Written Answers Nos. 310-325
310. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on her engagement with a school (details supplied); when the works will be completed; if she will accept that the project is urgently needed for the school community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32564/23]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme for the provision of a two classroom special education needs base. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority and it appointed a design team for the project.
Department officials visited the school earlier this year in order to give whatever practical assistance was possible to progress the project. Further recommendations and comments were issued to the Design Team in recent weeks and my Department is now awaiting a submission from the school authority. Upon completion of the review of that submission, further communication will issue directly to the school authority in order to progress this project forward to the next stage of the architectural process.
311. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently reconsider, on health and safety grounds, the emergency works grant application made by a school (details supplied) in respect of replacing a collapsing floor in the school’s general purpose room; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32583/23]
View answerThe Emergency Works application to which the Deputy refers has been assessed by my Department. I wish to advise the Deputy that approval for these works has not been granted as they did not fall within the scope of the Emergency Works Scheme.
The main purpose of the Emergency Works Grant Scheme is to provide for unforeseen emergencies that impact on school buildings. An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
An email has been sent to the school advising of same. The school still has the option to make an application to the summer works program when it next opens.
312. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) in Donegal had to wait over a year to have an appeal of special education teaching allocation decided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32593/23]
View answer313. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the reasons the NCSE review panel refused an appeal of special education teaching allocation despite two NCSE reviewers recommending an increased allocation for a school in Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32594/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together.
I 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. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
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.
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 funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers (SETs), special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs 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 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 the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SETs and reviews.
The SET allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. This model has replaced the previous model of allocating resource teaching support and learning support to schools based on a diagnosis of disability.
The SET allocation, allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.
The allocation gives greater flexibility to schools as to how they can deploy their resources, to take account of the actual learning needs pupils have, as opposed to being guided by a particular diagnosis of disability, and schools are guided as to how they should make such allocation decisions.
The school will take account of the learning needs of children as evidenced by performance in schools but also supported where relevant by information provided regarding the nature of a condition that a pupil may have.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their SET allocation by the NCSE, including the utilisation of their allocations. Detailed information on the NCSE review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie/special-education-teachers.
My department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
As the appeal of SET allocations is a matter for the NCSE, the question has been forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply to the deputy.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
314. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the legislative or policy basis on which the parents of a child (details supplied) are being requested to sign an insurance indemnification form stating that they as the lawful father and mother respectively, agree to indemnify and keep indemnified the board, its servants and agents, including class teacher and/or the principal of the said school from and against all claims, both present and future, arising from the administration or failure to administer the medicine buccolam midazolam which is used to treat prolonged, acute convulsive seizures. [32620/23]
View answerThe Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all pupils. It is important that the school management authority requests parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the management authorities, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a pupil suffers from an illness requiring, for example, the administration of medication, that appropriate treatment is available.
The administration of medicines in primary schools is the subject of an agreement between the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the organisation representing school management at primary level. While this agreement specifies that no teacher can be required to administer medicine or drugs to pupils, it also sets out procedures that must be followed where a teacher or teachers agree to do so. The position is that either the parents of the child should make themselves available to administer medication as required, or where they wish the staff in the school to administer it, they should indemnify the school.
My Department cannot direct any member of the Board of Management or the teaching staff of the school to administer medical treatment to pupils, action and procedures which are normally carried out by medical professionals such as doctors and nurses.
Where a child requires adult assistance to assist in the administration of medicine and where the extent of assistance required would overly disrupt normal teaching time, SNA support may be allocated for this purpose.
Circular 0030/2014 (link below) sets out the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme to support teachers in meeting the care needs of some children with special educational needs, arising from a disability and makes reference to the administration of medication as one of the examples of the primary care needs which would be considered significant – and which might require SNA support.
It is my Department's experience that once the matter has been discussed in detail with the Board of Management and staff of a school, and once all parties are clear as to the procedures to be followed, arrangements can normally be made to assist the administration of medicine.
315. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) can retain the additional permanent mainstream teacher which has been provisionally approved for 2023/2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32633/23]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
The appeal submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy has been successful, pending confirmation of enrolment on 30th September. The school has been advised that a valid enrolment of 78 is required on 30th September in order to retain the additional post for the remainder of the year.
316. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32639/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval for the provision of a 100m2 Modular building under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme. The school authority has submitted a request for the second drawdown of available funding. Following a review of this request, My Department has approved the issue of the payment in question.
317. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education the status of an application by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32648/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently received an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from Knocknagree National School, Mallow, Co. Cork.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
The ASA application is currently being assessed and when this is completed the school authority will be notified of the decision.
318. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education what contact her Department has had with a school (details supplied) regarding increasing numbers; the additional classrooms to accommodate these numbers; her Department’s plans to make this space available; the options for same; whether a timeframe has been established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32650/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.
The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
I can confirm that my officials have been in touch with the school authorities directly in relation to their application and the possible challenges of delivering additional accommodation at the site in question. My Department's Professional and Technical section are considering the scope of accommodation required here and any possible technical challenges for delivery. My officials will be in touch with the school directly when this review has concluded.
319. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if information will be provided to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32653/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the Payroll Division of my Department provides information to teachers regarding their pay and teaching service, when requested to do so, including statements of earnings and statements in relation to their teaching service.
A statement of teaching service includes details of the dates in which teachers were employed in schools, for whom teacher salaries are payable by my Departments Payroll Division.
My Department acts as paymaster on behalf of primary schools, voluntary secondary, community and comprehensive schools.
Details of teaching service in Education and Training Board (ETB) schools can be provided by ETB payroll services.
