Written Answers Nos. 282-294
282. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been brought to emails sent from the Teaching Council on 27 April, 2022; if its mailing list was accessed or hacked; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22187/22]
View answerThe Teaching Council have informed the department that on Wednesday, 27 April 2022 the Teaching Council issued a communication to the register of teachers using its bulk email system. Soon after the email issued, it came to the attention of Teaching Council staff that the scheduled email did not issue and in its place a default template response was sent by the system in error.
Once the Council became aware of this error, the matter was investigated and it was quickly identified that the error was the result of a recent technical update to the bulk email system. It was further confirmed that it was not the result of a hack or other malicious event. The matter was rectified that day and shortly after all registered teachers received an email advising of the technical fault.
A copy of this email was published on the Council’s website to provide the necessary reassurance to teachers.
I wish to acknowledge the concern that this may have caused to teachers on the register, and the Council also wish to thanks those affected by the email system fault for their co-operation and understanding of this matter. The Council also confirm it is responding to all emails received as a result of this fault.
283. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention been brought to an RSE programme in a school (details supplied) that excluded LGBTQI+ relationships and contraception from its curriculum; her views on whether this is adequate RSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22188/22]
View answerAccess to Relationships and Sexuality Education, or RSE, is an important right for students. This is reflected in the Programme for Government, which states that this Government will develop inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and Social, Personal and Health Education across primary and post-primary schools.
Social, Personal and Health Education, or SPHE for short, is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. RSE is required at all levels in schools, from primary through to Senior Cycle.
All schools are required to have an RSE policy that is developed in consultation with the school community, including school management, parents, teachers and students as appropriate. The school’s programme for Relationship and Sexuality Education is developed and taught in the context of the school’s RSE policy. In addition, schools are required to teach all aspects of the RSE programme, including family planning, sexually transmitted infections and sexual orientation. It is important to note that the ethos of the school should never preclude learners from acquiring the knowledge about the issues.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment was requested to conduct a review of RSE provision in Irish schools, focussing on a range of topics including healthy positive, sexual expression and relationships and LGBTQ+ matters. The NCCA published “The Report on the Review of Relationships and Sexuality Education in primary and post-primary schools” in December, 2019.
This report resulted in the NCCA establishing two development groups, one for primary and one for post-primary, to oversee the work of developing an updated curriculum materials in this area and supporting the development of guidance material for schools.
The immediate focus of the NCCA work has been on creating support materials for teachers as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit. This Toolkit aims to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE and to deepen teachers' understanding and skills in addressing important and sensitive topics.
The NCCA Toolkit will be expanded during 2022 to include further age and stage appropriate guidance for teachers on how to address these topics within the SPHE classroom.
In tandem with this work, preparation for the broader redeveloping and updating of the SPHE curriculum has begun. Updated curricula will be developed for Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.
A draft revised Junior Cycle specification is due to be agreed at NCCA Council in early Summer, with a public consultation to follow when schools return in September. The final revised specification is due to be completed by the end of 2022 and rolled out in schools from September 2023.
In redeveloping the SPHE curriculum, the NCCA will be making explicit the importance of fostering young people's self-awareness and self-esteem and building the foundational skills and dispositions needed for building caring and healthy relationships (including respectful communication, showing empathy, and appreciating difference).
The Department of Education continues to work closely with the NCCA to determine the approach to best give effect to the commitment in the Programme for Government on this important issue. Should this work identify legislative changes as being needed, the Government is committed to doing so, as set out in the Programme for Government.
284. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education the reason section 2.4 of Circulars 52 and 53 of 2019 refer to an Appeal of an Irish exemption refusal when it is only a review of the procedures followed by schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22213/22]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the exceptional criteria for granting an exemption from the study of Irish are set out in section 2.2. of both circular 0052/2019 (primary) and circular 0053/2019 (post primary). There are no other circumstances in which a school can consider granting an exemption from the study of Irish. For reasons of equity, there is no alternative process for considering the granting of exemptions based on other criteria or individual circumstances.
In line with other department policies in the area of special educational needs, the 2019 circulars move away from a diagnostic categorical model to a needs-based model. The circulars require the school to demonstrate evidence of intervention and differentiated support for those children/students who struggle with literacy, as well as the current level of in-school testing on discrete tests of word reading, reading comprehension or spelling. This includes using evidence of needs over time. As part of this process the school will administer discrete tests to identify the needs of the student. It is these test results which inform intervention and need for any additional support, including an exemption from the study of Irish.
Where a pupil does not meet the criteria for granting an exemption from the study of Irish, then the school is required to provide a differentiated approach to language learning in accordance with the curriculum, to enable the pupil to engage with their learning in an inclusive school environment and at a level appropriate to their individual needs and ability.
As set out in Section 8 of circular 0052/2019 and Section 7 of circular 0053/2019, the Department is currently carrying out an initial review of the operation of the circulars.
285. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the details of secondments from her Department to the university third level sector over the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22247/22]
View answerThere has been one secondment from my Department to the university third level sector in the last two years. The former Secretary General of the Department has completed his term of office as Secretary General and is now on secondment to Maynooth University for a term which will expire on his reaching his preserved pension age. This arrangement follows two Government decisions in 2011 and 2021 which dealt with this matter. This is in line with the Top Level Appointments Committee review of special retirement severance terms for Secretaries General.
286. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a progress report on planning and delivery in relation to two school projects (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22270/22]
View answerThe permanent school building projects for the schools referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the projects through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
The first post-primary school referred to by the Deputy is currently located in suitable interim accommodation at the Firhouse Community College site, pending delivery of interim accommodation on the school’s permanent site.
Work has commenced on site to deliver the interim accommodation on the permanent site and the school will re-locate to this accommodation for the 2022/2023 school year.
The permanent accommodation plans continue to be progressed while taking account of the interim accommodation. A pre-planning meeting with the local authority has taken place and developed design work is ongoing. Until such time as planning permission is secured for the permanent accommodation it is not possible to provide a timeline for its delivery. My Department will continue to keep the patron body and the school informed of developments.
The second post-primary school referred to by the Deputy opened in interim accommodation in the Citywest Campus in 2020, with additional interim accommodation provided to cater for the 2021/22 school year.
The final grant of planning permission for the project was received in March 2021. My Department’s Project Manager together with their Design Team are engaged in the preparation of tender documentation for the project. My Department is considering the timeline for the progression to tender of a number of Design & Build projects, including the permanent accommodation for this school and will advise the school's patron body further as soon as possible.
Pending delivery of the permanent building project, my Department will continue to address the interim accommodation needs of the school in conjunction with the school’s patron body.
287. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to roll-out English language classes for Ukrainian children over the summer months to help them integrate into school classrooms in the new school year this September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22277/22]
View answerYesterday, Minister Madigan and I announced a summer education programme for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage for summer 2022.
Building on the successful 2021 programme, all schools (primary and post-primary) will once again be encouraged to provide summer programmes including post-primary children with complex needs and children at risk of educational disadvantage.
The Inclusion element of this programme also offers an opportunity for schools to address the needs of migrant students such as addressing English language skills and integration, including students who have recently arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.
288. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the details of the schools in the Dublin 9 and Dublin 11 area which are still operating out of portacabins; the plans in place to provide permanent building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22290/22]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that it is the policy of my Department to ensure a high standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. However, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population over the last decade or more it is sometimes necessary to put in place interim accommodation solutions to meet the needs of schools. Given the timeframes for the acquisition of suitable sites, design, statutory planning processes, tendering and construction, it is often necessary for newly established schools to commence operation in such interim accommodation.
The school building programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in the areas to which the Deputy refers, may be viewed on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In the case of those building projects in the areas in question that have temporary accommodation on site, this will be replaced with permanent accommodation as part of the schools' building project. A list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The 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. Details of schools listed on this programme (the Additional Accommodation Scheme) can also be found on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is also updated regularly.
As the Deputy may be aware, it is my Department's intention, in collaboration with City of Dublin ETB (CDETB), to develop two new 1,000 pupil post primary school buildings and permanent accommodation for an eight classroom primary school on the CDETB Whitehall site. The post primary schools will provide circa 1,200 additional co-educational, multi-denominational post primary school places in North Dublin City to meet the demographic need in the area. Additionally, these new school buildings will provide eight classrooms for pupils with special educational needs.
My Department is now initiating the planning process for this strategic development which will include engagement with the relevant stakeholders.
In the meantime, additional interim accommodation is being provided at the post primary school on the Whitehall site to facilitate its continued expansion pending the construction of the new school building. Arrangements are also being made for further accommodation to be provided for the primary school in its current interim facility.
289. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to an issue facing blind leaving certificate students of Irish such as a person (details supplied) in which in the sraith pictúir section of the Irish oral exam blind students are being asked to learn off 100’s of paragraphs to describe pictures they cannot see; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that is an issue which was first raised by the expert advisory group on certificate examinations report in 2000; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that a fairer and more suitable replacement portion for the test can be found; and if she will contact the State Examinations Commission to ask them to resolve the issue for this years’ students. [22313/22]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
290. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a schedule of fines and totality of the amount paid in respect of fines issued by the EU on her Department for failing to transpose EU directives; if she will include the directive that was not transposed on time; and if she will indicate the directives that are still not fully transposed for the past 25 years to date in 2022. [22322/22]
View answerThere have been no fines issued by the EU on the Department of Education for failing to transpose EU Directives for the past 25 years to date in 2022.
291. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if she engaged with a teaching organisation (details supplied) on her announced changes to the Leaving Certificate. [22358/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, on 29 March I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.
The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:
- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century
- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system
- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels
In my announcement I set out a clear vision for Senior Cycle, building upon the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA’s) Advisory Report. The NCCA’s review of senior cycle involved an extensive range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders.
In particular, the second phase of the NCCA's review, which took place over 2018 and 2019, involved a school review and national seminar series. Teachers, students and parents in a representative cross-section of schools nationwide took part in a review of the existing senior cycle.
