Written Answers Nos. 716-735
716. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education the action that she will take to ensure that a person (details supplied) will have a school place next September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63722/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System 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 my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Kildare area, 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 and school authorities, including those of schools in the Kildare area, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train. This includes engagement with KWETB and Curragh Community College regarding the provision of additional accommodation at the school to facilitate a significant increase in available first year places.
Additionally, the Department will continue to work to advance the planned and current projects in Kildare 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. This includes the new school building for the Curragh Community College, which will provide 1,000 student places as well as four classrooms for students with special educational needs on a site in Kildare town.
717. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will establish a national voluntary redeployment panel so that those teachers who wish to relocate would keep their permanent-CID status; if she will meet with an organisation (details supplied) to discuss this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63734/22]
View answerTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties
The redeployment process is reviewed annually by my Department and Education Stakeholders, including Teacher Unions. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year will shortly be available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
718. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the merits of a motion passed by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63760/22]
View answerTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties
The redeployment process is reviewed annually by my Department and Education Stakeholders, including Teacher Unions. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year will shortly be available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
719. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will review procedures for Garda vetting of special needs assistants in order that their vetting status can move with them from school to school, as in the case of teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63767/22]
View answerFollowing the commencement of the National Vetting Bureau [ Children and Vulnerable Persons ] Act of 2012 by the then Minister for Justice and Equality on the 29 April 2016 (other than section 20 ) my Department issued Circular 31/2016 to all school Authorities and Education Training Boards advising of the statutory obligations placed on school authorities to obtain a vetting disclosure from the Bureau prior to the employment, contract, permission or placement of a person to undertake relevant work or activities with children or vulnerable persons
The Vetting Act provides that vetting is conducted by the National Vetting Bureau on foot of an application by a relevant organisation that is registered with it. The vetting legislation and the vetting procedures operated by the National Vetting Bureau fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice.
The Vetting Act also provides that a relevant organisation must, other than in certain limited circumstances, obtain a vetting disclosure from the National Vetting Bureau prior to commencing the employment of an employee to undertake relevant work with children or vulnerable adults.
The relevant diocesan office or school management body continues to act as a conduit for schools for the purposes of Garda vetting of persons other than registered teachers who are employed, contracted, permitted or placed to undertake relevant work or activities by the school and in the case of ETB schools, the relevant ETB is the relevant organisation for such purposes
The Department of Justice has established an inter-departmental group to undertake a review of Garda vetting arrangements and legislation. The group will make recommendations for amending legislation and strengthening the Garda vetting process and the feasibility of the introduction of a centralised system for vetting SNA's can be considered as part of this work.
720. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will allow the board of management at a school (details supplied) to remove two prefabricated classrooms from the school yard given that they are no longer being used and are an impediment to the school's playing spaces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63768/22]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that a building project for the school in question has recently been completed and there are currently two rented prefabs located on the school grounds.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Department continues to work with all relevant authorities, education partners and school communities to welcome all students arriving in Ireland and to ensure that all these children, including Ukrainian children of school-going age, who are beneficiaries of the Temporary Protection Directive, are provided with access to appropriate supports to allow them to continue their education in Ireland.
In this unprecedented situation there is a requirement to retain all available school accommodation capacity as a contingency to meet the current and any future needs in relation to providing school places for these children. My Department is aware that County Clare is accommodating a significant number of beneficiaries of the Temporary Protection Directive which has impacted on school accommodation capacity in the county. The retention of the prefabs at the school in question is required in that context.
The requirement for the retention of prefabs will be kept under review as the situation continues to evolve and updated data becomes available.
721. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently intervene to ensure that a student (details supplied) receives their rechecked leaving certificate examination results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63798/22]
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.
722. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the number of applications received to date to the ex gratia scheme for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in schools; the number approved; the number rejected and the reasons therefor; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63804/22]
View answer723. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education her plans to remove the requirement that court proceedings must have been instituted against the State prior to 1 July 2021 in order to qualify for a payment under the ex gratia scheme for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63805/22]
View answer724. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the reason persons must have instituted proceedings against the State prior to 1 July 2021 in order to qualify for a payment under the ex gratia scheme for survivors of childhood sexual abuse in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63806/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 722 to 724, inclusive, together.
