Written Answers Nos. 446-464
446. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the plans for Gaeltacht courses in summer 2022 which must be completed by student teachers; if contingency planning has been put in place for online alternatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8072/22]
View answer456. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will address concerns raised by a person (details supplied) with respect to the mandatory Gaeltacht placement in summer 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8172/22]
View answer462. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will allow trainee teachers to complete an online alternative to their mandatory Gaeltacht placement in summer 2022 online (details supplied). [8257/22]
View answer466. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if she is planning to allow trainee teachers to complete an online alternative to their mandatory Gaeltacht placement in summer 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8321/22]
View answer468. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the alternative arrangements that have been made for trainee teachers who due to Covid-19 are not comfortable with being in shared accommodation to complete their Gaeltacht placement in summer 2022; if consideration has been given to providing an online alternative as was the case in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8339/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 446, 456, 462, 466 and 468 together.
Under the Teaching Council Standards for initial teacher education (ITE) at primary, all student teachers must complete a 4 week Gaeltacht learning period (GLP) (2x 2 weeks) as part of their programme. This is compulsory in order to graduate. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the traditional Gaeltacht learning periods could not go ahead as planned and my Department and Teaching Council agreed that these could take place online. This ensured that there were no barriers to students completing their ITE programme and graduating as planned in 2020 and in 2021.
Both my Department and other key stakeholders expect that Irish language courses in the Gaeltacht for student teachers will be in a position to resume in the traditional manner this year.
While the primary responsibility for the overall administration of Gaeltacht-based Irish language courses rests with the relevant Gaeltacht college authorities – both the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and my Department together play a key role in overall support of the sector. My Department will continue to keep this matter under review, taking account of the evolving public health guidance at all times and will continue to consult as necessary with stakeholders on the matter - including the Teaching Council, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Higher Education Institutions and the representative body for the Gaeltacht Colleges.
447. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the special educational needs organiser post in County Offaly as this post has been vacant since August 2021; and when a special educational needs organiser will be reinstated. [8093/22]
View answerThe Department does not manage the recruitment of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs). As the SENOs are employees of the NCSE, it is the NCSE who is responsible for the recruitment and operational management of the SENOs.
Accordingly, I am referring your question to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
448. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the details of her engagements regarding the review of the first national training programme for special needs assistants; the expected timeframe for this review; when consideration will take place in relation to accreditation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8147/22]
View answer449. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the expected timeframe for conclusion of the Workplace Relations Commission on raising the minimum qualification for appointment as a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8148/22]
View answer450. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the details of her engagements in relation to raising the minimum qualification for appointment as a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8149/22]
View answer451. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the details of her engagements in relation to accrediting special needs assistants regardless of having completed a training programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8150/22]
View answer453. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education when the review of the entry qualifications for special needs assistants will take place. [8152/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 448 to 451, inclusive, and 453 together.
Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) play a huge role in helping to ensure the inclusion of pupils with significant care needs in education and in school life. This was acknowledged in the Comprehensive Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme (SNAs) published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in 2018.
The Review made a number of recommendations regarding SNAs including the training needs of SNAs. In this regard, the NCSE recommended that a new national training programme at Level 5 of the National Qualification Framework be developed for existing SNAs who do not have the requisite level of training and for new SNAs on appointment. The NCSE also recommended that training tailored to the complex needs of some students would also be provided.
The policy advice has been considered by my Department. It was decided that priority would be given to the development of a training programme for SNAs who may not have had a recent opportunity to access a training programme tailored to their role.
The first national training programme for SNAs is now in place and it aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs whose work is central to the inclusion of students with additional care and complex needs in school life. The programme is fully funded by my Department and delivered at no cost to the SNA.
As this is the first programme, it is appropriate to take the time to review outcomes and this will inform the future approach to ongoing training and professional development of SNAs. Part of that consideration will include accreditation.
Raising the minimum qualification for appointment as a special needs assistant has been raised by the FORSA union and has been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission. My Department is engaging in that process.
The recruitment and appointment of Special Needs Assistants is a matter for each individual school authority. In addition, the actual requirements for a post will vary depending on the specific needs of the children and the school to which the SNA is to be appointed. My Department does not believe that the existing minimum qualifications has impacted on the calibre of person appointed and it is also the case that people with experience and/or higher qualifications than the minimum are often the successful candidate in competitions held by schools.
However, having considered the claim and, in particular, the period of time since they were set, my Department is open to reviewing the position. My Department has also agreed to a review of the SNA contract which was agreed as part of the Building Momentum national pay agreement. My Department is of the view that the forthcoming review of the SNA contract should be carried out and implemented first.
