Niall Collins
Question:301. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education the status of an appeal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18914/22]
View answerDepartmental Functions
Questions (301)
Written answers
I recently announced that from next September the DEIS programme will be extended to an additional 310 schools. 37 schools will also benefit from additional supports following reclassification. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
My Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which they have been identified for inclusion in the DEIS programme. Schools who were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data will now have the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed.
Circular 0019/2022 outlining the details of the appeals process was published recently by my Department and is available at www.gov.ie/en/circular/7e7ca-deis-identification-2022-appeals-process-for-schools/
The closing date for receipt of appeals is April 29th. Schools will be provided with the outcome of appeals in time to allow schools to plan for the 2022/23 school year.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (302)
Patrick O'Donovan
Question:302. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Education if DEIS status will be conferred to schools (details supplied) in County Limerick; if they will be fully amalgamated by the new academic year in September 2022. [18926/22]
View answerWritten answers
I recently announced that from next September the DEIS programme will be extended to an additional 310 schools. 37 schools will also benefit from additional supports following reclassification. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.
The schools referred to by the Deputy are among the 310 additional schools to be included in the DEIS programme from September next as rural DEIS primary schools. I can confirm the newly amalgamated school will retain DEIS rural primary status from 1st September 2022.
Departmental Correspondence
Questions (303)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:303. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education when correspondence (details supplied) will receive a reply. [18955/22]
View answerWritten answers
The correspondence referred to by the Deputy [ DES - CU - 01440-2022] was received in my Department by email on the 22nd March 2022.
The reply to this correspondence has recently issued.
Departmental Staff
Questions (304)
Denis Naughten
Question:304. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of staff within her Department who are based and working with the European Union in Brussels; their present roles and responsibilities; the posts and responsibilities that are presently vacant; the corresponding figures on 23 June 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19030/22]
View answerWritten answers
My Department currently has a member of staff based and working in Brussels as Education Attaché in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union. The post-holder is Attaché for both my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
The Education Attaché has involvement in education issues at all levels in which European policy co-operation is being developed and in Ireland’s participation in European Programmes, including Erasmus+, the European Social Fund, the European Globalisation Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative as well as the European Education Area Initiative, the EU Education and Training Strategy and European Semester process. In addition, the Attaché represents the Department on the Education Committee, the OECD Education Policy Committee in Paris and participates in related OECD activities, as necessary.
In addition, a member of my Department's staff who is currently on special leave without pay, is working with the European Commission.
There are currently no posts based in the European Union in Brussels vacant.
The position on 23 June 2016, was that my Department had an Education Attaché in Brussels and another employee of my Department was seconded to the European Commission in Brussels as Seconded National Expert to the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (305)
Paul Kehoe
Question:305. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the status of progress on a building project for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19076/22]
View answerWritten answers
The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB) to form part of a shared campus.
The design team has been appointed for the project and is currently preparing the Stage 1 report (preliminary design), which is nearing completion.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, WWETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
School Staff
Questions (306)
Michael Lowry
Question:306. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the way that a teacher (details supplied) can transfer their reckonable teaching hours worked at secondary level over to primary level; if these hours can be used to increase their current pay scale point on the primary teachers’ pay scale; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19077/22]
View answerWritten answers
I can advise the Deputy that my Department operates a scheme where incremental salary scale progression attained in the post primary teaching sector can be transferred to the primary teaching sector.
Once the reckonable service thresholds are met by a teacher in the sector they are working in they will receive incremental salary progression to the next point on the scale.
An official from my Department has been in direct contact with the individual teacher concerned and outlined the requirements for incremental progression in the post primary sector and the requirements for recognition of this service for increment purposes in the primary sector.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (307)
Bernard Durkan
Question:307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress that has been made to date in respect of the various preliminaries associated with the three-school campus project in Celbridge, County Kildare (details supplied); the degree to which her Department has completed all formalities or partly thereof in preparation for the onsite start of the project; if Kildare County Council has completed its road preliminaries which may affect the project; when she expects to be in a position to facilitate onsite development works given the urgency of the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19092/22]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
A letter was issued to the school on the 18th February 2022. This letter advised the school that the NDFA will write to them once all the preparation works are complete to make arrangements to meet to discuss the project brief for the school and the expected timeline for the project.
Conveyancing for the site acquisition for this project is at an advanced stage. Due to the commercially sensitive nature of site acquisitions generally, it is not possible to comment further at this stage.
School Funding
Questions (308)
Niall Collins
Question:308. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide additional assistance and resources for a school (details supplied); if her Department will contact the school which has recently received additional Ukrainian pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19126/22]
View answerWritten answers
My Department wrote to all schools on 15 March and on 5 April 2022 regarding the provision of supports for children arriving from Ukraine. These supports include provisions for English language supports for children with very little or no English.
The Teacher Allocation Unit of the Department is currently processing applications for additional teaching resources and EAL, and this is likely to increase as more children arrive from the Ukraine into Irish schools. The school referred to by the Deputy should submit an application for English language supports as outlined in the letter of 5 April 2022.
