Written Answers Nos. 397-416
397. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the degree to which provision continues to be made to ensure the viability of smaller and denominational rural or urban schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57582/21]
View answerComing from a rural background, I am very much aware of the huge importance of small schools to communities across Ireland and I have asked my Department to work with the education partners to examine ways to support such schools in their communities and to ensure a more sustainable future for them.
In general, small schools are considered to be schools with four teachers or fewer. There have been a number of positive measures implemented to support this approach including an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools which has been introduced for this school year. Schools are now provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils which is a historical low ratio. In addition, a three point reduction in the number of students required to retain a teacher has also been introduced for September 2021. These measures will also help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.
This builds on measures in previous budgets which has seen improvements in the overall allocation of teaching posts and specific targeted measures for small and isolated schools as well as primary schools on our islands.
In August I launched the Small Schools Clusters Action Research Project which is an innovative research project which aims to encourage small schools in a number of clusters to collaborate together and identify common challenges and trial innovative solutions. I hope the learning from this project will help inform the policy approach to supporting small schools.
398. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which progress continues to be made towards permanent accommodation for a Gaelcholáiste in Maynooth, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57583/21]
View answerMy Department has given approval to the patron of the school in question to appoint a consultant to undertake an Options Study of the proposed property to meet the school's permanent accommodation needs. This Study, when available, will be used as a basis for determining the necessary refurbishment works required to the property in the long term.
In the interim, my Department has approved funding to the patron to undertake refurbishment works in the property to facilitate the school's access to additional specialist accommodation for the current school year. This accommodation includes science, woodwork and home economics rooms. The delivery of the project has been devolved to the patron for delivery. The patron has advised my Department that a consultant has been procured to oversee this project.
399. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the time schedule for the provision of new second-level facilities at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57584/21]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
I am pleased to inform you that the project was recently approved by the Department to proceed to Stage 2a of the architectural planning process.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, KWETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
400. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current and anticipated status of a large-scale capital project at a school (details supplied) the expected date for delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57585/21]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers was devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
The school was delivered as part of a campus development. The main school buildings relating to the project were made available for occupation on the 22nd December 2020. The shared PE facility was made available for occupation on the 1st September 2021 to the school campus.
The campus project is now substantially complete.
401. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current and anticipated status of a large-scale capital project at a school (details supplied); the expected final delivery date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57586/21]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers was devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
The school was delivered as part of a campus development. The main school buildings relating to the project were made available for occupation on the 22nd December 2020. The shared PE facility was made available for occupation on the 1st September 2021 to the school campus.
The campus project is now substantially complete.
402. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current and anticipated status of a large-scale capital project at a school (details supplied); the expected final delivery date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57587/21]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the delivery of the project referred to has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
I am pleased to confirm that the date for substantial completion of the project is in December 2021 and the Design Team’s programme to achieve this target is currently on track.
403. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current and anticipated status of a large-scale capital project at a school (details supplied); the expected final delivery date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57588/21]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects.
I am pleased to inform you that the project was recently approved by the Department to proceed to Stage 2a of the architectural planning process.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, the NDFA will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
404. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current and anticipated status of a large-scale capital project at a school (details supplied); the expected final delivery date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57589/21]
View answerMy Department has reached agreement in principle with the relevant landowner for the acquisition of the site for the school referred to by the Deputy.
It is intended that this site will faciliate the construction of three schools, including the school in question, as part of a campus development. In tandem with the site acquisition, my Department is finalising the accommodation briefs for the three schools. This will facilitate the commencement of the architectural planning process for the project and my Department will liaise with the school authorities at that stage. It is not possible at this point to anticipate a delivery date for the project.
405. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the ongoing projects underway in County Kildare as part of the Additional Accommodation Programme at primary and post-primary level; the status of each project; the expected progress in the coming months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57590/21]
View answerUnder Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands.
In addition to the large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, the Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an additional enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed. Details of schools listed on this programme (the Additional Accommodation Scheme) including the status of these are attached to this response.
In addition to these projects, my Department has the following applications under the Additional Schools Accommodation scheme on hand:
Holy Family Secondary School, Newbridge - Roll number 61682A - ASA application received and is currently under assessment.