I can advise that a statement of service has now been requested for the teacher referred to in the Deputy's question, and will be posted directly to the teacher concerned, in the coming days.
320. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a full-time home school community liaison officer for schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32657/23]
View answerCurrently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL), which serves 693 schools. The scheme is delivered by 530 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or clusters of schools, catering for approximately 207,000 pupils. The HSCL scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention.
A HSCL Coordinator is released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents and guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL Coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life. HSCL is a school-based intervention provided to address the needs of students and their families in disadvantaged areas through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator.
The HSCL scheme, together with the School Completion Programme and the statutory Educational Welfare Service, make up the three strands of Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, families and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people. My Department works closely with TESS to ensure all schools are supported with the resources available.
Recognising the need to target resources to those schools who need them most, a phase of work is currently underway to explore the allocation of resources, including the HSCL coordinator support, to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with all relevant stakeholders. It is not envisaged that the current HSCL coordinator allocation to schools will be altered in advance of the completion of that review.
321. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works at a school (details supplied) in Naas, County Kildare, will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32672/23]
View answerThe completion contract for the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award. The Invitation to Tender was issued and tender returns are awaited, subject to no issues arising, the project is estimated to be on site in Quarter 4 2023.
322. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on recent Departmental engagement with representatives on the issue of post-primary redeployment of teachers. [32719/23]
View answerOfficials from my Department recently met with representatives to discuss proposals for the introduction of a teacher relocation scheme.
The Department is giving further consideration to this matter and will be in contact with representatives in due course.
It should be noted that the Department meets on a regular basis with the school management bodies and the teacher unions on many issues related to teacher supply and we will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the teacher supply challenges facing schools.
The Department also engages with the teacher unions and the management bodies in the Teachers’ Conciliation Council (TCC). The TCC is the recognised forum for dealing with matters relating to the pay and conditions of service for teachers and any other matters that arise at a national level regarding employment issues.
323. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education to address concerns (details supplied) regarding the funding of current trainee educational psychologists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32739/23]
View answerThe Department has been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.
Following the introduction by the Department of a bursary to support Trainee Educational Psychologists in their third year (or third year equivalent) of professional training in University College Dublin (UCD) and Mary Immaculate College (MIC), who expect to graduate in 2023, officials in my Department are currently liaising with Mary Immaculate College and University College Dublin to finalise funding supports for students of the educational psychological doctorate programme who would graduate in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and would be in a position to apply for the next NEPS recruitment competition that takes place in their final year of study and/or subsequent recruitment competitions thereafter.
324. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education if pupils (details supplied) will have a school place after the summer break; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32749/23]
View answerWhile my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, 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
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
My Department is aware of pressures in the Midleton Carrigtwohill area and is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across the school planning area through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.
Engagement began in October 2022 with a view to getting a clear picture of the number of unique additional places required. We are reliant on getting clear data from the schools in a prompt manner and are continuing to engage with the schools and patrons. Officials from my Department will be addressing the issue with each of the patrons this week with a view to finding a workable solution to ensure no student is without a place for September 2023.
This close engagement will allow the Department to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/
325. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education is she will intervene in the case of a child (details supplied). [32766/23]
View answerUnder the Assistive Technology scheme, as set out in my Department’s Circular 0010/2013, funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes.
All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment.
It must be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs. Where necessary, schools may also purchase new or additional equipment or software for students from normal school resources or funds.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs. An additional €2 million funding was secured in Budget 2023 for the Assistive Technology scheme. This represents an increase of almost 60% on funding allocated previously to this essential support. This increased allocation supports my Department’s commitment to ensure that a full range of resources, not just teachers and SNAs, are available to support children who most need it.
The Assistive Technology Scheme is provided by my Department to supplement the overall approach to providing funding to schools for digital technology and equipment to support children for education purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children who require essential specialist equipment in order to access the school curriculum. I see assistive technology as a critical enabler for those with special educational needs to gain the maximum benefit from a modern technologically focused education system.Where children with more complex disabilities require essential specialist equipment to access the school curriculum, which they do not already have, or which cannot be provided for them through the schools existing provisions, schools may make an application for such equipment to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) under the terms of this scheme.
The NCSE through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports. SENOs also make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology/specialised equipment is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support.
Schools make applications directly to the SENO, providing details of the student’s special educational needs or disability, including details of the approach taken by the school in making relevant interventions.
In order to qualify for equipment under the Assistive Technology Scheme, a student must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the student to access the curriculum.
SENOs will review the application, and professional reports provided in support of same, in order to establish whether the criteria of the scheme have been met. They will then make a recommendation to my Department as to whether or not assistive technology is required; and based on this recommendation, my Department will decide on the level of grant, if any, to be provided.
The type of equipment provided under the Assistive Technology Scheme is varied, and includes audiological supports for students with hearing impairment, braille equipment for children with visual impairment, and computer equipment with associated modified software for students with physical or severe communicative disabilities.
Communication devices or medical or therapy related devices which are not specific educational interventions or equipment specifically required as essential for school educational access, and which have a general application outside of school, are not provided for under the Assistive Technology scheme, however. Such equipment is normally provided for children with disabilities by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Based on the professional information provided to the SENO and in line with criteria set out in Circular 10/2013, the SENO was not in a position to recommend an assistive technology grant for the school concerned on behalf of the student.
It is open to the school to appeal this decision. The appeals process is outlined on my Department’s website at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/service/237c68-assistive-technology-grant/
Separately, where an appeal has been unsuccessful, but new information becomes available, it is open to the school to submit a new application to the SENO for consideration.
It is also open to parents to contact SENOs directly to discuss their child’s special educational needs, using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/seno-contact-information