The ex gratia scheme was originally established in 2015 and was put in place to provide those, who had instituted legal proceedings against the State in respect of day school sexual abuse and subsequently discontinued those proceedings following rulings in the domestic courts, with an opportunity to apply for an ex gratia payment. The Scheme was paused in 2019 following a report from the Independent Assessor Mr. Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill.
A revised ex gratia scheme opened for applications on 21 July 2021. The scheme is administered on behalf of the State by the State Claims Agency. To date 141 applications have been received of which 104 applications have been approved, 35 have been rejected and there are 2 applications outstanding.
To qualify for a payment, an applicant must demonstrate that the facts of their case come within the parameters of the ECtHR judgment and, in particular, will have to satisfy the following criteria –
- Were sexually abused while a pupil at a recognised day school and that this occurred before November 1991 in respect of a primary school or June 1992 in respect of a post-primary school
- That had the Guidelines for Procedures for Dealing with Allegations or Suspicions of Child Abuse, Department of Education 1991/1992 been in place at the time the sexual abuse occurred there would have been a real prospect of altering the outcome or mitigating the harm suffered as a result
Ireland is committed to fulfilling its obligations in implementing the ECtHR ruling. This means that the revised scheme is designed first and foremost to provide a remedy to those who had issued and discontinued their proceedings against the State in respect of day school sexual abuse prior to the ECtHR ruling in O'Keeffe v Ireland. However, the revised scheme goes beyond that group in that all others who issued legal proceedings against the State at a later date and up to 1 July 2021 in respect of day school sexual abuse, whether these proceedings are still in being, were discontinued at any point, or who had settled with the State, may also apply for an award.
As well as broadening the scope of the Scheme, the type and nature of evidence that will be considered by the State Claims Agency in respect of individual applications (and as set out in the Terms of Scheme) broadens the means through which an applicant can demonstrate that they fall within the terms of the ECtHR judgment.
725. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 377 of 22 November 2022, if her office has liaised with the family in question regarding the remote area grant. [63824/22]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 km at primary and 4.8 km at post-primary and are attending their nearest 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 complete the application process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2022/2023 school year was 29th April 2022.
Bus Éireann has advised that the family referred to by the Deputy are eligible for school transport, however there is no service available from where these pupils reside to the schools they are attending.
Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2 km or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.
I am pleased to advise School Transport Section of my Department issued correspondence directly to the family regarding the Remote Area Grant on 22 November 2022.
726. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if she will consider proposals from unions to establish a new system of redeployment in order to benefit teachers and to help solve teacher retention issues, teacher well-being issues and the environmental problems caused by the commutes of these teachers; and if she will meet with the relevant stakeholders in 2023 for an open discussion on these issues. [63826/22]
View answerTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties
The redeployment process is reviewed annually by my Department and Education Stakeholders, including Teacher Unions. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year will shortly be available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
727. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an updated timeline for the delivery of a new post-primary school in Prosperous, County Kildare; and the projected capacity for same. [63828/22]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare & Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
The Design Team is currently preparing the Stage 2a report (developed design) for submission and the Department understands from KWETB that the report is nearing completion. It is a matter for KWETB, as the client for the project, to ensure that this is completed as quickly as possible.
Once the Stage 2a submission is approved by my Department, the next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the statutory planning approvals. When these are in place, the project can proceed to tender and construction.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, KWETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
728. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Education the status of the development of the new campus (details supplied) in County Galway; the timeline for the completion of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63868/22]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). This is a Campus project.
This project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural planning process. The Department understands from GRETB that its design team is currently finalising the Stage 2a report for submission to the Department.