Straffan National School, Straffan - Roll number 18644U - ASA application received and is currently under assessment.
Kildangan NS, Kildangan - Roll number 18675I - ASA application received for SEN accommodation and currently under assessment.
Scoil Bhride, Leixlip, - Roll number 19407L - ASA application received for SEN accommodation and currently under assessment.
These applications are currently under assessment and once complete the school authorities will be contacted directly with a decision.
406. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which the enrolment process at primary school level remains amenable to most families throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57591/21]
View answerThe Education (Admission to schools) act 2018, provides an over-arching framework for greater transparency and consistency in school enrolment generally, provides that schools must accept all applications unless oversubscribed, and gives greater confidence to parents that the admission criteria laid down by schools and the procedures used by them are legitimate, reasonable and fair.
The act is designed to make it easier for parents to more easily access local schools and to enrol their children in a school that meets their needs. The act increases the transparency and fairness of school admissions. It makes clear that every school must be welcoming of every young person regardless of their colour, their abilities or disabilities. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted.
However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary and it may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in their school of first choice.
All schools have drafted admission policies that were applied for the first time for enrolment in September 2021, which are published on individual school websites. The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools and their Patrons have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied, once it is non-discriminatory and fair. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the schools admission policy.
407. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress to date or in hand in meeting the school place, replacement of facilities, new school requirements and special needs provision in respect of each school project at primary and post-primary levels in Clane, County Kildare; the extent to which each project is on target in line with projections notwithstanding the imprecise previous reply in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57592/21]
View answerUnder Project Ireland 2040, the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. This significant investment allows us to move forward with certainty on our ambitious plans and deliver high quality building projects, with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland.
This investment will build on the good progress being made on adding capacity to cater for demographic changes and provision for children with special educational needs. This investment will also facilitate an increased focus on the modernisation of existing school stock and help transition the school system for an era of net zero carbon by 2050.
Approximately 1,200 school building projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction – most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period 2021 to 2025.
There are currently in excess of 250 school building projects at construction (on site) with a continuous stream of other projects at or near the tendering stage. These are being progressed as quickly as possible.
During the period 2018 to 2020 526 school building projects were completed under the Large Scale Capital Programme (LSCP) and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places. 16 of these projects delivered were in County Kildare; 13 of those were primary schools including one special school and 3 were post-primary school building projects.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
The most recent analysis undertaken by my Department projects that over 60% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level have stable or decreasing projected enrolments for the period to 2024, whereas some 90% of the school planning areas at post-primary level are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2027.
The level of demand volume across school planning areas with an increasing net requirement ranges from small to medium increases that are likely to be accommodated by existing schools through to significant projected growth that may require additional provision.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required at primary or post primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
My Department's most recent projections do not indicate significant increases in school place requirements at primary level in the Prosperous_Clane school planning area.
The projections at post-primary level indicate the projected peak year is 2025 with projected enrolment numbers of 1731, decreasing thereafter.
Clane is located in the Prosperous_Clane school planning area. As the Deputy is aware, there are currently 3 projects at various stages of planning and design in Clane.
Current Large Scale & Additional Scheme Accommodation Projects in Clane :
|
Roll No. |
School Name |
School Type |
Project Type |
Current Stage |
|
19796C |
St Patricks Boys NS |
Primary |
New School |
Stage 4 |
|
13902O |
Hewetsons NS |
Primary |
Extension & Refurbishment |
Stage 1 |
|
91372D |
Scoil Mhuire Community School |
Post Primary |
Extension |
Stage 1 |
St Patrick’s BNS, Roll Number 19796C has a project for a new 24 classroom school. The commencement notice has issued and construction is to commence on site early next week.
Hewetsons NS, Roll Number 13902O has a project brief for a stand-alone extension of 1,081m2 plus 1 classroom for special education and appropriate refurbishment. This project is devolved to the School for delivery and they are currently in the process of appointing a Design team.
Scoil Mhuire Community School, Roll Number 91372D has an extension project that was approved in April 2020. The project is currently at Stage 1 Design.
408. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which adequate provision for early years education remains an integral part of her Department’s objectives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57593/21]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for early years education outside the formal education system. However, my Department has a key role in supporting quality within the sector and works closely with DCEDIY.
