded onto the school’s online learning facility, Google classrooms. It was noted that the class teacher is always available to consult with and feedback to. School management maintained that an electronic device – a Chromebook laptop – was offered to the student to facilitate this online learning.
The EWO has indicated that he is happy to continue offering the parents advice and assistance around securing an alternative educational placement for their son.
128. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if her Department will sanction the redeployment of a person (details supplied) to a post in another school given that their career break between 2015 and 2021 was not extended by the school in question which meant that they had to offer their resignation; if special circumstances can be taken into account when considering such a request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51390/21]
View answerThe core function of the redeployment arrangements for teachers is to facilitate the redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID (Contract of Indefinite Duration) holding teachers to other schools that have vacancies. The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is key to my Department's ability to manage within its payroll budget and ceiling on teacher numbers. Thereafter, the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). The criteria used for the allocation of teachers to post-primary schools for the 2021/22 school year, including the redeployment arrangements, are available on my Department's website.
The Career Break Scheme for teachers is contained my Department’s Circular Letter 0054/2019. In relation to the duration of Career Break, paragraph 3.1 and 3.2 states:
‘3.1 A Career Break is for a period of not less than 1 school year and may be extended on an annual basis provided the total period of the Career Break does not exceed 5 years at any one time, subject to an overall maximum of 10 years absence in the course of the teacher’s career.
3.2 A subsequent Career Break may not be taken until the teacher has served for a period equal to the duration of the previous Career Break. In the case of a teacher wishing to avail of a Career Break to undertake voluntary service abroad/missionary/diplomatic/military/Oireachtas or study leave this requirement will be waived.’
129. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of additional SNAs hired in the 2019-2020, 2020-2021 and to date in the 2021-2022 school year; the base figure at the end of the 2018-2019 school year; the number of additional SNAs being hired at present; the extra number that will be employed by September 2022; the number of the 1,165 extra SNAs announced in Budget 2022 that were due to demographic changes; the number that are real additional positions in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51412/21]
View answer132. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of special needs assistants by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51415/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 132 together.
The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the planning and cordination of education provision for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNA posts.
The following table outlines the total number of SNA posts allocated to schools since December 2018.
|
SNA allocations as at 31st December |
Total |
|
31/12/2018 (2018/19 school year) |
14,973 |
|
31/12/2019 (2019/20 school year) |
15,948 |
|
31/12/2020 (2020/21 school year) |
17,014 |
|
31/12/2021 (2021/22 school year) |
18,004 |
|
31/12/2022 (2022/23 school year) Planned |
19,169 |
When a school has been allocated an SNA, the Board of Management, as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy and the decision on whether to employ a full time SNA to fill a full time post or to employ an equivalent number of part time SNAs rests with the employer. Information of the number of people employed to fill the posts allocated is not available.
Following Budget 2021, it is expected that a total of 18,004 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts will have been allocated to primary, post primary and special schools by the end of December 2021 .
The NCSE advises that of the 990 post sanction in last year’s budget, 919 have been allocated to date and the remaining 71 will be allocated before the 31st December 2021.
Budget 2022 announced details of €9.2 billion in funding for education and includes funding for an additional 1,165 additional special needs assistants to provide support to children with special educational needs, bringing the total number of SNAs to 19,169 by the end of December 2022. This represents an increase of 81% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
The allocation of 1,165 SNAs announced in Budget 2022 is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2022 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools and support children in mainstream classes for the 2022/23 school year.
The allocation of the 1,165 SNA posts covers primary and post-primary schools as follows:
- 574 to support students in new special classes
- 46 to support students in new special school places
- 545 to support students in mainstream classes
The special education funding for 2022 is over a quarter of the current expenditure budget for the Department of Education.
The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations to primary, post primary and special schools in tabular form, by county and by school, for each school year, this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie or by using the following link http://ncse.ie/statistics.
As this question relates to the statistics on the allocation of SNA support, I have referred the question to the NCSE for their direct reply.
130. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and secondary school children by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51413/21]
View answerPlease find attached 2020-21 enrolments by county for Mainstream Primary Schools, Special Schools & Post-Primary Schools.
