Written Answers Nos. 553-570
553. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education to detail the data that was collected in regard to the recently introduced approach to completing the report on educational needs in schools which was conducted with a number of schools around the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17445/23]
View answer554. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the avenues that are open to a parent whose child has undergone a report on educational needs but is unsatisfied with the report findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17446/23]
View answer555. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education how the NCSE define 'appropriately qualified' in relation to a person nominated to carry out a report on the educational needs of a child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17447/23]
View answer556. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education if additional administrative resources have been made available to schools to undertake reports on educational needs or if this task will be added to the work of teachers, special educational teachers or special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17448/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 553 to 556, inclusive, together.
In finalising the AON process, there has been extensive consultation with the education partners and with individual schools. I am very grateful to all those who contributed to this process, in particular, to the 80 schools that assisted in trialling the process and in providing detailed feedback on the guidance documents and resources put in place to support the process. This process was completed in December 2022 and feedback from the schools involved and stakeholders has been incorporated into revised guidance documents and the AON Report of Education Needs form.
The feedback received from the schools showed a trend of recurring questions, to assist the schools my department developed a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which was published on the Departments website on 01st February, and can be found at this link www.gov.ie/en/publication/91c1c-report-of-education-needs-for-the-purpose-of-assessment-of-need-disability-act-2005/
The NCSE, is also currently finalising a document for schools which provides exemplars of completed AON forms.
The Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005 and is under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assist the HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).
Assessment Officers working under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report and makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act.
On completion of an AON form in a school setting, it is returned to the HSE via the NCSE. If a parent is dissatisfied with aspects of the AON process or with the report arising, the matter should be raised in the first instance with the Assessment Officer, who has responsibility for this process.
If the HSE Assessment Officer forms the opinion that there may be a need for an education service to be provided to an applicant, they will request the NCSE to nominate a person with the appropriate expertise to assist in carrying out the assessment of education needs.
The NCSE is obliged to nominate a person with appropriate expertise to assist in the education assessment process. Where the child is enrolled in a school the Education of Persons with Special Education Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 names the principal as the person the NCSE should contact.
The educational component of the AON process refers to assessment of education needs. Assessment in education is an everyday practice in schools which results in the identification of a child’s education need and the measures required to address these needs.
Schools provide for the inclusion and participation of all students and provide an education which is appropriate to a student’s abilities and needs. Identification of education needs, therefore, is central to the way schools operate. This aligns with the obligations on schools arising from the Education Act 1998. Teachers use a range of assessment practices as part of the Continuum of Support framework. This enables the school to identify, address and review progress in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupil, as well as other education needs.
Schools have been provided with a range of resources to ensure that the education needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special education needs, are identified and supported. In announcing the introduction of the Special Education Teacher (SET) allocation model, the Department of Education issued Guidelines for Primary and Post-Primary schools (2017) to assist them in identifying and providing for the special education and learning needs of students. The Guidelines allow for schools to utilise a portion of their SET allocation to coordinate activities relating to special education. In that regard, schools have been advised that they can use SET coordination time to complete AON forms.
In addition, the Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place comprehensive supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:
- A guidance document which provides step by step instructions for the completion of the AON form
- A short video which provides instructions for the completion of the AON form
- Dedicated email support from the NCS
- Dedicated phone support from NCSE advisors
- An FAQ document which will be updated regularly
- Completed exemplars for different school settings
Where schools require additional support to that already listed, they can request an in-person support visit from an NCSE advisor to assist in the completion of the AON form
The Department is committed to monitoring the impact of the AON process on schools and will formally review this at the end of the current school year. This review will ensure that any additional guidance, support or resource that is required will be put in place at the earliest possible opportunity. The education stakeholders will be invited to participate in this review process.
In the interim, my Department and NCSE will work with the education stakeholders to ensure that schools are supported as outlined above to complete the AON process.
559. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education for a statement on the survey being conducted on primary schools about afterschool facilities, including the timings for the study and which geographic areas are being targeted as part of the survey; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17455/23]
View answerMy Department is in the process of reviewing the 2017 Guidelines for the Use of School Buildings outside of School Hours (which are available on my Department's website) and this review includes a school survey to inform the updating of these Guidelines. The survey commenced issuing to the patrons of both primary and post primary schools immediately prior to the Easter school break. It is expected that the replies to the survey will be returned over the coming weeks.
The schools that will complete the survey have quite a wide geographical spread, covering urban and rural areas across the country. When the replies to the survey are received they can then be collated and analysed so as to inform the review of the Guidelines.
560. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will list the schools in the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf area at primary and at secondary level; if she will indicate the denomination of each school; if they admit boys or girls; the pupil capacity of the school; the present level of enrolment; and if she has plans to provide more school places in the catchment. [17490/23]
View answerPlease find attached requested data with regard to enrolments, denomination and gender. Please note data is for academic year 2021-2022 the last year we have final enrolment data for. We expect to publish final data for 2022-2023 in June 2023. Data was complied from primary and post-primary data in individual schools which can be found on our website at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/.
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf School Planning 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 to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train.
The Department is progressing a number of building projects in the Killester, Raheny and Clontarf School Planning Area under the National Development Plan. This includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
This also lists all school building projects completed under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, in county order, from 2010 to date
561. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will list the schools in the Drumcondra, Marino and Dublin 1 area at primary and at secondary level; if she will indicate the denomination of each school; if they admit boys or girls; the pupil capacity of the school; the present level of enrolment; and if she has plans to provide more school places in the catchment. [17491/23]
View answerPlease find attached requested data with regard to enrolments, denomination and gender. Please note data is for academic year 2021-2022 the last year we have final enrolment data for. We expect to publish final data for 2022-2023 in June 2023. Data was complied from primary and post-primary data in individual schools which can be found on our website at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Drumcondra, Marino and Dublin 1 School Planning 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 to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train.
The Department is progressing a number of building projects in the Drumcondra, Marino and Dublin 1 planning area under the National Development Plan. This includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
This also lists all school building projects completed under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, in county order, from 2010 to date
562. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will list the schools in the Beaumont, Coolock and Dublin 5 area at primary and at secondary level; if she will indicate the denomination of each school; if they admit boys or girls; the pupil capacity of the school; the present level of enrolment; and if she has plans to provide more school places in the catchment. [17492/23]
View answerPlease find attached requested data with regard to enrolments, denomination and gender. Please note data is for academic year 2021-2022 the last year we have final enrolment data for. We expect to publish final data for 2022-2023 in June 2023. Data was complied from primary and post-primary data in individual schools which can be found on our website at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Beaumont, Coolock and Dublin 5 School Planning 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 to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train.
The Department is progressing a number of building projects in the Beaumont, Coolock and Dublin 5 planning area under the National Development Plan. This includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
This also lists all school building projects completed under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, in county order, from 2010 to date
563. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she will list the schools in the Darndale and Dublin 17 area at primary and at secondary level; if she will indicate the denomination of each school; if they admit boys or girls; the pupil capacity of the school; the present level of enrolment; and if she has plans to provide more school places in the catchment [17493/23]
View answerPlease find attached requested data with regard to enrolments, denomination and gender for primary schools within the Darndale and Dublin 17 school planning area, there are no post-primary schools in this School Planning area. Please note data is for academic year 2021-2022 the last year we have final enrolment data for. We expect to publish final data for 2022-2023 in June 2023. Data was complied from primary and post-primary data in individual schools which can be found on our website at the link below:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/63363b-data-on-individual-schools/
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Darndale and Dublin 17 School Planning 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 to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train.
The Department is progressing a number of building projects in the Darndale and Dublin 17 planning area under the National Development Plan. This includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs. The current status of all projects are listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie. and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
This also lists all school building projects completed under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, in county order, from 2010 to date.
564. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the minor requests to be made for exams (details supplied), and the digital papers pilot in particular, which would greatly enhance accessibility for visually impaired students; and if she will contact the State Examinations Commission regarding these requests. [17512/23]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
565. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education to address the inadequate levels of special needs supports being extended to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17519/23]
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.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
For 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
My Department has allocated 1,165 additional special needs assistants (SNAs) to schools in the past year and in Budget 2023 an additional 1,194 SNAs are being provided to support schools and will be allocated as follows: 735 to support students in new special classes, 124 to support students in new special school places and 335 to support students in mainstream classes.
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers.
For the first time ever, by the end of this year, we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. 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 NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. A school can apply to the NCSE for a review of its SNA allocation if it is insufficient to meet the needs of its students.
Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website. ncse.ie/application-for-sna-exceptional-review.
The NCSE endeavour to respond to all applications for exceptional review received as expediently as possible and in that regard, it will prioritise applications from schools with no current SNA allocation and developing schools. The exceptional review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2022/23 school year.
The NCSE have confirmed that they have received and processed a recent application for an SNA exceptional review from the school referred to by the Deputy. The NCSE state that the review outcome letters will issue to the school this week.