My Department's main intervention in the provision of early years education is the Early Start programme and the Rutland Street Project. The Early Start programme was established in 1994, and is a one-year intervention to meet the needs of children aged between 3 years and 5 years who are at risk of not reaching their potential within the school system. It involves an educational programme to enhance overall development, help prevent school failure and offset the effects of social disadvantage. The Early Start programme runs in 40 primary schools in designated areas of urban disadvantage, and has capacity for 1,620 children each year. Early Start units are staffed by teachers and child care workers, and the role of the child care workers is to meet the care needs of all the children in the unit, including those children with special educational needs. The programme opens each year to new child enrolments. The Rutland Street Project was established in 1969 and informed many of the approaches to Early Start. It is supported by my Department and provides 103 places for preschool-aged children including an ASD Early Intervention Unit/Special Class.
Since the inception of Early Start, the early childhood education and care landscape has changed significantly with the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme in 2010, and the extension of this scheme to a two-year programme in 2018. In the 2019/20 programme year over 105,000 children were supported in the ECCE scheme. The ECCE scheme is under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and officials of my Department and its agencies co-operate closely with that Department, particularly in relation to Síolta and Aistear , the national quality and curriculum frameworks for early childhood education.
My Department also plays a key role in the ongoing development of the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) which was launched in June 2016 by DCEDIY. AIM is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the ECCE scheme. AIM supports are provided through the ECCE scheme. The main supports are grouped into universal or targeted supports. Where universal supports are not enough to meet the needs of an individual child, targeted supports are available to ensure that he or she can meaningfully participate in pre-school.
My Department has made provision for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes for children of pre-school age for whom places aren’t available from providers of the ECCE scheme. These early intervention (EI) classes are attached to mainstream schools. There are currently 132 of these ASD EI classes across the country providing targeted supports for 695 pupils. Moreover, where places in those classes are not currently available to pupils my Department provides Home Tuition grants to enable access to pre-school education for those children. In the last school year there were 522 pre-school children being supported by the Home Tuition scheme.
My Department’s Inspectorate has an oversight role regarding the quality of education provision for children and young people aged from 0 to 18 years. The quality improvement agenda has been further supported by the introduction of education inspections in Early Learning and Care settings delivering the ECCE programme of free preschool since 2016. The first early years education inspection (EYEI) reports were published in June 2016 on the Department of Education website. To date over 2,600 EYEI reports have been completed in a diverse range of early years settings nationally. The Inspectorate evaluates the quality of the nature, range and appropriateness of the early educational experiences for children participating in the ECCE programme. In 2019, First Five, a Whole–of- Government Strategy for Babies, Young Children and their Families was published including a range of commitments by my Department to improve the quality of early childhood education provision and practice. This includes the extension of education inspection of all state-funded ELC provision for children from birth. Officials in my Department recently launched a consultation on a revised Early Years Education Inspection Model which includes children from birth to three years old.
409. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the number of teachers currently employed at primary level throughout the country; the extent to which this meets requirements at the present time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57594/21]
View answerTeachers are employed directly by the managerial authorities of schools and my Department acts as paymaster for the teachers employed by the schools. The number of teachers including substitute teachers employed in primary schools and paid by my Department on the 11th of November 2021 was 47,175.
The overall number of teaching posts is determined by an allocation process. The criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts to schools is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location.
The current allocation is on an average ratio of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils. Budget 2022 has implemented a further 1 point reduction for the 2022/23 school year so that primary schools will be allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils in September 2022. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools.
This Budget measure has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level. This is the second successive Budget which has seen an improvement in allocation of teachers to primary schools.
An additional 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.
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 principal’s network (IPPN). 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 register of teachers currently has over 111,000 teachers and the Council has emailed all teachers on the register asking any who may be available for substitute work to register with sub seeker.
For the current school year, changes have been made to the career break scheme to permit teachers on career break to carry out unlimited substitute work. Changes have also been made to the job sharing scheme to permit job sharing teachers carry out substitute work on the days they are rostered off.
411. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which she is determined to improve pupil-teacher ratios in all primary and second-level schools throughout the country; the progress anticipated in this regard in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57596/21]
View answerUnder the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment on the previous 30 September. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
At primary level, the annual staffing schedule which determines the allocation of teachers to schools is now based on an average ratio of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils. Budget 2022 has implemented a further 1 point reduction for the 2022/23 school year so that primary schools will be allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils in September 2022. Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. This Budget measure has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level.
At post primary level, teachers are currently allocated at a ratio of 19:1 in the free education system and 23:1 to schools in the fee charging sector.
As part of COVID-19 operational supports, 1,000 additional teachers have been allocated to post-primary schools to help reduce class sizes. A teacher allocation equivalent to a pupil teacher ratio reduction of 0.6 has been allocated to schools in the free scheme. This allocation supports the important work of teaching and learning and provide additional teachers needed to support teacher substitution, management of physical distancing requirements by reallocating class timetables in schools to smaller groups class sizes where necessary. These posts will also provide for management supports. In addition an allocation, equivalent to a pupil teacher ratio reduction of 0.1 has been provided in respect of Guidance provision to support student wellbeing.
412. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the number of appeals made monthly by schools who were refused the number of SNA or resource hours applied for regarding children and young persons with special needs between 1 September 2020 and 30 October 2021; the number of appeals which were successful; the number of appeals which were upheld; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57614/21]
View answerThe NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. 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.
Budget 2022 announced details of €9.2 billion in funding for education and includes funding for an additional 1,165 SNAs (in 2022) to provide support to children with special educational needs, which will bring the total number of SNAs to 19,169 at 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.
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
The NCSE manages the exceptional review process and handles each case individually. Some review requests can be concluded as an office based exercise, whilst others require a school to be visited in order to observe the current deployment of SNA support in the school setting.
The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
The SNA exceptional review considers the overall profile of needs in the school and is not specific to individual students.
The NCSE have confirmed that during the 2020/2021 school year a total of 778 schools were provided with an increase in mainstream SNA support following an SNA exceptional review. To the end of October 2021, a total of 251 schools have so far received an increased mainstream SNA allocation for the 2021/2022 school year on completion of an SNA exceptional review.
There were a total of 143 appeals of the outcome of the SNA exceptional review process for the 2020/2021 school year. Of these 27 were upheld. There have, so far, been a total of 131 appeals for the 2021/2022 school year. Of these 5 have so far been upheld.
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 9,740 teachers were allocated.
Budget 2022 provides for the appointment of 620 new special education teachers (SETs) to support pupils with special educational needs in mainstream classes. This allocation also covers the needs of new and developing schools.
Since the commencement of the 2017/2018 school year schools have been provided with a Special Education Teaching allocation based on the profile of needs in the school. Schools do not apply for Resource Teaching hours for individual students and have not been required to do so since 2016.
The allocations have remained in place for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years, with some adjustments made over the course of the model for schools which achieved developing status, or successfully appealed on the grounds of exceptional circumstances arising in their schools. Allocations are also provided for new schools which open each year.
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
Details of the SNA appeals received in each month are set out in the following table.
|
2020/2021 school year |
Appeals received |
|
Jun-20 |
3 |
|
Jul-20 |
48 |
|
Aug-20 |
11 |
|
Sep-20 |
10 |
|
Oct-20 |
13 |
|
Nov-20 |
20 |
|
Dec-20 |
13 |
|
Jan-21 |
5 |
|
Feb-21 |
3 |
|
Mar-21 |
5 |
|
Apr-21 |
4 |
|
May-21 |
8 |
|
2021/2022 school year |
Appeals received |
|
Jun-21 |
8 |
|
Jul-21 |
35 |
|
Aug-21 |
31 |
|
Sep-21 |
28 |
|
Oct-21 |
21 |
|
Nov-21 |
8 |
Reviews of SET allocations
In relation to the applications for a review of the SET allocation to schools since 2019 the NCSE have stated that,
- 278 requests from schools for review of their SET allocations were received.
- 233 applications did not meet the criteria for review and have been notified of this decision.
- 45 applications to date met the criteria for review;
- 19 schools were allocated an increase in SET hours
- 23 schools have been scheduled for review in September/October.
413. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter in relation to the community employment scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56826/21]
View answerThe Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis to improve their prospect of returning to employment.
