Written Answers Nos. 823-846
823. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on a school building programme for a school (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19313/22]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my officials are examining the long term accommodation needs of Cornamaddy National School. My officials will be in touch with the school authorities directly when a decision has been reached.
824. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will be added to the list for school transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19342/22]
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.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that details for the school, referred to by the Deputy, are available on the Bus Éireann family portal for school transport applications. Families can select this school when they are applying for school transport.
825. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) remains as a recognised national school with her Department; the roll number of the school; if the property is to be disposed of; if her Department has the means to recoup or otherwise retrieve capital grants or otherwise expended in the building development and the maintenance of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19437/22]
View answerI wish to advise the deputy that the decision making authority for a school closure is the Patron of the school, and this is subject to the agreement of the Department. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders, parents, teachers, students and local communities and follow decisions taken at local level.
Following a decrease in enrolments and a nil enrolment return for September 2019, the Department approved the request from the Patron to close the school in 2019 (roll number 18195R). The Patron was also informed that notification issued to all relevant sections in the Department to withdraw recognition and grants from the school in question.
When a school building becomes vacant as a result of closure or amalgamation, the future use of the building is in the first instance a matter for the Patron. When the Patron applies to the Minister for permission to either use the property for community purposes or to sell it, my Department makes an assessment as to whether the property is required for future educational use. If it is concluded that the property has no viable future educational use, my Department permits that it may be used for community or other purposes or may be sold. It is a matter for the Patron to decide if the property is to be disposed of.
In relation to recouping capital expenditure, it is a policy decision of the Department as to whether or not pro-rata recoupment of capital expenditure is sought when a surrender or partial surrender is applied for. No pro-rata recoupment will be required if the partial divesting is for land only. Decisions are made on receipt of such requests on a case by case basis taking account of issues relating to each individual school.
826. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if advice will be provided concerning matters raised by a school (details supplied) in relation to an exceptional review of its mainstream special needs assistant allocation which was submitted to the National Council for Special Education in October 2021; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this school has no permanent special educational needs organisers in place since September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19438/22]
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.
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.
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 timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
The NCSE have confirmed that the letter detailing the outcome of the exceptional review issued to the school on 21st March last advising that the application did not meet the criteria for a change in the SNA allocation to the school and of the retention of the current mainstream allocation of 2.33 SNAs.
Where a school is dissatisfied with how their exceptional review has been processed or is dissatisfied with the outcome of their exceptional review they can appeal. Applications for Appeal may be submitted through the NCSE Schools Portal: ncse.ie/school-support.
Regarding the filling of the vacant SENO post, the NCSE state that the recruitment process is currently ongoing and the SENO assigned to provide interim cover remains available to the school and to parents to provide advice and support.
827. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to allow student teachers that are already registered with the Teaching Council to keep their council registration number though availing of a renewal of their registration upon qualification rather than being obliged to re-register as is the case under the current system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19439/22]
View answerUnder the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State. It acts in the interests of the public good while upholding and enhancing standards in the teaching profession.
The Teaching Council registers teachers in line with the requirements set out in the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016.Section 30 of the Act makes it a requirement for teachers to register with the Teaching Council in order to be paid from State funds.
The Council has a streamlined "fast-track" application process in place for Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) who wish to register with the Council. This process is in place for all newly qualified primary and post primary teachers including PME student teachers who are already registered with the Teaching Council under ‘Route 3 – Further Education’. PME student teachers that are already registered under Route 3 can apply to register under their qualified route of qualification i.e., Route 1 for primary teachers and Route 2 for post-primary teachers, under the “fast -track” process and will maintain the same registration number.
Furthermore, an amendment to the Teaching Council Registration Regulations has been approved and signed which will enable student teachers on undergraduate teacher education programmes to apply for registration with the Council under Route 5 – Student Teachers. These student teachers must have successfully completed?the first two years of their undergraduate teacher education programme. The Council is currently developing systems and processes to support the registration and vetting of these student teachers. Once these are available, all eligible student teachers will be contacted by the Council and invited to apply for registration as a student teacher.