Subject to no significant issues arising during the completion of the Stage 2a process and following approval in that respect, the next step for GRETB and its Design Team will be to obtain the requisite statutory planning approvals. The project can then be expected to move onward to tender and construction in due course.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, GRETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
729. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education her Department's plans for a site that is zoned for educational use (details supplied) for a future new school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63874/22]
View answerThe site to which the Deputy has referred to is a designated primary school site.
A primary school requirement has been established for this area (part of the 2018 announcement). This school is intended to serve the planned residential developments in Woodbrook and Shanganagh. There are two large residential developments commenced which, when built out, will consist of c. 950 dwellings. This will support the requirement for a primary school.
730. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education the status of plans to address the long-term accommodation needs for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63875/22]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that following extensive site identification, assessment and negotiation process, the Department has reached agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for the school, to which the Deputy refers.
The conveyancing stage of the acquisition process has commenced and Heads of Terms have been agreed with the Vendor.
The acquisition of this property is conditional on the delivery of the required road and services infrastructure to serve the proposed school site. This infrastructure forms part of a live planning application for a residential development.
The Deputy will appreciate that negotiations in respect of site acquisitions are, by their nature, sensitive and for that reason, I am not in a position to provide any further information at this time.
731. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the tender process for the new build at a school (details supplied) has been delayed as a result of lowest bids being unable to fulfil their quotations; if her Department will speed-up the process following the acceptance of the third bid; the timeframe to move to the next phase of the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63885/22]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers is at Tender Stage. Tenders have been returned and the Design Team are preparing a Stage 3 Tender Report which will identify a recommended bidder. A tender process can take 8 to 12 months to complete.
My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme, including the project mentioned by the Deputy. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under my Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction, most of which are expected to be either under construction or completed in the period up to 2025.
During January, my Department will be assessing overall requirements for 2023 and associated work programme and will update individual schools of same in due course.
732. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Education the status of post-primary teacher transfers and redeployment, including the establishment of an online portal for inter-teacher transfer requests; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63888/22]
View answerTeacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties
The redeployment process is reviewed annually by my Department and Education Stakeholders, including Teacher Unions. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Longford, Westmeath, Laois and Offaly for 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year will shortly be available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
733. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will reassess the primary and secondary education system modules to incorporate a way to include education on cultural and institutional misogyny and the importance of gender equality in society; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63891/22]
View answerThe curriculum at primary and post-primary is for all learners, from all backgrounds, regardless of gender, socio-economic background, race or creed. It aims to foster inclusivity, equality and diversity. The education sector has a vital role to play in addressing discrimination based on gender, including through the updating and redevelopment of Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curricula including Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE). Currently, SPHE is a mandatory curriculum subject in all primary schools and in post-primary Junior Cycle. RSE is required at all levels, from Primary through to Senior Cycle.
The issue of discrimination, including gender based discrimination, features across the SPHE curriculum both primary and post-primary. For example, in the primary curriculum under the strand ‘developing citizenship’, the child should be enabled to ‘examine the traditional roles that may be assigned to boys and girls in school because of their sex and become aware of ways of counteracting this stereotyping’.
Discrimination also features in the Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) and Politics and Society courses which cover citizenship and provides students with an understanding of their human rights and social responsibilities.
As set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to developing inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and SPHE across primary and post-primary schools.
In giving effect to this commitment, my Department's first focus has been on the development of inclusive and age-appropriate curricula and it continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in that regard.
A draft revised Junior Cycle specification was published by the NCCA and a consultation process was run from 18 July 2022 to 18 October 2022. The consultation took feedback from teachers and students as well as other interested groups and individuals. The NCCA are finalising the Junior Cycle specification for presentation to the NCCA Council for approval early in the year. The aim is that it will be implemented in schools in September.
In relation to Senior Cycle, preparation to update the SPHE/RSE specification has commenced. In October, a background paper was published for consultation on the NCCA website. The NCCA intends that the Senior Cycle draft specification itself will be available for public consultation by next summer, with a view to being ready for implementation in schools in September 2024.