The third phase of the review also invited individuals and organisations, including teachers and teacher representative organisations, to participate in a public consultation process, leading to the publication of a Public Consultation Report in December 2019.
The NCCA also commissioned external expertise to support the process, including the ESRI and the OECD.
I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received correspondence from the organisation referred to regarding that announcement. This correspondence is currently being examined by my officials, and a response will issue shortly.
292. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education if he will publish the research on the pedagogical and other benefits of moving English paper one to the end of fifth year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22359/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, on 29 March I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle of education where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience.
In my announcement I set out a clear vision for Senior Cycle, building upon the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment’s (NCCA’s) Advisory Report. The NCCA’s review of senior cycle involved an extensive range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders.
The three tenets of Senior Cycle reform are to:
- Empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century
- Enrich the student experience and build on what’s strong in our current system
- Embed wellbeing and reduce student stress levels
The reforms I announced include initiatives to spread the assessment load for students and do so in a way that enhances student wellbeing.
In the programme of work ahead we will move to a model that uses other forms of assessment beyond terminal written examinations, over a less concentrated time period, in line with international best practice. It will enable us to maintain the high standards and quality that we need to continue to achieve in our schools to serve our students well. It is vital that the form of assessment we use both reflects excellence in standards and truly enables all students to showcase their abilities.
Bearing in mind the significant assessment load at the end of sixth year, as an interim measure I have asked the SEC to immediately alter the timing of Paper One in both Irish and English so that Paper One would take place at the end of fifth year commencing for fifth years entering fifth year in September 2023.
In making this announcement, I have responded to a broad consensus for spreading the assessment load. In this regard, the NCCA Advisory Report emphasised the need to reduce the focus on the final examination period and the stress experienced by students associated with this time.
Since September last, the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has held a number of hearings on Senior Cycle reform. Throughout these hearings, a desire to spread assessment over a greater period has been a recurring theme on which there has been broad consensus.
I have also listened to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which made a number of concluding observations in its 2016 periodic report on Ireland. The Committee expressed its concern about the pressure that the Leaving Certificate examination places on children and recommended that Ireland consider reforming the Leaving Certificate to reduce the stress caused to children.
Importantly, I have also listened to students themselves who have called for the spread of assessment and striking a balance between final exams and other forms of assessment.
As I have said, altering the timing of Paper One in Irish and English is an interim measure designed to spread the assessment load and thereby reduce the stress experienced by students, pending the full development of a variety of examination components in all subjects. It should also be noted that the weighting and importance of Paper One in each of the subjects has not been changed or reduced.
The NCCA will publish in September 2023 a schedule of subject specification reviews which will provide the roadmap through which all subject specifications beyond those being introduced in September 2024 will be given effect. The revision of the English specifications through this process will allow for a fundamental consideration of the appropriate assessment approach to be taken at that time and which has regard to the introduction of teacher assessment for all subjects.
293. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Ukrainian households that have entered the State since the start of the war; and the breakdown by household size, for example, no children, one child, two, three and four or more children. [22054/22]
View answerAs of 29th April 2022 the latest figures from my Department show that 27,346 PPS numbers have been provided to refugees arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The table below shows the age and sex breakdown of the refugees arriving in Ireland.
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Under 18 |
5,055 |
4,791 |
9,846 |
|
18 - 24 |
539 |
1,839 |
2,378 |
|
25 - 34 |
1,062 |
3,440 |
4,502 |
|
35 - 44 |
1,067 |
4,158 |
5,225 |
|
45 - 54 |
546 |
1,935 |
2,481 |
|
55 - 64 |
367 |
1,221 |
1,588 |
|
65 + |
360 |
966 |
1,326 |
|
Total |
8,996 |
18,350 |
27,346 |
There are 6,028 Child benefit claims being paid in respect of 8,972 children. My Department does not have reliable data at the household size level available at this time.
294. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering allowing contributions to be made for pensions from rental income given the move to auto-enrolment. [21702/22]
View answerIn March I announced the final design principles for the auto-enrolment retirement savings system. An explanatory paper has been published on www.gov.ie.
The objective of this system is to address the low proportion of employees in Ireland with supplementary pension cover, which includes both occupational and personal pensions. According to CSO figures, the rate of active supplementary pension coverage is around 56% of the working population (Pension Coverage Survey 2021). It is estimated that this could be as low as 35% when the private sector is considered in isolation. As a consequence of this low supplementary pension coverage rate, many retirees may suffer an unwanted reduction in living standards when they retire and have to rely entirely on the State Pension.
The new AE system, which is expected to become operational in early 2024, will automatically enrol approximately 750,000 employees at the outset. These are employees who are aged between 23 and 60, earning over €20,000 across whatever number of employments they have, and who are not already enrolled in an occupational pension scheme.
Contributions will be based on employment income. Contributions will be paid by employees through a payroll deduction and matched by their employers as a percentage of the employee’s gross income from employment. The State will also contribute a top-up financial incentive at a rate of €1 for every €3 saved by the employee.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