Student teachers who register with the Teaching Council under Route 5 will be granted registration with conditions for a period of 1 to 2 years depending on their year of qualification. One of such conditions will be that the student teacher must remain a registered teacher on an accredited undergraduate programme in teacher education. On successful completion of their teacher education programme, there will be a “fast-track” application process in place for student teachers who wish to apply to continue their registration under their qualified route of qualification i.e., Route 1 for primary teachers and Route 2 for post-primary teachers.
828. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education the supports that are available to parents who are unable to secure the July provision summer programme and are experiencing difficulties in sourcing a tutor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19442/22]
View answer830. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education her plans for the way in which the July provision will be offered in 2022; and if pupils will be offered both home and school based July provision. [19451/22]
View answer879. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if consideration would be given to running the summer provision from regional locations or regional schools bearing in mind the low participation rate from individual schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19945/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 828, 830 and 879 together.
My Department ran an expanded summer education programme for Summer 2021, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under this expansion, students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage had access to an enhanced summer programme of education. The total funding available to provide the programme was €40 million, which was a one hundred per cent increase on the allocation for summer provision in 2020.
The programme’s aims were to support pupils to re-engage with education, to build their confidence and increase their motivation, promote wellbeing and for some who are at key transition stages, help to ensure they could move on to their planned educational placement for the start of the next school year along with their peers.
For the first time ever, all schools (primary and-post primary) were encouraged to provide summer programmes and the eligibility criteria was extended to include post-primary children with complex needs and children at risk of educational disadvantage. Prior to this expansion, summer programmes were only available to special schools and pupils in special classes in primary schools and in DEIS schools. Overall, 37,977 pupils participated in the 2021 summer programme across both home and school-based elements, which represented an increase of 65% on participation in the 2020 programme.
This year’s programme is building upon 2021’s increased participation figures and in this regard, there will be extensive engagement with stakeholders and promotional material published to promote this year’s programme.
Summer programmes in post primary schools were provided for the first time in 2020, the number of schools who participated increased by over 37% in 2021 and it is hoped building upon last year’s success and with increased awareness of the new programme, will see a further increase in the number of schools who are prepared to offer such programmes this year.
A key objective of this year is to support schools in offering the summer programme to their students. The aim is to afford schools as much flexibility as possible. The availability of teachers and SNAs has been identified previously as a concern. In planning for this, the Department has considered feedback from schools and what worked well in 2021. The Department has held further consultation with education partners and stakeholders in this regard. Measures are being put in place to increase the number of teachers available to work on the programme this year, on both the home and school-based programmes.
The details of the programme are currently being finalised and will shortly be communicated to all schools and published on www.gov.ie.
829. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if a series of books (details supplied) will be placed on the recommended list for schools through the Professional Development Service for Teachers process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19446/22]
View answerMy Department does not promote or endorse any particular product, programme or resource to be used by schools, this decision is taken at school level.
Aside from a number of prescribed texts at post-primary level, schools have significant autonomy to identify the books which best suits their needs. The only requirement of schools from my Department in this regard, is that the school delivers the curriculum put forward by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the way in which they do this is a matter for the school – its Board of Management, leaders, teachers, parents and learners.
An individual may approach schools directly with a book, and a list of schools is available on the Department’s website, though it is up to each individual school whether they avail of the service or not.
831. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education the current status and estimated timeframe for completion of the planning application for new autism classes in a school (details supplied). [19457/22]
View answerThe schools to which the Deputy refers were granted approval for a joint project to construct a 4 Classroom SEN Base under the Additional Accommodation Scheme 2021 and notification of this approval was issued to the school authorities in June 2021. Confirmation of the appointment of the project's Design Team was returned to the Department in October 2021.
Currently the project is at the beginning of the Design Process and surveys are taking place, the results of which will determine how the school and its Design Team progress the project, through the submission of a Stage 1 Design Report to the Department for review.
It is too early in the process to estimate a timeframe for completion of this project.
832. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will expedite an application by a school (details supplied) for a prefabricated building to deal with the influx of Ukrainian pupils. [19492/22]
View answerMy Department received this application for Additional School Accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy on 20 April 2022. My Department is are aware that in particular this area is accommodating a significant number of Ukrainians which has put pressure on surrounding schools to accommodate pupils.
