Written Answers Nos. 499-518
499. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the purchase and provision of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear suits for members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55223/22]
View answerUnder the Framework for Major Emergency Management the Defence Forces can be tasked in aid of Civil Power to provide operational support in a response to a national chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incident in order to mark, cordon, monitor, measure, decontaminate, retrieve and dispose of any CBRN devices and matter so found. Additionally, the Defence Forces in the context of overseas deployments may be required to operate in CBRN environments.
The provision of an effective CBRN suit system is a priority matter which merits immediate action. To that end following extensive research and testing by the Directorate of Ordnance a solution has been identified and approval has been granted for the purchase and delivery of a consignment of CBRN suits for Q2 2023 which will meet the immediate and ongoing needs of the Defence Forces.
Specific details of the essential CBRN platforms and ancillaries are subject to normal operational security reporting restrictions and are not disclosed for operational security reasons.
500. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Defence the number of vacancies for doctors, nurses, and dentists currently in the Defence Forces medical corps as of 1 November 2022; and when these vacancies will be filled in tabular form. [55341/22]
View answerI am informed by the military that the current number of vacancies for each of the requested positions are as follows:
|
Position |
Vacancies |
Remarks |
|
Dentist |
Four |
A recruitment process for Defence Forces Direct Entry Dental Officers is ongoing. |
|
Doctor |
5 |
Medical Officer positions are advertised and processed on an ongoing basis. A list of Direct Entry applicants are currently under consideration for the role of Medical Officer in the Defence Forces. |
|
Nurse |
N/A |
The Employment Control Framework for the Defence Forces provided in the past for 14 Army Nursing Service (ANS) staff. However, these positions are not included in the 9,500 Permanent Defence Force establishment. Options for the recruitment of nurses are currently being explored. |
501. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the number of officials in his Department who have undertaken the Harvard Business School advanced management programme in the past ten years to date; the grade of each official; and the cost for each attendee in tabular form. [55477/22]
View answerMy Department has not had any officials attend the specific programme referred to by the Deputy.
Officials are encouraged to engage with learning and development opportunities as they arise, including opportunities provided through the civil service's central OneLearning service and through the Senior Public Service.
502. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if the contract to replace LÉ Eithne will be put out to tender before the end of 2022. [55525/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the White Paper on Defence sets out an ambitious programme of capital investment in the Naval Service. The replacement of the flagship LÉ Eithne with a multi-role vessel (MRV) is an important element of the Defence Equipment Development Plan and is provided for in the Government's National Development Plan as a major capital project. It is the Government’s intention that this new vessel will provide a flexible and adaptive capability for a wide range of maritime tasks.
Following a public tender competition, Marine Advisors have been appointed to support the procurement of the MRV. This work is ongoing and will inform a public tender competition that is expected to commence in 2023.
503. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if a new cadetship recruitment campaign for the Naval Service will be launched before the end of 2022. [55526/22]
View answerThere are no plans to launch a new cadetship recruitment campaign for the Naval Service before the end of 2022.
The 2022 Naval Service Cadetship competition was launched in Quarter 2 of this year which resulted in 4 cadets being inducted recently. Other applications are at advanced stages of assessment.
504. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education her views in relation to Haddington Road hours (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54601/22]
View answerThe Croke Park Agreement (CPA) hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. With regard to categories of public servants to which they apply, in terms of schools, the CPA hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers. I understand that CPA hours may also apply to certain grades in Third Level Education, but that sector now falls under the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
In schools, a central purpose of the CPA hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Before the CPA hours were introduced, these activities ate into tuition time. This meant that schools closed for full days or half days in order to carry them out, causing interruption to tuition and significant inconvenience for parents, as well as childcare costs – particularly for primary parents. While the Department and school authorities view the use of these hours as vital in providing delivery of education the specific use of the hours has been reviewed and amended in agreement with teacher unions over time.
The Haddington Road Agreement (HRA) hours were considered by the parties to the current public service pay agreement, Building Momentum, to be an outstanding matter to be resolved, and in this context, the Independent Hours Body, chaired by Kevin Mulvey was established to examine issues arising from the HRA hours. There is currently no plan to review CPA Hours in a similar way and any proposal to do so would need to be part of future national pay agreement negotiations.
505. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education when she will publish the Tusla’s first quarter 2022 reduced day outcome report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54786/22]
View answerA commitment was made under the Programme for Government to ensure robust data collection on the use of reduced school days and to further ensure that they are only used in a manner that is limited, appropriate and absolutely necessary.
My Department issued guidelines to schools on reduced school days in September 2021 which came into effect from 1 January 2022. My Department is working closely with Tusla Education Support Service and the National Council for Special Education to ensure that all students are supported to the greatest extent possible.
Tusla Education Support Service are tasked with gathering data from schools in relation to the use of reduced school days. It is my intention to publish this data in the near future and details will be on my Department's website.
506. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the funding allocated to educational psychologists in Budget 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55573/22]
View answerThe National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to: Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident; A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment; A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and; Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
This overall approach allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent individual cases and, through supporting school staff, to benefit many more children than could be seen individually.
In 2021 the NEPS casework service extended to over 8,500 students. Additionally, under the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA) process, private psychologists provided assessment to schools for over 900 students. Furthermore, the NEPS Support and Development service reaches an estimated 25,000 teachers annually.
NEPS was allocated a budget of approximately €24 million in 2022 to deliver its essential service.
There is currently in the region of 225 whole-time equivalent NEPS educational psychologists employed across the 8 NEPS regions, delivering a psychological service to our schools, having grown from a base of 173 posts in 2014.
As part of Budget 2023, provision for an additional 54 educational psychologists was announced to strengthen the NEPS service overall, and in particular to provide strengthened services for special schools and special classes.
507. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the measures that will be taken to alleviate the issue of overcrowding on school buses from Kinlough and Bundoran to Ballyshannon, given that there is insufficient space due to an intake of new students from Ukraine, with insufficient space on existing transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54145/22]
View answer508. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education if a new school bus route can be established between Grange and Ballyshannon to cater for the demand for school transport in that area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54146/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 508 together.
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were 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.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who have completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme. This will mean that transport arrangements will continue to be provided for a number of post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and registered on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school. Families who normally would pay an annual ticket charge will not be charged a fee for their school bus ticket for the 2022/23 school year.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the scheme nationally.
Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Bus Éireann has advised that pupil’s residing in the areas referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are not attending their nearest Post Primary Centre. However, Bus Eireann are currently assessing school transport routes and if seats become available, Bus Eireann will contact families directly.
509. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the progress on the repair of the wheelchair lift at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54147/22]
View answerI refer to your inquiry in respect of the repair of the wheelchair lift at the school to which you refer.
My Department's Planning and Building Unit does not appear to have a record of receiving correspondence in relation to the repair of the wheelchair lift from the school in question.
If the school in question considers that there are works of an emergency nature requiring attention, it is open to the school authority to submit an application for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme.
Details of the scheme, together with an application form for grant assistance, can be accessed on my Department's website.
I trust this information is of assistance to you.
510. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Education the supports that are available for a school (details supplied) to install solar panels on the roof of its building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54148/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware Budget 2023 provided for the provision of funding from the Climate Action Fund in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output.
This is really positive news for our schools and will assist with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings.
My Department's Officials are working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications colleagues in relation to the arrangements for this scheme and details will be announced in due course.
It is intended the provision of the solar panels will be fully funded for schools.
511. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to a student (details supplied) in County Mayo. [54163/22]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €289m in 2021.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil(s) referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme but was unsuccessful in obtaining a seat on board a school transport service for the 2022/23 school year as they did not complete the ticket registration process by the closing date of 29 July.
Any application completed after this date is a ‘late application’ and therefore, many school transport services are already operating at full capacity. Late applications will only be assessed after all “on time” applications have been processed and there can be no guarantee of places for late applicants.
Bus Éireann has advised that all existing services in this area are currently operating at capacity, however, their Local Office is currently assessing school transport routes and if seats become available, the family referred to by the Deputy will be contacted directly by their Local Office.
512. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education if she intends to make funding available to trainee educational and child psychologists in 2023/2024, as is available to such trainees in 2022/2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54166/22]
View answer551. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will extend the recently announced decision to provide funding to a cohort of final-year psychology students in named colleges by contributing towards fees and expenses to second-year students, or to clarify whether NEPS will sponsor a cohort of trainees in the following academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54485/22]
View answer574. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider extending the scheme to sponsor a cohort of third year educational psychologist trainees for the current academic year 2022/2023 to the next academic year 2023/2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54809/22]
View answer597. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education the members of the high-level working group chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of Education which is examining the way in which the National Educational Psychological Service can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55202/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 512, 551, 574 and 597 together.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of my Department provides a school-based psychological service to all recognised primary and post-primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, and the academic, social and emotional development of all learners.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
- Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
- A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment
- A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
- Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
This overall approach allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent individual cases and, through supporting school staff, to benefit many more children than could be seen individually.