Please note all data is sourced from the final enrolment figures for 2020-21 which can be found here;
assets.gov.ie/129343/d973aee9-026b-40d4-b645-e3e8f07afebb.xlsx
assets.gov.ie/129346/de6f5f01-b86b-4503-b5a6-c8da4d78dfa7.xlsx
|
Mainstream Schools Enrolments by County 2020-21 |
Special Schools Enrolments by County 2020-21 |
||
|
County |
Pupils |
County |
Pupils |
|
Carlow |
7565 |
Carlow |
186 |
|
Cavan |
9877 |
Cavan |
174 |
|
Clare |
13170 |
Clare |
175 |
|
Cork |
62905 |
Cork |
918 |
|
Donegal |
18330 |
Donegal |
171 |
|
Dublin |
140879 |
Dublin |
2793 |
|
Galway |
30063 |
Galway |
290 |
|
Kerry |
15662 |
Kerry |
248 |
|
Kildare |
29498 |
Kildare |
270 |
|
Kilkenny |
11113 |
Kilkenny |
232 |
|
Laois |
11096 |
Laois |
128 |
|
Leitrim |
3718 |
Limerick |
553 |
|
Limerick |
22539 |
Longford |
29 |
|
Longford |
5335 |
Louth |
352 |
|
Louth |
17107 |
Mayo |
130 |
|
Mayo |
14366 |
Meath |
236 |
|
Meath |
26977 |
Offaly |
37 |
|
Monaghan |
7861 |
Roscommon |
61 |
|
Offaly |
9665 |
Sligo |
107 |
|
Roscommon |
7810 |
Tipperary |
403 |
|
Sligo |
7462 |
Waterford |
246 |
|
Tipperary |
18389 |
Westmeath |
189 |
|
Waterford |
14165 |
Wexford |
247 |
|
Westmeath |
11301 |
Wicklow |
233 |
|
Wexford |
18294 |
Grand Total |
8408 |
|
Wicklow |
17856 |
||
|
Grand Total |
553003 |
||
131. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and secondary school teachers by county in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51414/21]
View answerThe attached tables detail the total number of teaching posts allocated for primary schools (mainstream only) and post-primary schools during the 2020/2021 academic year.
Teaching posts in mainstream primary schools by county 2020-2021
|
County.Description |
Total.posts.2020.2021 |
|
Carlow |
488 |
|
Cavan |
635.9 |
|
Clare |
904 |
|
Cork |
4323 |
|
Donegal |
1271.9 |
|
Dublin |
9398.5 |
|
Galway |
2136.8 |
|
Kerry |
1092 |
|
Kildare |
1787 |
|
Kilkenny |
671 |
|
Laois |
745.5 |
|
Leitrim |
245 |
|
Limerick |
1589 |
|
Longford |
389 |
|
Louth |
1084.8 |
|
Mayo |
1011.7 |
|
Meath |
1584 |
|
Monaghan |
510 |
|
Offaly |
691 |
|
Roscommon |
555.2 |
|
Sligo |
482 |
|
Tipperary |
1267 |
|
Waterford |
905 |
|
Westmeath |
744 |
|
Wexford |
1194 |
|
Wicklow |
1123.2 |
Teaching posts in post-primary schools by county 2020-2021
|
County |
Total.posts.2020.2021 |
|
Carlow |
478.55 |
|
Cavan |
457.78 |
|
Clare |
691.81 |
|
Cork |
3595.96 |
|
Donegal |
1145.13 |
|
Dublin |
7284.8 |
|
Galway |
1736.23 |
|
Kerry |
949.02 |
|
Kildare |
1525.5 |
|
Kilkenny |
621.51 |
|
Laois |
489.27 |
|
Leitrim |
225.62 |
|
Limerick |
1316.67 |
|
Longford |
336.21 |
|
Louth |
996.24 |
|
Mayo |
871.24 |
|
Meath |
1228.71 |
|
Monaghan |
443.06 |
|
Offaly |
538.47 |
|
Roscommon |
341.55 |
|
Sligo |
425.3 |
|
Tipperary |
1118.25 |
|
Waterford |
743.1 |
|
Westmeath |
673.34 |
|
Wexford |
1072.43 |
|
Wicklow |
987.14 |
133. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the breakdown of the additional €18 million funding for DEIS in 2022; the number of extra primary and secondary schools that will be supported; the base cost of supporting an extra primary and secondary school, respectively; the specific additional costs for an average school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51416/21]
View answerBudget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 of the programme to further schools.
This package follows an extensive body of work which has been under taken by the DEIS technical group in relation to the development of a model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. The refined model is an objective, statistics based process, based on school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index.
This work involved an initial process of consultation by my Department with the education partners on the technical aspects of the model. Over the coming weeks there will be further consultation with relevant stakeholders to outline the components of the model. The purpose is to ensure that, as far as possible, the refined DEIS identification model can provide an objective and independent means of identifying schools serving high concentrations of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and also to ensure there is a full understanding of the refined model and its potential application.
The costing of DEIS supports vary from school to school depending on enrolment and the profile of a given school. A definitive breakdown of the numbers of schools to be supported will not be available until the current phase of work is completed.