Utilisation of each school’s existing capacity in the most flexible way possible will be key to supporting Ukrainian children who are being enrolled in our schools. The surveys of the school system have generally shown good capacity across the country albeit there may be capacity pressures to be managed in some areas. Contingency arrangements will be put in place to manage these capacity pressures.
It is very important for existing capacity in a town or area to be fully utilised before looking at additional accommodation requirements either via off-site or modular accommodation solutions etc. This will require good cooperation and collaboration between schools supported as necessary through the local Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) whose primary role is to assist children in finding school places and to support schools to meet the needs of these children as they emerge. Capacity information on the school system is being made available by the Department’s Planning and Building Unit to support and assist the work of the REALT teams.
My Department’s assessment of any applications for additional accommodation will include consideration of whether capacity across all other schools in the town or area is fully utilised.
The application from the school referred to by the Deputy is currently being assessed and my Department will be in communication with the school in this respect shortly.
833. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will consider an application by a school (details supplied) for a full-time EAL position. [19493/22]
View answerIn response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive, the Government has adopted a whole of government approach to supporting the people who arrive here.
The Department of Education is working with the whole education sector, including aegis bodies and education partners to advance planning in regard to access to education for school-aged children and providing supports both to their families and schools.
As set out in a letter issued to all schools on 5th April, EAL support is available to schools that have enrolled Ukrainian pupils. With reference to the table of allocations set out in that letter, the school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated EAL support of 20 hours per week until the end of June.
834. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will consider an application by a school (details supplied) for a full-time EAL position. [19494/22]
View answer930. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that the required additional teaching posts for a school (details supplied) are sanctioned before the commencement of the new school term. [20696/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 834 and 930 together.
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 30th September.
The staffing arrangements also include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. A staffing appeals process is also available to schools. Information and application forms are available in Circular 25/2022.
As set out in a letter issued to all schools on 5th April, EAL support is available to schools that have enrolled Ukrainian pupils. The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated EAL support of 15 hours per week until the end of June.
835. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will liaise with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann to urgently expedite school transport for all schools in County Clare which have taken in Ukrainian pupils. [19495/22]
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 the 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.
The Department of Education in consultation with Bus Éireann has put in place a new process to facilitate the provision of School Transport Scheme Services for children arriving to Ireland from Ukraine. For children residing with a host family or for children of Ukrainian families living in their own private accommodation, an application for school transport can be made via a link to a form (which is also be available in Ukrainian and Russian) for families/host families to complete in order to apply for school transport. This form is available on Gov.ie. Children will be accommodated quickly on existing services where there is capacity. Children will not be charged for their ticket and normal eligibility criteria will be waived. If there is no service or capacity, a grant may be offered to the family as appropriate.
For families and children residing in accommodation centres (or similar), school principals may apply for transport for children attending their school who are residing in such accommodation. School principals should complete the information required on a form which is available on Gov.ie and return it to their local REALT co-ordinator. The information will be submitted by REALT to School Transport Section of the Department of Education, which will in turn liaise with Bus Éireann in order to provide school transport services as required.
To date, a number of school transport services have been established in County Clare for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.
Applications for school transport continue to be received and the Department is continuing to liaise with Bus Éireann to provide transport arrangements as required.
836. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she and her Department officials have made a determination yet on case EDU-CU-OIR-02946-2021 relating to the request made by a person (details supplied) for a further extension to their career break on exceptional circumstances basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19524/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that, under the terms of the Scheme, 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 a maximum of 10 years absence in he course of the teacher's career.
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.
As this individual has already availed of 5 years, in accordance with the terms of the scheme, my Department is not be in a position to extend his Career Break any further at this time.
837. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the details of the name, salary, position and roles of persons who are being paid for by her Department for secondment to another public, private or semi-private entity, in tabular form, following the announcement that the salary of a person (details supplied) being seconded to Trinity College, Dublin will be paid by the Department of Health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19545/22]
View answerThere is one employee of my Department, at Principal Officer (PO) level, paid by my Department *, who is seconded to Caranua (Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board), an aegis body of the Department of Education. This officer is employed as a temporary resource to facilitate the orderly winding down of Caranua.