The NCSE has developed an appeal mechanism for schools who are not satisfied with the outcome of the exceptional review. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) will provide information and clarification to schools on the outcome where requested. Where schools wish to appeal the outcome of the review, they must do so using the prescribed form provided by the NCSE: ncse.ie/ncse-appeals-process
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations and the school should liaise with the NCSE directly in the event that additional supports are required.
The SNA allocations for the 2023/2024 school year are presently being development by my department and will be advised to schools as soon as possible and in line with previous year timelines.
566. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and secondary schools that have undertaken an energy retrofit as part of the national energy efficient retrofit pathfinder scheme since it commenced in 2017; the number of schools that will take part in the scheme in 2022, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17564/23]
View answer567. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the level of funding allocated for the national energy efficient retrofit pathfinder scheme for primary and secondary schools under the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17565/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 567 together.
My Department has a strong record with respect to sustainable energy in school buildings and this performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in Design and Specification.
The Department's policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty four research projects at various stages including the energy website www.energyineducation.ie. Which is a joint partnership with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Schools designed and built in accordance with the Department’s schools technical guidance documents, have been achieving A3 Building Energy Ratings since 2009, with current schools typically achieving up to 20% higher energy performance and 25% better carbon performance than required by the current Building Regulations. In addition, 10% of primary energy is provided via photovoltaics and infrastructure provision for electric vehicle charging.
The National Development Plan 2021-2030 published on 4th Oct 2021, provides capital funding of over €4.4bn for investment in school infrastructure during the period 2021 to 2025. There continues to be a strong Climate Action dimension to this additional modernisation programme.
The Department of Education and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications established a jointly funded pathfinder programme, which is administered by the SEAI and the Planning & Building Unit in my Department. Support is also provided from Limerick Clare Education and Training Board. The programme is being used to evaluate and demonstrate the approach to energy retrofit and carbon reduction in the schools’ sector. This government-funded energy retrofit pathfinder programme will target energy use and CO2 emission reduction by 51%, testing deep retrofit and low carbon heating solutions.
The pathfinder is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger schools national programme for decarbonisation & retrofit and will play a key part in meeting delivery of the Climate Action Plan.
To date 48 school projects across Ireland have been completed with an additional 16 schools currently at various stages of progress undergoing decarbonisation upgrades to a Building Energy Rating (BER) of B with renewable heating systems.
The 2023/24 Pathfinder with 10 schools is jointly funded with a targeted budget of €40m.
This pathfinder is a great example of collaboration ensuring the deployment of new design approaches and technologies are introduced to the educational environment on an evidence based approach.
This programme continues to assist the Department to explore options and test various solutions for decarbonised energy efficiency solutions in our broad range of school building types.
It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a solid evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools’ sector.
Each school undergoes a comprehensive assessment to ensure that the measures are suitable for that school and will deliver value to both the school and learnings for the national retrofit programme.
The works typically involves upgrades to the building fabric including wall and roof insulation, doors and windows, air tightness improvements, LED lighting and heating upgrades as well as renewable technologies.
The 2022 Energy Retrofit Pathfinder Programme schools
|
School |
Roll Number |
County |
|
Scoil Mhuire |
19750B |
Laois |
|
St. Anne's PS |
20173T |
Dublin |
|
Our Lady of Consolation |
20064O |
Dublin |
|
Ennis Community College |
70830N |
Clare |
|
Bishopstown CS |
91397T |
Cork |
|
St. Mary's HF |
60791A |
Dublin |
568. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the implementation of the new pay deal for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17566/23]
View answerIn February 2022, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, and which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot of the relevant members was undertaken, and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal.
Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to implement this agreement has been ongoing in my Department. This work requires a complex process of assimilating information to capture accurate data in respect of each individual secretary.
Last year, my Department issued circular 36/2022 to schools and this circular outlines how the agreement is to be implemented. In the first phase of implementation of the agreement, schools had to, by the end of September 2022, calculate the initial assimilation rate of pay and annual leave entitlement due and offer it to each individual secretary working in their school.
Following this initial process, a survey issued from the payroll division of my Department to all schools on the 7th November 2022, seeking details of the offers made by schools to their secretaries, and other information required to bring a secretary on to the payroll service. The survey closed in December and based on the returns received, nearly 2,850 secretaries have accepted the offer made by their schools in line with the methodology set out in Circular 36/2022.
The second implementation phase will involve calculating back pay to September 2021, taking into account the pay increases from February 2022 and October 2022, and/or any other public service pay agreements as may be relevant at the time calculations are performed.
The plan is that Secretaries who have accepted the offer made to them by their schools will be paid on my Department’s payroll service from 1st September 2023, with a first pay date of 14th September. Implementation of this agreement remains a priority for my Department this year.