The full list of supports available to DEIS schools is available on my Department's website at the following link: www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/DEIS-Supporting-Information/Supports-to-DEIS-Schools.html
134. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the assistance that can be given to schools that are experiencing difficulty in obtaining substitute teachers; the plans in place to address this issue; if assistance can be given to a school (details supplied) that is experiencing a severe shortage of required substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51468/21]
View answerA range of measures have been put in place to provide enhanced substitute cover in the context of Covid-19. These include a major expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute Teacher Supply Panels, which now employ almost 380 teachers and provide substitute cover to over 2,500 primary schools across the country. Further work is underway to ascertain if there are ways the operation of the panels can be enhanced to help with substitute teacher supply.
The Supply Panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as Sub Seeker the national substitution portal service for primary and post primary schools, operated by the Irish Primary Principals Network and developed in accordance with my Department's Teacher Supply Action Plan. Schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed.
Measures are also underway to raise awareness of the availability of substitute work in schools. The Teaching Council has emailed over 111,000 teachers on its register, asking any who may be available for substitute work to register with Sub Seeker.
My Department has also adjusted its payroll operational arrangements so that the restriction on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed as substitutes has been suspended and teachers who are job sharing are allowed to work additional hours.
As in 2020/21, flexible school placement arrangements are being implemented to enhance the availability of post-primary Professional Master of Education (PME) student teachers to fill short term substitute vacancies. My Department and the Teaching Council are also planning to meet with the providers of primary initial teacher education (ITE) in the coming days to explore how flexibility in primary ITE programme delivery could facilitate additional substitute supply.
In accordance with Circular 50/21, primary schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, should have plans in place to access substitutes in the following sequence:
- Supply panel if the school is part of a supply panel cluster arrangement,
- School’s own panel of regular substitutes,
- National substitute service,
- Administrative Principal if applicable
- Local arrangements that facilitate the pupils to be supervised in a manner that does not involve them being split between existing classes in classrooms
My Department is engaging on an ongoing basis with stakeholders to analyse the demand for substitution and to identify means to improve the availability of substitutes at this time.
135. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if the new Educate Together primary school in Baldoyle has gone to tender; if she will provide the details on the development going forward; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51517/21]
View answerThe school building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.
On June 14th 2021, this project was included in a bundle of projects which were tendered to a newly established Design & Build Contractors Framework.
Once a Contractor has been appointed, my Department will keep the school informed of the construction programme underpinning the contract.
136. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if she will respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to school services and the availability of substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51570/21]
View answerA range of measures have been put in place to provide enhanced substitute cover in the context of Covid-19. These include a major expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute Teacher Supply Panels, which now employ almost 380 teachers and provide substitute cover to over 2,500 primary schools across the country. Further work is underway to ascertain if there are ways the operation of the panels can be enhanced to help with substitute teacher supply.
The Supply Panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as the national substitution portal service Sub Seeker, operated by the Irish Primary Principals Network and developed in accordance with my Department's Teacher Supply Action Plan. Schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed.
Measures are also underway to raise awareness of the availability of substitute work in primary schools. The Teaching Council has emailed over 111,000 teachers on its register, asking any who may be available for substitute work to register with Sub Seeker.
My Department has also adjusted its payroll operational arrangements so that the restriction on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed as substitutes has been suspended and teachers who are job sharing are allowed to work additional hours
My Department and the Teaching Council are also planning to meet with the providers of primary initial teacher education (ITE) in the coming days to explore how flexibility in ITE programme delivery could facilitate additional substitute supply.
My Department is engaging on an ongoing basis with stakeholders to analyse the demand for substitution and to identify means to improve the availability of substitutes at this time.
The correspondence to which the Deputy refers concerns also the COVID Learning and Support Scheme (CLASS), which has been put in place to help schools mitigate the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on pupil/student learning loss and wellbeing arising from the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021.
Under the programme, a block of additional teaching hours is being provided to each recognised school, from which schools can provide additional teaching support for the pupils/students who have experienced difficulties in settling back into school and engaging with learning.
The extra teaching hours which are being provided are additional to 13,600 special education teachers who support the additional learning needs of pupils in mainstream primary and post primary schools.
The allocations which are being made for schools under CLASS are additional allocations of teaching hours, for each school, which are provided on a graduated and proportionate basis, based on school size, using the 2020/21 school enrolments data, as published on the Primary and Post Primary Online Databases (PPOD)
Enhanced allocations are also being provided for special schools and schools which are in the disadvantaged (DEIS) scheme.
