Written Answers Nos. 351-367
351. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the current assessment process for additional accommodations in exam settings; the necessary qualifying criteria; and the nature of the additional accomodations. [23149/23]
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.
352. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of students at Leaving Certificate and Junior Certificate exams in 2023 that have applied, been awarded and refused additional accommodations for the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [23150/23]
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.
353. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take and the measures she is examining to reduce carbon emissions associated with the school transport scheme. [23152/23]
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 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The School Transport Scheme is an important service for families and children.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
A review of the School Transport Scheme is underway The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.
This review will build upon the commitments within the Programme for Government as they relate to school transport, including examining options to reduce car journeys and assessing how the School Transport Scheme can work in liaison with the Safe Routes to Schools Programme. The review will also consider how the scheme can support wider Government policy including climate action targets.
It is planned that the review will be completed shortly at which point decisions on the future operation of my Department’s School Transport Scheme will be taken. Once approved by Government it is planned that the review will be published.
354. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education when the school transport scheme review will be published. [23153/23]
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 149,000 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. There has been an increase of 21% tickets issued to eligible students and 38% tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the current 2022/23 school year compared to the 2021/22 school year.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 5,200 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The School Transport Scheme is an important service for families and children. The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
A review of the School Transport Scheme is underway. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.
Significant consultation has been undertaken as part of this review. A public survey was administered for parents/guardians and students who use the service and those who do not use the service but who would like to. A broad array of stakeholders including schools, special education interest groups, industry representatives and other Government Departments were all consulted as part of this review.
Phase 1 of the review examined the impact of eligibility criteria on mainstream pupils who were eligible for transport to their nearest school but attending their next nearest school. The report was completed in June 2021.
Following consideration of this Phase 1 report, for the 2021/2022 school year, the provision of temporary alleviation measures was approved for transport for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport, but were attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. These measures have been continued for the current 2022/2023 school year, and will again continue in the 2023/2024 school year pending completion of the review.
Phase 2 of the review was completed late last year and phase 3 will be completed shortly. This final report will include recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme. Once approved by Government, it is planned that the review will be published.
Question No. 355 answered with Question No. 96.
356. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to providing extra time in State examinations for dyslexic students. [23167/23]
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.
357. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education if adjustments can be made for retired teachers in order that they are not penalised in their pension for working more than 50 days as part of a strategy to deal with teacher shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23176/23]
View answerPension abatement is a feature of public service pension schemes and is provided for in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme & Other Provisions) Act 2012. In general pension abatement applies when a public service pensioner such as a retired teacher is re-appointed to a post in the public service. Abatement ensures that the pension(s) which the public service pensioner receives, when combined with the new/current remuneration, does not exceed the relevant former pensionable remuneration the retiree would have received had they continued to serve in their relevant former pensionable position. Abatement applies to the public service pension i.e. not to salary.
As an exceptional measure and in an effort to alleviate teacher supply difficulties, my Department, in accordance with the provisions of Article 52 (4) of the above mentioned Act, applied to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for a waiver of abatement for retired teachers. The waiver of abatement was approved for a limited period of 3 years for appropriately qualified teachers who:
- are employed in the capacity for which they are qualified;
- are suitable for employment in all respects and;
- in circumstances where it is not practicable to meet the teaching requirements other than by the employment of a retired teacher.
The abatement waiver applies to the first 50 days worked in each of the calendar years 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Deputy should note in the 2022 calendar year, of the cohort of teachers who returned to teach and worked in excess of 50 days just 1.5%(25 teachers) fell to have their pension abated.
My Department is cognisant that the current waiver of abatement will expire at the end of 2023 and will review the operation of the waiver in light of teacher supply and engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform as appropriate.
358. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education the programmes, further supports and initiatives for enterprise and business community that are funded under her Department; the capital, current and total 2023 budget allocation for enterprise under her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23179/23]
View answerAs set out in the annual Estimates, €9.7 billion net expenditure was allocated to my Department in 2023, which is used to meet costs associated with the provision of educational services in our schools and various related functions. The allocation is used primarily to fund the salaries of teaching and non-teaching school staff, the development of school infrastructure, capitation funding for the ongoing running costs of schools, the payment of pensions to retired school staff, the costs associated with the school transport scheme and the general administration costs of my Department.
Funding is also provided to enable the Department to make grant payments to Education and Training Boards to meet costs associated with the provision of certain educational services and to the various agencies and bodies that come under the aegis of my Department. Funding is also allocated for a range of programmes and initiatives.
The annual Appropriation Account and Revised Estimates for Public Services for my Department's Vote provides detailed information regarding expenditure and receipts.
Details of the 2023 allocation are available on the gov.ie website (see below for link). In the course of its work, my Department makes a significant number of payments every year. Such payments are made to individuals and organisations both by way of grants and also for the provision of goods and services to it. Some of the recipients of this funding may be businesses, although my Department’s funding programmes are not generally directly aimed at enterprises. However, as such labels are not necessarily assigned to payees on the Financial Management System and, as my Department would be reliant on the relevant information being correctly notified by the individuals and organisations concerned, it is not possible to provide an accurate and complete list of total expenditure to businesses. In those circumstances, it would not be possible without utilising very significant staff resources to search for, identify and retrieve the information sought. If the Deputy wishes to obtain further information regarding specific businesses or supports, I will arrange for this information to be provided.
www.gov.ie/en/press-release/8ba6b-ministers-foley-and-madigan-announce-details-of-96-billion-education-funding-in-budget-2023/#:~:text=Minister%20for%20Education%20Norma%20Foley,million%20in%20non%2Dcore%20expenditure.
359. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if an emergency request for reasonable accommodations at the Leaving Certificate examinations will be taken into account for a candidate (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23180/23]
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.
360. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the degree to which she continues to liaise with the various school authorities in County Kildare and nationwide within whose areas there appears to be an inadequacy of school places in time for the next school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23221/23]
View answer362. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress in relation to the advancement of plans for all schools at pre-primary, primary and post-primary level in Maynooth, County Kildare in time for the new school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23224/23]
View answer364. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in meeting school extension, replacement and additional requirements in respect of pre-primary, primary and post-primary in Naas, County Kildare; the extent to which she expects to update the requirements and the timescale for meeting any such requirements through liaison with the various school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23226/23]
View answer365. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in meeting school extension, replacement and additional requirements in respect of pre-primary, primary and post-primary in Clane, County Kildare; the extent to which she expects to update the requirements and the timescale for meeting any such requirements through liaison with the various school authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23227/23]
View answer367. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which school place requirements and ancillary facilities in Kill, County Kildare may require an update in services given the need to accommodate refugees there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23229/23]
View answer368. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the continued extent of her dialogue with school authorities in Prosperous, County Kildare with a view to meeting the need at primary and post-primary levels in the short and medium-term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23230/23]
View answer370. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which ongoing assessment of the need for school places at primary and second level for Kilcock, County Kildare continues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23232/23]
View answer375. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which primary school places at Johnstownbridge, County Kildare continue to be assessed with a view to ensuring that accommodation is sufficient to meet population increases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23237/23]
View answer377. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which adequate school places remain available to parents and school children at Moyvalley, County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23239/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 360, 362, 364, 365, 367, 368, 370, 375 and 377 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements.
Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, including the school planning areas referred to in Kildare by the Deputy, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity and identifies any requirement for additional provision.
While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in Kildare, 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 – where pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – where pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town or area.
- Some towns or areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
- External draw – that is, pupils coming from outside the local area
Through engagement with school authorities and patrons, having accounted for factors such as duplication of applications, my Department has established that there is a requirement for increased provision at schools in Kildare.
My officials are leading ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities to put the necessary solutions in place for the 2023/24 and future school years. This includes the use of existing spare capacity, sanctioning of works to existing accommodation, and the accelerated provision of modular accommodation.
The close working relationship between my officials and schools and patrons in these Kildare areas has already resulted in a significant number of additional places being made available. It is expected that these will meet requirements, however my Department is continuing to monitor the situation.
Further to these immediate measures, as the Deputy may be aware, the Department is progressing a number of building projects in Kildare under the National Development Plan. This includes projects at primary and post primary schools, and includes provision for mainstream accommodation as well as for children with special educational needs.
These projects include recently completed new school buildings in Maynooth and Naas. Additionally, a number of further new school buildings and extensions are at construction or planned, including in Prosperous, Kilcock, Maynooth, Celbridge, Leixlip, Naas and Clane.
In addition to all these developments, the requirement, for extra school places is kept under on-going review. My Department will continue to liaise with the Local Authority in respect of its review of Development Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements.
I can assure the Deputy that the Department will continue to work with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Kildare and across the county for the 2023/24 school year and into the future. My Department has established that there is a requirement for additional provision in the area and will ensure that any required accommodation solution is put in place, as well as continuing to advance current ongoing projects.
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
With regard to school place requirements in Kill, County Kildare, in response to the ongoing Humanitarian crisis, my Department is working closely with Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) teams whose responsibility is placing children in suitable school accommodation. To facilitate this, my Department has carried out capacity surveys with all schools in the county. Results indicate that there is good capacity available across all standards in schools within a 20 minute drive of Kill, County Kildare.
361. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which she expects to be in a position to meet the challenges in terms of primary and second level school accommodation and ancillary social facilities where required arising from increased population in various areas throughout the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23223/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for additional school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes as there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2022 demographic exercise indicates that 85% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2026 compared with 2021. At post-primary level some 74% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2029, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
The quantity, pace and location of new residential developments has a direct impact in the demand for school places.
My Department will continue to monitor residential developments and liaise with Local Authorities in respect to population projections at settlement level, along with the review of the Development Plan processes with a view to identifying any demand for additional school accommodation.
363. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the present position in regard to the development of the three-school project including replacement for schools (details supplied); the progress to date in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23225/23]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of bundled school building programmes. The shared education campus at Donaghcumper, Celbridge is in the bundle referred to as ‘Project Liffey’. This campus project will include the three schools referred to by the deputy.
A letter was issued by the Department to the schools last year to advise that their respective school had been included in the programme. The NDFA has since been in contact with each school to introduce the team, communicate arrangements and discuss the project briefs.
The next step is for the NDFA to procure a Design Team for the project bundle to progress the projects through the design stages. An estimated timeline for the completion of the project will be available once the design stages have concluded.
366. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the extent to which she continues to have dialogue with the various pre-school, primary and post-primary school authorities in Leixlip, County Kildare with a view to ongoing update of current and possible future requirements given the experience throughout the country where shifts in the population may require the setting of new targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23228/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for additional school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes as there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2022 demographic exercise indicates that 85% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show static or decreasing enrolments for the period to 2026 compared with 2021. At post-primary level some 74% of school planning areas are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2029, with most expected to reach a peak within the next two or three years.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
Leixlip Co. Kildare is located in the Leixlip School Planning Area. Our most recent projections indicate that at Primary level, enrolments are set to increase slightly to a peak year of 2026, decreasing thereafter. At Post Primary level enrolments are projected to increase slightly out to 2030 and decrease thereafter.
My Department will continue to monitor residential developments and liaise with Kildare County Council in respect to population projections at settlement level and its review of the Development Plan process with a view to identifying any additional school accommodation requirements.