Following publication of the new Primary Curriculum Framework, expected in early 2023, NCCA will establish a development group for the curricular area of Well-being in primary schools.
In tandem with this work, the NCCA has created support materials for teachers published online as part of an Interim Guidance Toolkit, to support effective teaching and learning of SPHE/RSE linked to the current curriculum and to provide guidance on how SPHE/RSE may be approached in a more holistic way. The NCCA online SPHE toolkits were expanded during 2022 to include age and stage appropriate guidance for teachers on how to address issues of consent, gender and sexual discrimination and violence, and related topics within the SPHE classroom.
734. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Education the number of ASD units that are available in County Wexford; the number of places in each unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63900/22]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
For 2022, my Department will spend in excess of €2.3 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
For 2023, this spend will be substantially increased by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes additional teaching and care supports. It also includes funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for an additional 54 psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes.
In 2022, funding for an additional 980 teachers and 1,165 special needs assistants was provided. For 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 special needs assistants in our schools next year.
For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 Special needs assistants. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
In 2023, there will be a significant investment in the expansion of the National Council for Special Education, with a total full-year investment of €13 million, in over 160 additional staff. This investment is being undertaken so that the NSCE can respond effectively, compassionately and quickly to the increased need in our education system so that children and their families are fully supported and achieve the best possible education outcomes.
My Department and the NCSE continue to work very closely in planning for the delivery of new places required to meet forecasted demand.
I am satisfied that this approach is delivering. There are a total of 2,544 special classes opened nationwide. Of the 2,544 special classes, there are 1802 at primary level and 742 at post primary level. This compares to a total of 1,839 special classes in the 2020/21 school year.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie
NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe
It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.
The NCSE have advised my Department that there are a total of 65 ASD classes in County Wexford for the current 2022/2023 school year and that there are a small number of vacancies in the area at present. Each ASD class caters for 6 students.
My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.
I want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
735. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education the amounts paid from her Department or other bodies funded by her Department to a company (details supplied) for services in the past two years; if these contracts have any provision for extra payments based on performances and so on; the way an employee who is assessed as fit to work by the company can appeal or seek alternative opinions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63902/22]
View answerAn Occupational Health Strategy is in place as a supportive resource for teachers and SNA’s. The aim of this strategy is to promote the health of teachers and SNAs in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises the Employee Assistance Service and the Occupational Health Service (OHS).
The OHS is in place to provide employers with occupational health advice in relation to teachers’ and SNA fitness for work. It incorporates pre-employment health assessments, sickness absence referrals, assessments of medical fitness for work and ill health retirement assessments.
The OHS Occupational Physicians offer a unique perspective, insight and skill set that allows them to provide an appropriate assessment and informed opinion with respect to an employee’s medical fitness for work, as distinct from an opinion on the nature and severity of their medical complaint. Where there is a difference of medical opinion between the OHS and the treating Doctor/Consultant on an employee’s medical fitness for work, the OHS will consult with the treating Doctor/Consultant before providing final advice to the employer. If there is a specific need for an independent medical assessment, this can be facilitated through the OHS. An independent registered specialist in occupational medicine is selected and approved by the OHS and the Chief Medical Officer of the Civil Service, to provide a mechanism for employees who wish to appeal a critical illness medical decision.
There are specific appeal processes in place in relation to Critical Illness Provisions and ill Health Retirement. These processes are detailed in Circular 0054/2019 Leave Schemes for Registered Teachers employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools and Retirement on Medical Grounds - Teachers and non-teaching staff .
The OHS, contracted by the Department, was procured in line with public procurement guidelines. The current OHS provider is Medmark Occupational Healthcare Ltd. The current provider delivers the Occupational Health Service for an all-inclusive fixed price contract at a total cost of €1,135,000 (ex VAT) per annum. In addition to the OHS fixed priced contract Medmark was paid a total of €0.573 million in 2021 and 2022 for Covid-19 Health Risk Categorisation assessments for school staff which was work that was not envisaged when the OHS contract was awarded.