School Staff
Questions (309)
Niamh Smyth
Question:309. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the way that a teacher can become involved with a group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19128/22]
View answerWritten answers
The Minister has recently announced the establishment of a National Policy Group for Guidance. The group, recommended by Indecon in its review of Career Guidance Tools and Information, comprises senior officials from relevant Departments including the Department of Education, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
The key role of the National Policy Group will be to develop a coherent long term strategic framework for lifelong guidance. As set out in the Terms of Reference for the group, each Department will engage with relevant stakeholders to guide and advise its work. The Department of Education has commenced work on the establishment of an Advisory Group on Guidance for schools comprising key stakeholders to inform its own work in this area. The Department will consider how teachers and Guidance Counsellors can best be represented on its Advisory Group through national representative organisations. The Department may also in time establish working groups to further progress various elements of work if necessary. Membership of any working groups will be considered in the context of the work required.
As with all policy development work undertaken by the Department, it is likely that there will be a public consultation phase included in this policy development process at which time individuals will be able to provide input/ observations.
School Accommodation
Questions (310)
Brendan Smith
Question:310. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that an application is approved at the earliest possible date in view of the need to provide additional accommodation at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19142/22]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question.
Officials from my Department have corresponded with Cavan/Monaghan ETB in relation to this application and on receipt of their response, the application will be progressed and a decision will issue to the ETB directly.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
Departmental Programmes
Questions (311)
Gary Gannon
Question:311. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the status of the School Completion Programme transfer to the Department; when the transfer will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19146/22]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy the education welfare functions vested in the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 and the administration of the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP), were transferred to the Minister for Education with effect from 1st January 2021, in line with Transfer of Functions Order, SI 588 of 2020.
Notwithstanding the change in Ministerial remit, the School Completion Programme forms part of Tusla Education Support Service; the arrangements in place between Tusla and SCP have not changed.
Defibrillators Provision
Questions (312)
Holly Cairns
Question:312. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if defibrillators are installed in all offices and buildings accessible by the public in her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19167/22]
View answerWritten answers
I can confirm to the Deputy that defibrillators are available in my Department's main offices in Athlone, Tullamore and Marlborough Street and Blanchardstown in Dublin.
In addition, my Department promotes a policy of recruitment and training of Occupational First Aiders from within its internal staff cohort. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the operation of Automated External Defibrillator devices are both primary components of such training programmes.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document, should the Deputy wish to contact the aegis bodies directly with her query.
Departmental Contracts
Questions (313)
Ged Nash
Question:313. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education the total value of consultancy contracts awarded to an organisation (details supplied) for work with her Department and bodies under auspices of her Department in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19186/22]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has not awarded contracts to the named company in the years 2017 to 2021.
Information in relation to consultancy expenditure in my Department is compiled annually in respect of the previous year and published online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills-expenditure-on-consultancy/ The data in respect of 2021 is being compiled at present and will be published online as soon as it is available.
My officials have been in contact with the agencies under the remit of my Department in regard to the Deputy’s query. I am advised that the bodies have no contracts that fall within the scope of the Deputy's question.
Child Poverty
Questions (314)
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:314. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 in relation to child poverty considering the context of rising inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18936/22]
View answerWritten answers
The cost of living, having remained relatively flat for a number of years, has seen an increase in recent months. The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025 is a whole of Government strategy, which aims to reduce consistent poverty and improve social inclusion in Ireland, with specific commitments focusing on children and families. The Roadmap recognises the importance of child related services, working in conjunction with income supports, in reducing child poverty.
The most recent data from the 2020 Survey on Income and Living Conditions was published in December 2021. It shows the consistent poverty rate for children was 8.0%, which is in line with trends in recent years, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Government will continue to focus on measures aimed at reducing the number of children experiencing poverty.
The Department of Social Protection offers a range of supports to children and families to alleviate poverty. Recent Budgets have consistently targeted supports on reducing the number of children in poverty and deprivation. This reflects the Roadmap commitment to continue to target a reduction in poverty among children and families on low incomes as part of the annual budget process. In line with this approach, Budget 2022 included:
- an increase of €5 per week to all Working Age payments with proportionate increases for qualified adults;
- an increase to the weekly qualified child payment by €2 to €40 for children up to age 12, and by €3 to €48 for children aged over 12;
- an increase of €10 per week in the Working Family Payment thresholds for families of all sizes; and
- an increase of €10 in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) for older and younger children, accompanied by an increase in the weekly income limit for receipt of BSCFA for a one parent household to match that of a two-parent household.
This has occurred alongside Roadmap commitments under the Department’s remit to support children and families, such as the extension of Parent’s Benefit; the provision of the School Meals programme; and the development and rollout of the Hot School Meals programme.
The above-mentioned supports are accompanied by a range of measures delivered across Government, including:
- prevention and early intervention initiatives and supports for parents through the work of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, including implementation of the First 5 Strategy;
- the rollout of free GP care to children and the provision of medical cards to families on low incomes under the Department of Health and
- the continuing delivery of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme by the Department of Education.
Progress in relation to the implementation of Roadmap commitments over the period January 2020 to September 2021 was published in January.
The social impact assessment of Budget 2022, produced by the Department using the ESRI's tax-benefit model, SWITCH, found that the tax and welfare measures in Budget 2022 most positively impacted non-earning parents (both single and couples), who would be vulnerable to child poverty.
Official poverty data from the 2021 Survey on Income and Living Conditions is expected to be released by the CSO in April 2022 and will provide a more up-to-date picture of poverty levels, including child poverty, in Ireland.