I am satisfied that the approach outlined fully recognises the important place of SNAs in our schools. The forthcoming review of the SNA contract along with the new training programme for SNAs that is now in place will help to enhance the experience of children with special needs in our schools.
452. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education when the agreed review of the special needs assistant contract as part of the Building Momentum national pay agreement will take place. [8151/22]
View answerA review of the existing SNA contract is one of the commitments agreed under the Building Momentum National Agreement. There has been informal engagement with education partners on the issue and my Department is currently considering the most appropriate approach to the review, with a view to agreeing an approach in Q2 of this year. It remains the aim to have the review completed by the end of the year.
454. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the steps that are being taken to resolve the issue of school secretaries and caretakers being forced to sign on for social welfare payments during school holidays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8159/22]
View answerSchool secretaries and caretakers are valued members of our school communities and my Department is fully aware of the vitally important role played by them in the running of our schools.
The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.
The Department with school management bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on a claim on terms and conditions for grant-funded school secretaries and caretakers. On the 27th of October 2020, under the auspices of the WRC, an understanding was agreed on a pathway to progress the issues. Several key strands were identified, and a phased approach is being taken to the development of proposals.
Following intensive discussions at the WRC on 13th September 2021, there was significant progress in this dispute. Subject to agreement on all elements of the claim, the Department has offered to move School Secretaries’ pay rates to a scale which is aligned with the Clerical Officer Grade III pay scale on a pro rata basis according to a secretary’s current working pattern. The Department has also offered to improve the conditions for School Secretaries with regard to sick leave, annual leave and maternity provisions for this cohort of staff.
Further dialogue has taken place between the parties on these issues since 13 September with the aim of reaching an overall agreement. The talks continue, most recently at a meeting at the WRC on 26 January; the parties are to meet again later this month, following reflection on the matters discussed at that meeting.
While there is agreement in principle to take the same approach to the consideration of appropriate pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers there remains a deficit of data on working terms and conditions of such staff. When the final package for secretaries has been agreed and an implementation plan is in place for schools and for the Department, similar engagement, on regularising the pay and conditions of grant funded caretakers, will begin.
I welcome the continued engagement between the parties and I encourage all stakeholders to focus on finalising an agreement.
455. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details regarding special needs and autism spectrum disorder classes in second-level schools in County Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8161/22]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school-year
I am satisfied that this more joined up approach is delivering. Through this intensive intervention, we have seen an additional 301 special classes, providing over 1,800 new places, opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school-year.
I also acknowledge that notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
The NCSE has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
In terms of Laois, I can confirm that the NCSE is aware of an identified need for additional special classes for students with autism in primary and post-primary schools. Work has been underway with stakeholders for a number of years to meet the demand for places.
We are always grateful to those schools that have responded, and continue to respond positively to meet the educational needs of children in their communities.
Currently, a network of 35 primary special classes, including 4 Early Intervention classes, and 8 post primary special classes provide specialist placements for students with autism in Laois. 6 of these classes were newly established for the current school year.
The NCSE is continuing to engage with primary and post-primary schools throughout County Laois regarding the establishment of additional special classes for 2022/23 and beyond. There are specific plans in place to open additional special classes and every support will be made available to progress their opening in the shortest possible timeframe with a particular focus on September next.
It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.
I want to reassure the Deputy that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
457. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education if a designated SNA will be provided to a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8180/22]
View answerThe NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly, the question has been referred to the NCSE for direct reply.
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.
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.
458. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a copy of the report following the assessment of school (details supplied) by the planning and development unit on 4 November 2020 for a building retrofit. [8187/22]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that a site visit of the school in question was undertaken by a member of my Department’s Professional and Technical Section with a view to establishing the condition of the school and the likely level of capital funding required. My officials are currently considering the report and the options for addressing its findings.
My Department will share the report with the school authorities in the context of agreeing the best approach for addressing the long-term requirements of the school.
459. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education when a special needs class will be approved for a secondary school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8203/22]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.
It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.
The NCSE through their network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers) are currently engaged in a process of establishing new classes for the 2022/2023 school year and beyond. They are looking at local information in relation to projected demand for future special class places.