A working group in the Department, chaired by the Secretary General, has been examining the matter of how the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.
The group has agreed on a number of actions that must be taken to address supply issues in the medium to long term. These include the development of a workforce plan for educational psychologists within the Department of Education and work has begun with other Government Departments to advance this.
A number of options were considered to address some immediate supply issues. Following analysis of these, it was decided that the Department would use some available NEPS funding to sponsor a cohort of third year students of the Educational Psychology Doctoral programme in University College Dublin (UCD) and Mary Immaculate College (MIC) University of Limerick, for the academic year 2022/23 by providing a contribution towards their fees and associated expenses. The workforce planning group referred to above will be asked to make some interim recommendations in Q2 of next year regarding any other short-term measures required in advance of their final report. It is envisaged that funding supports for students on the educational psychological doctorate programme will be considered as part of this process.
In the interim, given the particular time pressures for students in third year of the programme, interviews will be held in the coming months to provide financial support to those students of Educational Psychology, currently on training placements in NEPS who are due to complete their doctoral training programme in 2023. Details will be made available in the coming weeks.
513. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will assist a school (details supplied) with a matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54208/22]
View answerIn relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.
Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the pupil/student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants.
The DEIS Programme is the main policy initiative of the Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level. This school is in DEIS Band 1. Schools in DEIS Band 1 receive a range of supports including additional teaching posts, HSCL co-ordinator, additional financial supports, and access to the School Completion Programme and School Meals Scheme.
The Department has also provided this school with additional teaching resources in order to ensure that the school is supported for when surges in attendance occur. Due to its exceptional circumstances, this school can also apply for pro-rata capitation funding in response to exceptional fluctuating enrolments during the school year.
The Departments data indicates that enrolments in 2022 for the Rathkeale area is 796 and this will increase slightly to 818 by 2026. The Department is planning to provide an additional classroom in the school, and build an additional two classrooms to replace two prefabs in the school.
The Department has been in contact with the school on a couple of occasions in early October, to offer a meeting to discuss the concerns raised, and are awaiting a response from the school.
514. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will consider a school (details supplied) for a pilot programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54209/22]
View answerI announced recently that we will invest €5 million in piloting a programme of counselling supports for primary school students. The model for the pilot is currently being developed and more information on how this will be rolled out will be available in the coming weeks.
This programme is in addition to the supports already in place to support the wellbeing and mental health of our young people. Currently the Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides a school-based, consultative, psychological service – through the provision of an individual casework service for students and a support and development service for school staff. In addition to the work of psychologists in schools, NEPS leads the Department’s response on wellbeing policy in education. This policy is set out in the Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice first published in 2018 and refreshed in 2019. The approach is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include:
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to experience supportive relationships within the school setting and to learn through those relationships
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe, an environment in which children and young people feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, in which they feel their voice is heard, and they feel supported.
Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs.
Under the policy all schools will have wellbeing at the core of the school ethos and will provide a continuum of evidence-informed approaches and support to promote the wellbeing of all students within the school community, using a reflective, self-evaluation approach. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is currently providing training to schools on wellbeing promotion. Schools can register for this training at PDST Online Booking | PDST.
The Department has developed a range of wellbeing resources to support pupils including guidance on Managing Stress and Anxiety, Normalising Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours. The resources can be accessed at gov.ie - Wellbeing information for school staff – primary (www.gov.ie).
515. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her Department and all bodies under her Department’s aegis have reviewed their estates' portfolio in the context of identifying unoccupied buildings that may be suitable for use in the context of meeting the accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. [54213/22]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that an in-depth analysis of property portfolios has taken place in my Department and the bodies under the aegis of my Department during 2022. The purpose of this analysis was to determine if there are suitable properties for accommodation needs, including those of persons arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. This is an ongoing process and is being kept under review.
516. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number and type of unused and or unoccupied buildings in his Department’s estates’ portfolio and all bodies under his Department’s aegis. [54231/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated by officials within my Department and will be forwarded to the Deputy in due course.
517. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if there has been any analysis of shortages in second level teachers, specifically in geography and by subject; and if she will provide the latest data available. [54255/22]
View answerMy Department, with the cooperation of the school management bodies, conducted a survey of "unmet teaching demand" in post primary schools in 2021/22. Over 90% of schools responded to the survey, a key aim of which was to identify the number of posts by subject which were not filled.
Work is ongoing in my Department to produce projections of post-primary teacher demand and supply on a subject level basis to inform teacher supply planning. The data collected in the survey of "unmet demand" will be incorporated in these projections and made available in a draft report currently being finalised. It is intended to publish the draft report as a document for consultation with the education partners in the coming months. The report will be published on my Department's website.
Ultimately, the intention is to establish a robust data-based model for the effective projection of future teacher demand and supply across the school system at both primary and post-primary levels.
518. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the measures, if any, that are being taken to identify and address obstacles to training and recruiting second level teachers. [54256/22]
View answerThe Teaching Council is the body with statutory responsibility for establishing and maintaining standards in the teaching profession. It is also the designated competent authority for the recognition and assessment of qualifications and registration of teachers at primary and post primary levels.
In accordance with the Teaching Council [Registration] Regulations 2016 , applicants wishing to register with the Teaching Council under Route 2 Post Primary must have completed a programme of post-primary initial teacher education and must satisfy the Council that they meet all of the criteria for their chosen curricular subject, as set out in the Teaching Council Registration Curricular Subject Requirements (Post-Primary).
The study of the curricular subject during the degree must demonstrate that the holder has acquired sufficient knowledge, skills and understanding to teach the syllabus to the highest level in post-primary education.
As part of the Professional Master of Education (PME) application process, applicants are required to complete a subject declaration form providing details of the subjects for which they are qualified to teach and are seeking to have recorded on the Teaching Council’s Register of Teachers. The subject declaration form allows the applicant to match their degree and other qualifications if applicable against the Teaching Council’s curricular teaching subject requirements.
Changes to the duration and content of all initial teacher education (ITE) programmes were made in response to recommendations in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among children and Young People 2011-2020 and were incorporated into the Teaching Council’s Policy Paper on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers. Both were published in 2011.
The changes made to post graduate ITE programmes included the reconfiguration of their content and an increase in their duration to two years. The increase in duration allows for substantial periods of school placement, which is central to student teacher development, and a number of mandatory elements such as literacy and numeracy, adolescent learning and teaching, learning and assessment. These reforms are focused on improving the quality of teaching in our schools, which is central to the educational outcomes of our children.
Programmes of initial teacher education remain oversubscribed and the change to the programme duration has not resulted in a lesser annual throughput of teachers through this route. There are no plans to reduce the duration of the postgraduate ITE programmes to one year.
My Department runs a comprehensive programme of work to support the supply of post primary teachers to our schools.
Following engagement with the Higher Education Authority, Higher Education Institutes providing ITE programmes have, in recent years, put in place new 4-year ITE undergraduate programmes in a number of post-primary priority subject areas, including Irish, mathematics, computer science and modern foreign languages.
It should be noted that, in 2022, applications (total mentions) for post primary education degrees through the CAO increased by 16.8% and first preferences by 9.2% (July 2022 v July 2021).
In accordance with my Department’s Teacher Supply Action Plan, the Department requested the HEA to manage, on its behalf, a funding call to ITE providers for proposals for upskilling programmes for teachers in mathematics, physics, and Spanish. Approximately 170 teachers are expected to graduate from the upskilling programmes this year and we have increased the places on these programmes in the most recent intake. It is expected that over 300 teachers will graduate in 2023 and my Department has agreed to fund a third intake to the programmes in 2023. Programmes are provided free of charge to participating teachers.
My Department has also put in place a scheme to allow post-primary schools to share teachers in priority subjects. The aim of the scheme is to provide a way for schools to recruit teachers in the high demand subjects while also facilitating new teachers with a full time contract.
Work is ongoing in my Department to produce projections of post-primary teacher demand and supply on a subject level basis to inform teacher supply planning. A draft report is currently being finalised which it is intended to publish as a document for consultation with the education partners in the coming months. Ultimately, the intention is to establish a robust data based model for the effective projection of future teacher demand and supply.
The various measures to support teacher supply are underpinned by the Teaching Transforms campaign, which promotes the teaching profession and encourages students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.