Under the scheme, every school will receive an allocation of additional teaching hours, which they may use in accordance with the needs of their students. This will enable schools to identify students most at risk of learning loss arising from the recent disrupted school experience and put in place specific targeted teaching supports to meet these students’ needs. The additional hours must be used in the course of the 2021/22 school year. Guidance has also been provided for schools in relation to how the additional teaching hours should be best used as well as details of appropriate control and oversight measures required in schools.
With regard to the psychological services to our schools, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) model is one where there is a balance between consultation and casework about individual children, and support and development work with school personnel. The NEPS model does not operate on a waiting lists basis. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention.
Under the Special Education Teacher allocation model, a NEPS assessment is not required for students to access learning supports.
The capacity of NEPS was increased as part of a package of measures to support the reopening of schools when the provision of an additional seventeen psychologist posts to NEPS was announced, bringing overall sanctioned numbers to 221 whole time equivalent psychologist posts.
137. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if she will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51575/21]
View answerThe correspondence referred to raises many issues on education provision and the needs of schools and teachers in responding.
My Department aims to ensure that all children with special educational needs are provided with an education appropriate to their needs.
My Department’s policy is that students with additional needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. Where students require more specialised interventions, a continuum of education provision extends to include access to special school or special class places, where appropriate.
This continuum extends from fulltime placement in mainstream classes to full time enrolment in special schools with a number of options in between including access to a range of additional supports and for those children whose assessment of need includes a recommendation, access to special class provision. This is to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
My Department supports this continuum through a range of dedicated supports in line with the needs of the child. These supports include the provision of teachers, special needs assistants and psychological support from the National Psychological Service.
In addition, there are specialist supports provided by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). The Council has published Guidelines for Setting Up and Organising Special Classes for Primary and Post-Primary Schools. The guidelines advise that students enrolled in special classes should be included in mainstream classes, to the greatest extent possible, in line with their abilities. The Council provides extensive professional development programmes for teachers and advice for schools, parents and families.
Currently, my Department’s budget for special education exceeds €2bn which funds the costs of over 14,000 special education teachers and over 19,000 SNAs which supports a broad continuum of education for children with special needs.
ASD early intervention special classes are intended to provide early support for children with ASD before they start school. Following early intervention, children will attend a mainstream class unless there is professional guidance that they require a special class or a placement in a special school.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published transitional guidelines for children with special needs. These wide-ranging and comprehensive guidelines provide advice and tips for parents, students and schools covering the transitions between all stages of education, these Guidelines are available at www.ncse.ie
In relation to the allocation of SNAs, the NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs and for advising on the education provision for children nationwide, including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
Where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/for-schools
Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes are subject to review and accreditation by the Teaching Council, for registration purposes as set out Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act.
The Teaching Council reviewed its policy on standards of ITE programmes and published an updated document Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education in November 2020. As part of the review, the previous sixteen mandatory elements for all programmes of ITE have been updated and amalgamated into seven core elements, one of which is: Inclusive Education.
Inclusive Education has been strengthened in Céim and is described as ‘any aspect of teachers’ learning aimed at improving their capacity to address and respond to the diversity of learners’ needs.
All new Primary and Post-primary programmes submitted to the Council for accreditation must now be in alignment with Céim. Existing programmes of ITE shall be realigned in accordance with Céim for commencement in September 2022 for first year student teachers.
The NCSE provides a range of professional development programmes for teachers and advisory supports for schools in the area of supporting children with special educational needs. Information on these is available directly from the NCSE.
138. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education the status of plans to increase capacity on post-primary school buses in line with public transport given issues being experienced by working parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51578/21]
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.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and who have applied and paid on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This latter arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
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.
Should post-primary services resume operating at 100% capacity and where additional vehicles that were provided for social distancing purposes are removed, any spare capacity available will be offered on those services to concessionary pupils or late applicants where such capacity exists.
139. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to major difficulties being faced by primary school principals in sourcing substitute teachers; the way in which she plans to rectify same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51579/21]
View answer149. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department is taking to address the staffing crisis facing many primary schools in regard to substitute teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51725/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 149 together.
A range of measures have been put in place to provide enhanced substitute cover in the context of Covid-19. These include a major expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute Teacher Supply Panels, which now employ almost 380 teachers and provide substitute cover to over 2,500 primary schools across the country. Further work is underway to ascertain if there are ways the operation of the panels can be enhanced to help with substitute teacher supply.
The Supply Panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as the national substitution portal service Sub Seeker , operated by the Irish Primary Principals Network and developed in accordance with my Department's Teacher Supply Action Plan. Schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed.