There are no other Department of Education officials on secondment to organisations in the wider public, private or semi-private sectors whose costs are being met from the Department’s payroll. Please note that for administrative purposes, Department officials on secondment to outside organisations may continue to be paid through the Department’s payroll arrangements with the National Shared Services Office (NSSO) but the salary costs are then recouped to the Department of Education.
* Paid in accordance with the standard PPC - Personal Pension Contribution Pay Scale for POs in the civil service (€91,609 €95,496 €99,354 €103,240 €106,518 €109,917¹ €113,313²).
838. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit run apprenticeship programmes or are directly engaged in the training of apprentices; if so, the number of apprentices involved; the specialties in which they are being trained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19581/22]
View answerMy Department is not currently involved in running apprenticeship programmes or in the training of apprentices, but is represented on the recently formed Public Service Apprenticeship Recruitment Working Group which is exploring potential apprenticeship routes for employment into the civil and public service.
My Department participated in a pilot ICT apprenticeship programme run by the civil service in 2019 and five of the apprentices who completed the programme in 2021 are now employed as permanent staff in the IT unit of my Department.
My Department does not hold records regarding apprenticeships for public bodies under its remit. The contact information for the bodies under this Department's aegis is set out at the link for the Deputy's convenience.
839. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) will be provided with an extra year of school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19604/22]
View answerSpecial schools funded by my Department are classified as primary national schools and are intended, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 64(1) of the Rules for National Schools, to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from the age of 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.
Special schools may however seek approval from my Department for an exemption from Rule 64(1) in respect of students over the age of 18 who are pursuing courses leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/LCA/FETAC 3).
A request for an exemption from Rule 64(1) can only be made by a school where:
1. The student is pursuing a course leading to accreditation on the National Qualifications Framework (e.g. Junior Certificate/Leaving Certificate Applied/FETAC 3)
2. The student requires one additional year in order to complete their course
3. Retaining the student in the school for another school year will not prevent a younger pupil being enrolled there
4. Plans are in place to transition the student to a post-school setting at the end of the 2022/2023 school year
Special schools are invited each year to make applications for exemptions from Rule 64(1) in respect of pupils who meet the above criteria.
Where the criteria are met, my Department will approve the exemptions.
840. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the issues presenting at a school (details supplied); if she will instigate a departmental investigation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19606/22]
View answer842. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the complaint process for persons who feels that the Special Educational Needs Act 2004 is not being complied with. [19617/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 840 and 842 together.
A school's Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of the school. The Board of Management is accountable to the school patron.
Accordingly, whereas my Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, it does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. My Department's role is to clarify for parents and students how their grievances and complaints against a school can be progressed.
Where there is cause for complaint from a parent, matters would normally be addressed to the individual teacher or school Principal as appropriate. If matters cannot be resolved at that level, then a complaint can be addressed to the school’s Board of Management.
A school may have a formal complaints process in which case this should be followed in pursuing any complaint.
Where a parent is of the view that the school's managerial authority has failed to investigate or adequately investigate their complaint, it is open to the parent to raise the matter with the patron of the school.
Parents and students may also raise a concern with the Ombudsman for Children. The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised by my Department, provided the parent/student has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions or non-actions of a school has, or, may have, adversely affected the child.
Further information is available on the Department’s website: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/complaints-about-schools/.
841. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if it is required for school principals to be registered with the Teaching Council. [19616/22]
View answerYes, in accordance with Department circulars an applicant for the post of Principal in a school must be fully registered for the sector with the Teaching Council to meet the eligibility criteria for the post.
In accordance with Department recruitment circulars, which are available on the Department’s website under www.gov.ie/education, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified teachers.
843. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education the number of persons employed by her Department and bodies under the aegis of her Department with a rate of pay below the living wage of €12.30; the role that those persons occupy within her Department or relevant body; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19625/22]
View answerAn hourly rate of €12.30, based on a 37 hour standard net working week, equates to an annual salary of €23,747. There is one member of cleaning staff in my Department currently earning just below this annual salary amount. This person is on a salary scale that provides for them to progress to a higher point on the salary scale through incremental progression, subject to satisfactory performance. There are no staff currently employed in bodies under the aegis of my Department earning less than this suggested living wage.
844. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if a full-time SNA will be sanctioned for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19646/22]
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.
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.
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 timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
Where a school is dissatisfied with how their exceptional review has been processed or is dissatisfied with the outcome of their exceptional review they can appeal. Applications for Appeal may be submitted through the NCSE Schools Portal: ncse.ie/school-support.
845. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a progress report on a school (details supplied); if tenders have been awarded to begin the school builds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19691/22]
View answerThe Letter of Intent (LOI) issued on the 15th of February 2022 to the preferred tenderer. This allows the preferred bidder to put in place the Bond, Insurances and confirmations of all legal arrangements required under the Contract.
Following receipt of all the necessary documentation, the Department will be in a position to issue the Letter of Acceptance (LOA), which will allow the contractor to mobilise on site.
My Department will advise the Board of Management when the Letter of Acceptance issues.
846. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education if her Department has plans to build a new additional secondary school in Midleton, County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19692/22]
View answerFor school planning purposes, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements. Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand.
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.
The Department's projections of post primary school place requirements in East Cork show an anticipated continued growth in enrolments in the short- to medium-term.
In response to meeting the demand for projected future demographic demand in the area, a new post-primary school, Carrigtwohill Community College, was established in 2016. A project to deliver a new, modern 1,000 pupil permanent school building for the school is underway. The building project for Carrigtwohill campus will accommodate two primary schools and a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building for Carrigtwohill Community College and is being delivered under the Department’s Design and Build Programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction.
The Letter of Intent (LOI) issued on the 15th of February 2022 to the preferred tenderer. This allows the preferred bidder to put in place the Bond, Insurances and confirmations of all legal arrangements required under the Contract. Following receipt of all the necessary documentation, the Department will be in a position to issue the Letter of Acceptance (LOA), which will allow the contractor to mobilise on site. My Department will advise the Board of Management when the Letter of Acceptance issues.
Once the successful contractor is appointed, the Department’s project manager will liaise with the contractor to ensure that the Community College is prioritised and delivered as early as possible within the Contractor’s Programme of Works for the campus.
In the meantime, additional accommodation has been approved for Carrigtwohill Community College for September 2022 which includes 6 general classrooms, a home-economics room, SEN Class and ancillary accommodation. This accommodation is being delivered by Cork ETB.
The Department’s school building 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.
An extension at St. Colman's Community College, Midleton has recently been completed to cater for up to 1,000 pupils. A number of other large scale school building projects are also in train to cater for similar pupil numbers. This includes expanded capacity at Christian Brothers Secondary School and St. Mary's High School in Midleton. In addition, St. Aloysius College, Carrigtwohill will expand to cater for 1,000 pupils, Pobalscoil na Tríonóide in Youghal for 1,200 pupils, and Coláiste Mhuire and Carrignafoy Community College, both in Cobh, for 600 and over 700 pupils respectively.
Under Project Ireland 2040, the Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. It is expected that the enrolment pressures in East Cork, and other areas, will reduce in the short-term as such planned additional capacity comes on stream and as demographic demand moves past its peak.
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in East Cork, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures 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 they are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities. In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, the Department is engaging with patron bodies, including patrons of schools in East Cork areas, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
The Department understands that principals of schools in the area have had a number of meetings to establish an overall picture of school place requirements for the next academic year. The Department will continue to have close engagement with the relevant school patrons and authorities in order to monitor the situation and implement any solutions which may be required.
Additionally, the Department will continue to work to advance the planned and current building projects in East Cork and to ensure sufficient places for both mainstream provision and for pupils with special education requirements both for the coming academic year and into the future.
The Department is working to ensure that sufficient capacity is in place to meet the needs of post-primary schools in the Cork East school area through the delivery of the building projects that are planned or in train as well as through the Department’s engagement with patron bodies in identifying specific capacity pressure points priorities for September 2022 which will necessitate specific action. The Department is satisfied that the current planned projects for the school planning area will cater for future demand without the necessity for a further post-primary school in Midleton but will keep the planning area under review.
