Written Answers Nos. 85-98
85. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) has asked for the DES section dealing with school capital appraisals to assist it; if so, if she will provide a copy of any report issued to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29889/23]
View answer88. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education whether her Department or its agencies have provided any advice on how to deliver classrooms for a school (details supplied) without the need for additional land, given the school is citing the need for additional land to build special needs classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29892/23]
View answer89. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if she can confirm that no building can proceed on land zoned as amenity and the provision of such zoned land will not allow the immediate provision of special needs classes at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29893/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 88 and 89 together.
I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department currently does not have an Additional School Accommodation application (ASA) on hand.
Officials in my Department contacted the school and it was confirmed that the school authority is liaising with the County Council regarding the acquisition of land adjacent to the school.
My Department would be open to considering an application from the school authority in question under my Department's ASA scheme, once the land acquisition issue is resolved by the school authority.
90. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29904/23]
View answerUnder the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
In Budget 2023, I ensured major investment in our schools and I have succeeded in bringing the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools for the 2023/24 school year which is the lowest ever seen at primary level. This was my third successive Budget which saw an improvement in allocation of teachers to primary schools. Budget 2021 reduced the staffing schedule to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 25 pupils, while Budget 2022 reduced it further to 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, in place since 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. Any further improvement in the pupil teacher ratio would have to be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.
In terms of schools leadership, the equivalent of approximately 1,300 middle management posts (Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II) have been restored at primary level since the lifting of the moratorium on these posts in 2017.
The Department has committed to annually revising the allocation of Posts of Responsibility to take into account retirements during the school year which has ensured that the current level of Posts of Responsibility (PORs) are maintained in the school system. New POR threshold tables are produced each year to distribute these PORs equitably across all school. Currently one in three teachers hold a promotional post within our schools.
The Sectoral Bargaining process under Building Momentum for the primary sector has been used to increase posts of responsibility (POR) in primary and special schools by 1,450 posts.
I recently announced a pilot of counselling supports in primary schools. This marks an important development in supporting the wellbeing and mental health of children. I was delighted to secure this funding as we know that nationally and internationally there is increasing concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and that school staff are facing challenges every day in supporting children and young people presenting with these issues. I have listened to schools and to stakeholders and responded to their calls for the provision of mental health services in primary schools. This pilot will support children to cope better with their emotions and feelings, learn about and understand their feelings, develop coping skills and improve their relationships with others.
NEPS psychologists will work with schools to identify and support the prioritisation of those most in need to access the counselling. This is part of the current role of the NEPS psychologist – identifying need for and signposting to appropriate services.
Under this pilot selected schools are provided with easy access to a pre-approved panel of counsellors. Pilot schools will be assigned a specific number of blocks of counselling over the course of the pilot based on a percentage of enrolment numbers. This pilot will build on existing good practice, guidance and supports currently available in the system.
The Department will be providing detailed information and support to both the schools and the counsellors over the coming months to ensure the smooth running of the pilot.
My Department provides funding to recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary/School Services Support Fund (SSSF) to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
Schools also receive a range of other grants including Book Grants, Programme grants etc.
I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that my Department has been able to provide for increases in capitation funding for primary and post primary schools in recent years.
All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
In addition, as part of the Cost of Living measures introduced in Budget 23, €90 million has been provided in once-off additional funding to support increased running costs for recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme, in particular in dealing with challenges they face in the light of rising energy costs. This additional grant was paid at the rate of €75 per pupil at Primary level and €113 per pupil at Post-Primary level. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs.
91. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education if art is a core subject for secondary schools, or if it is based on numbers. [29907/23]
View answerEach school is required to use the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015 to plan a programme for each of the three years of the Junior Cycle that meets the requirements set out in the Framework and Circular 0028/2023. When planning its Junior Cycle programme, each school is required to take account of the school’s local context and the backgrounds, interests, and abilities of its students and to reflect the characteristic spirit of the school.
Students will study a minimum of eight and a maximum of 10 subjects (the maximum of 10 subjects includes subjects studied outside of a recognised school setting) for final examination and reporting through the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA), the exact number being dependent on whether the student is also taking short courses. It is not the aim or intention that short courses would replace existing subjects. A maximum of four short courses may be studied in the Junior Cycle programme, in addition to Wellbeing short courses in SPHE, CSPE and the 135 hour PE specification. Each student must include Irish, English, Mathematics and History among the subjects that he/she studies, along with a number of other subjects and/or short courses in their Junior Cycle programme.
Students taking the established Leaving Certificate programme must take at least five subjects. English, Mathematics and Irish are the core subjects for all students, except for those students who have an exemption from Irish. Typically, students take six or seven subjects. The range of subjects offered in an individual school is a matter for the school. The range of subjects offered will vary in accordance with the teaching resources in the school and the needs and interests of the students. Art is one of a number of optional subjects offered by schools.
92. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education if she will consider extending the time available for students with dyslexia and other conditions in the leaving certificate examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29944/23]
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.
93. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education the expected time period for the completion of the financial robustness process for projects over €20 million; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30005/23]
View answerWhere any school building project has a projected cost in excess of €20 million, it is a requirement under the Public Spending Code to carry out a Financial Robustness Check of the shortlist of prequalified main contractors.
My Department refers such major school projects to the NDFA who then engage with the relevant contractors, who will need to respond to queries and provide documentation/evidence as required as part of these checks.
The period of time it takes to progress through a financial robustness process varies from project to project depending on its size and complexity.
Upon completion of this Financial Robustness Check, and subject to no issues arising, my Department can further progress a project to the next stage of architectural planning, Stage 3 - Tender.
The bulk of school building projects are below the aforementioned €20m threshold.
94. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 488 of 13 June 2023, for a breakdown, by county, of the mentioned 900 school building extensions that were also delivered from 2011 to 2023, by year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30052/23]
View answerPlease see the table at the link below detailing the number extensions/additional accommodation delivered across the country between 2011 to 2022.
I would like to remind the Deputy that this information is available along with the current status of all projects on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie
95. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education the options available to an individual who has sat a leaving certificate examination for a subject that requires a certain grade for their college course and who does not achieve this grade; if they are allowed to sit the subject at the deferred examination stage in advance of receiving their overall leaving certificate results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30053/23]
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.
96. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently expedite a school works application for a school (details supplied). [30054/23]
View answerThe Emergency Works applications to which the Deputy refers have been received by my Department and are under active consideration.
Circumstances have changed since the original application was made. In light of these changes my Department has requested a new category application and supporting documentation from the school.
My Department is currently awaiting for a response from the school to this request for further information. My Department is aware of the time-sensitive nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the application process.
97. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the reasons her Department cannot supply two prefabs for use by a school (details supplied) in time for the new school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30101/23]
View answer98. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if her Department will provide six prefabs on a greenfield site to prevent the temporary split campus involved in a school (details supplied), which is highly inconvenient for parents and extremely difficult for staff to operate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30102/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 98 together.
My Department is currently planning to install modular accommodation for the school on the site to which the Deputy refers. There are also contingency measures being looked into as the interim accommodation will not be ready in time for the start of the upcoming academic year, due to time constraints. One contingency option is that the school may be split over two locations, which should be only for a short term solution and my Department will assist the school to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate parents only having to make one school drop off.
My Department is currently looking into all options and is continuing to liaise with the patron and school to keep them informed of all developments.