The Department is aware of the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 emergency and the related public health restrictions, including the adverse impact on a number of rural and urban CE schemes in recruiting new CE participants. The Department has continued to support CE schemes throughout the period and introduced a number of emergency measures including the extension of CE participants’ contracts when necessary.
Together with Minister Humphreys, I announced further funding for contract extensions to 4th February 2022 for existing CE and Tús participants. These final contract extensions will provide existing CE participants with additional time to complete their training and benefit from work experience, which may have been adversely affected by public health restrictions. The planned exits will be carried out on a coordinated and phased basis from February 2022. This phased exit approach will support the recruitment of new CE participants while ensuring the ongoing delivery of important local community services.
It is important to note that one of the measures included in the Pathways to Work Strategy announced by Government in July, 2021 was an increase in the capacity of the Public Employment Service in Intreo Offices and contracted services to further support jobseekers through the provision of job search advice and assistance. These additional resources will be central to meeting the increased demand for employment support services arising from the impact of the pandemic, including the referral of new candidates to fill existing CE vacancies.
CE sponsoring authorities are encouraged by the Department to continue to promote the benefits of CE in their local communities. Jobseekers interested in participating on CE can also contact a case officer in their Intreo Centre who will refer eligible candidates to local CE schemes. The Department officials are continuing to work with local CE sponsoring authorities to identify suitable CE candidates.
CE sponsoring authorities can also advertise vacancies on www.jobsireland.ie, the Department’s online job advertising and recruitment service for jobseekers and employers.
CE participants over the age of 62 can participate on a continuous basis up to the state pension age on the CE Service Support Stream. Up to 10% of CE places are allocated to the Service Support Stream and there are 1,400 CE participants currently availing of the stream; there are approximately 500 places currently available nationally.
In order to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants, CE will continue to be made available to support those who are long term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, including those whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19.
The eligibility criteria for CE, including the length of time persons can participate on CE, are kept under active review by my Department officials to ensure the best outcomes for individual participants and to support the vital community services delivered by schemes.
Every effort is made to fill vacancies, and Case Officers would be in contact with CE Supervisors in regard to any CE vacancy advertised to identify potential participants. As time spent on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment counts towards eligibility there is expected to be an extra pool of potential participants once they transition to a Jobseeker payment.
In respect of Fr Casey’s \ Templeglantine GAA CE Scheme the CE Co-ordinator has written to 15 clients who meet the eligibility criteria in respect of the current vacancies in that scheme.
414. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider the request by an organisation (details supplied) to make provision for free travel passes to be allocated to persons diagnosed with epilepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56871/21]
View answerThe Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 1,012,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2021 is €95 million.
In general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit.
While I am aware of the campaign by Epilepsy Ireland, extending the free travel scheme to people with epilepsy during the period in which they are disallowed from driving cannot be considered in isolation. There are a range of disabilities and medical conditions that can prevent a person from holding a driving licence and to award a free travel pass to a person with any one of these conditions in isolation would immediately result in calls for all people who are not allowed to hold a driving licence because of their medical condition to receive the free travel pass and could result in challenges under the Equal Status Act.
If the Free Travel scheme were to be extended to all people who are not allowed to drive due to their disability, regardless of whether they receive a qualifying payment, a medical assessment process would be required for all such applications, significantly changing the nature of the scheme and requiring additional administrative processes to be put in place in order to adjudicate eligibility. Significant extra funding would also be required and, accordingly, it could only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
While consideration is always given to any requests to improve or extend eligibility to the free travel scheme, uncoupling the link between receipt of particular social welfare payments and eligibility for the free travel scheme would so fundamentally alter the scheme that it would move it away from being a social welfare measure to being a general transport initiative.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may award a travel supplement, where the circumstances of the particular case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the individual case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
415. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the carer's allowance entitlement is affected by taking up the role of a census enumerator given it does not have prescribed hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56899/21]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses for a maximum 18.5 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.
According to the census website www.census.ie the role of an enumerator will require a minimum of 22 hours work per week.
Therefore a person taking on this role would not meet the above condition and would have no entitlement to carers allowance.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy
416. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a disability allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56961/21]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 15 November 2021.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