Measures are also underway to raise awareness of the availability of substitute work in primary schools. The Teaching Council has emailed over 111,000 teachers on its register, asking any who may be available for substitute work to register with Sub Seeker .
My Department has also adjusted its payroll operational arrangements so that the restriction on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed as substitutes has been suspended and teachers who are job sharing are allowed to work additional hours
My Department and the Teaching Council are also planning to meet with the providers of primary initial teacher education (ITE) in the coming days to explore how flexibility in ITE programme delivery could facilitate additional substitute supply.
My Department is engaging on an ongoing basis with stakeholders to analyse the demand for substitution and to identify means to improve the availability of substitutes at this time.
140. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if an update will be provided on the level of engagement with secondary school students with regard to consent, harassment and gender-based violence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51595/21]
View answerAccess to sexual and health education is an important right for students. Schools have a responsibility to provide for this, in consultation with parents, having regard to the ethos of the school. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary junior cycle. Relationships and Sexuality Education (or RSE) is required at all levels, from primary through to senior cycle. The Department has set out the content for each of these programmes in SPHE syllabuses and guidelines.
The current SPHE/RSE curriculum at both primary and post primary facilities teaching and learning about consent.
At primary level, the Stay Safe Programme has been introduced and is a mandatory part of the SPHE programme. The primary SPHE programme as a whole is also due to be updated by the NCCA as part of the work resulting from the NCCA’s review of RSE provision in schools.
At post primary level, two programmes are in place which come under the heading of Personal Safety. One of these programmes is for junior cycle which addresses personal safety in relationships and explores topics such as healthy and unhealthy relationships, consent and domestic gender-based and sexual violence. The other programme, which is for senior cycle, addresses topics such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, dating violence and rape. Both of these programmes were designed by the Professional Development Support Service (PDST) and are intended to be taught as part of the wider SPHE/RSE curriculum. Professional development support is available to teachers, directly linked to these resources.
The Programme for Government states that ‘this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) and Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) across primary and post-primary schools, including an inclusive programme on LGBTI+ relationships’.
In April 2018, the then Minister for Education and Skills asked the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to undertake a major review of RSE in schools across all stages of education to ensure that it is fit for purpose and meets the needs of young people today in modern Ireland.
The Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in primary and post-primary schools was published by the NCCA on 11th of December, 2019.
The NCCA was asked to look at a number of specific issues in respect of RSE and the curriculum. These included but were not limited to consent; developments in relation to contraception; healthy positive, sexual expression and relationships; safe use of the Internet and social media and its effects on relationships and self-esteem; and LGBTQ+ matters.
The NCCA has established two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work in this area and support the development of guidance material for schools.
The immediate focus of the work of the NCCA is on creating support materials for teachers for publication online as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit. The toolkit's purpose is to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and to provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a more holistic way. This work is progressing well and sections of the toolkit (a portal repository of teaching and learning resources linked to the Primary SPHE Curriculum, the SPHE JC Short Course and SC SPHE Framework) have now been published.
The NCCA online SPHE toolkits will be expanded during 2021-2022 to include age and stage appropriate guidance for teachers on how to address issues of consent, gender and sexual discrimination and violence, and related topics within the SPHE classroom.
In tandem with the development of the online Toolkit, preparation for redeveloping and updating the SPHE curriculum has begun. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle. It is expected that public consultation on the draft updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification will begin in early 2022.
In redeveloping the SPHE curriculum, the NCCA will be making explicit the importance of consent education and naming consent within the learning outcomes for RSE, across all levels, based on the principle that consent is a core dimension of all healthy interpersonal relationships.
In addition to developing updated curricula and support materials the NCCA will contribute to facilitating interagency collaboration and linkages between the formal and non-formal education sector to enhance the sharing of expertise, learning and resources related to RSE. The NCCA will also initiate networking between groups/agencies working to support schools on targeted initiatives, such as consent and LGBTQI+ issues.
141. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education her engagements with the teaching unions and parents in relation to the shortage of school places in areas such as Dundalk, County Louth acknowledging the challenges this has on families at an already stressful time of year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51606/21]
View answerMy Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for school places in a number of school planning areas including the school planning area to which the Deputy refers.
Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school there are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
The true extent of any capacity issue is the subject of my Department's ongoing engagement with the relevant school authorities. Similar to last year, my Department is engaging further with patron bodies, including patrons in the school planning area in question, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
My Department’s school building programme has a large pipeline of projects under its Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme to cater for current and future educational demands. There are a number of such projects in Dundalk, including significant extension projects at St. Francis NS and St. Oliver Plunkett's NS. Good progress continues to be made with the rollout of projects and the current status of all projects is listed on a county by county basis on my Department’s website at www.education.ie.