The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
As the query refers to an individual school, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
460. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education her approach to school planning in the South Dublin County Council area specifically to address the inconsistency in approach to same; the reason the public site in the Grange, Kilcarberry, Clondalkin is not being retained by her Department for future school needs; and the reason a private site within the Ballycullen local area plan remains earmarked as a school site for over 20 years. [8219/22]
View answerMy Department engages with the statutory development plan process for each local authority and makes an assessment on how best to provide for potential future school place requirements likely to emerge as a result of adopted plans . This approach was used in South Dublin.
In Clondalkin, a significant area of new development is planned for the Kilcarbery area. In this regard, a requirement was announced in 2018 to establish a new primary school. The school is not established yet as planned residential development has not proceeded at the pace anticipated. The proposed location for the school is a suitable Minister-owned site which is very close to the development. A decision on the timing of the establishment of this school will be made based on demographic requirements
The Ballycullen/Oldcourt Local Area Plan (extended to June 2024) contains significant zoned land for future residential development that is projected to generate a school requirement for this community. The site to which the Deputy refers is suitable and well positioned to meet the future projected needs of the area. Given the extent of residential land zoned in the area and the consequent potential population, my Department considers it prudent and responsible to retain a suitable site to meet that potential future need.
461. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if she will include the CHO1 area in the extension of the pilot of the school inclusion model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8252/22]
View answerThe School Inclusion Model (SIM) is based on policy advice from the National Council for Special Education based on the principle of providing the right support at the right time delivered by a range of personnel with relevant qualifications and skill-sets. Its purpose is to help students achieve better outcomes. Independent evaluation is a central part of the project and the outcome will inform future policy on extending the SIM. The project includes a number of elements:
- Provision of in-school therapies (speech and language, occupational)
- Allocation of SNAs on a frontloaded basis
- Additional professional supports for the school including psychology, behavioural and professional development
- Training of SNAs
In February 2019, the Government approved the trialling of the Model for the 2019/20 school year. Initially designed as a one year pilot involving up to 75 participating schools in the CHO 7 region, it was interrupted by Covid-19 with the closure of schools and the diversion of HSE therapists from the project to Covid related work. It was then extended to the 2020/21 school year which was also interrupted by Covid.
Progress has been made on aspects of the Model but much remains to be done in terms of in-school implementation and evaluation.
The Pilot has now recommenced in CHO7 and planning for an expansion is underway at present.
My Department is consulting with relevant Departments including Taoiseach, Heath and Children and a Memorandum is expected to be brought to Government shortly.
463. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if her Department and-or the relevant body under her aegis will review the circumstances of a number of children from an area (details supplied); if her attention has been drawn to the fact that requesting these students to pursue numerous appeals for entry to the school causes an inordinate amount of work for all parties involved given the likelihood that children from the area are more likely to attend Naas, County Kildare; if the regulation pertaining to the constant refusal of these children's applications can be reviewed, with particular reference to the annual problems presented due to lack of support from the school transport section on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8258/22]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
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.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2kms at primary and 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest School/Education Centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021/22 school year where such services are in operation. Children who do not qualify for school transport based on the eligibility criteria may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and may be facilitated where spare seats are available after children who are deemed eligible have been accommodated. Where the number of applications for travel on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann allocates tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that, generally, pupils residing in the area referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for transport to the school referred to by the Deputy as they reside closer to other post primary schools. Bus Éireann has also advised that there is currently no mainstream school transport services available from the area referred to by the Deputy to the school in Naas, County Kildare referred to by the Deputy.
In cases where the Department is satisfied that the nearest school is full, eligibility for school transport will be determined based on the distance the pupil resides from their next nearest school having regard to ethos and language. If a family requires further information in regard to the closest school being full they should contact School Transport Section of my Department at school_transport@education.gov.ie
464. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education if she will receive a deputation (details supplied) regarding the acquisition of a site for a new school from a group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8276/22]
View answerOfficials in my Department continue to liaise with officials in Cork City Council in relation to the identification and acquisition of suitable sites for the school in question.
A potential suitable site has been identified in conjunction with the Local Authority and discussions are ongoing with the relevant stakeholders in relation to exploring all options available to my Department to obtain possession of this site.
I appreciate that the process is taking a considerable length of time but I can assure you that the acquisition of a suitable site for the school is very active on the programme of site acquisitions and every effort is being made to secure a suitable site for the school as expeditiously as possible.
Work on securing a permanent site for this school continues to be a priority for my Department. Discussions between officials in my Department, the Local Authority and landowners are ongoing. Being conscious of commercial sensitivities it is not possible to update the school any further at this time. Department officials will continue to update the school Patron on progress and it is hoped that I will be in a position to meet the school at the earliest possible date.
