Written Answers Nos. 501-515
501. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the projected cost of ensuring every DEIS secondary school is funded for the provision of a JCSP library; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37009/23]
View answerThe Junior Certificate School Programme (JCSP) is a national programme sponsored by the Department of Education and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Introduced in 1996, it is a social inclusion programme that is aimed at students who are identified as being at risk of being socially or academically isolated or at risk of early school leaving before the (then) Junior Certificate has been achieved.
Since its introduction, JCSP has expanded from 32 schools in 1996 to 240 schools in 2010. The programme expanded on a phased basis, to almost all post-primary schools participating in the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) in 2010. The JCSP is also offered in Special Schools, Children Detention Schools, Traveller Training Centres and Youth Encounter Projects (YEP).
Of the current 223 schools within JCSP, 173 are designated DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) and 50 are non-DEIS schools. There are currently 235 DIES post-primary schools in Ireland. There are 8 Gaelscoileanna, 2 High Support Units, 17 Special Schools and 4 YEP. 122 schools in JCSP are part of the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) network of schools throughout the country.
One of the initiatives under the JCSP is the JCSP Demonstration Library Project. School librarians work as part of a network of librarians in the JCSP Demonstration Library Project. Within the Demonstration Library Project, there are 32 professional librarians employed by the CDETB who are based in 30 schools that operate the library facility. They are managed by the Senior Librarian.
Librarians are responsible, together with key school staff, for drawing up and implementing library strategies to tackle the literacy difficulties experienced by many JCSP students. An important element of the JCSP is the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy which promotes a school approach and which incorporates the Library Demonstration Project. Each year, each library receives a grant from JCSP. The grant funds literacy and numeracy initiatives, book buying and resources for the library. Expenditure is approved in advance by the Senior Librarian. Funding of €2,500,311 was provided by my Department to the JCSP Demonstration Library Project in 2022 which included Librarians' salaries as well as funding for the other aspects of the programme which I have just outlined.
No projection has been made as to the cost of extending the provision of JCSP Demonstration Library Project to all DEIS schools. As part of the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle (2015), it was agreed to carry out a review of the JCSP and consider the extent to which the needs of students undertaking the JCSP are met through the Junior Cycle. This review is currently ongoing, with the programme closed to new applicants but current provision continuing for the present.
502. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to outline the funding provided in each year since 2020 for the provision of school libraries; what current support streams are in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37010/23]
View answerMy Department provides capitation funding to primary and post primary schools and schools use this funding stream to resource their schools, including providing literacy resources. The JCSP Demonstration Library Project continues to receive funding from my Department, including in the years 2020 to 2022 as set out below. The JCSP is a social inclusion programme which includes the demonstration library project which involves 30 schools.
|
Year |
Total |
|
2020 |
€2,434,601 |
|
2021 |
€2,426,420 |
|
2022 |
€2,500,311 |
Furthermore, in 2022 once-off funding of €20 million was made available to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme to purchase books, audio books and other media for the purposes of improving their existing literacy-resource banks.
Assistance was also provided by my Department, with the support of the Public Library Service, to the schools on how best to use the funding, through a guidance note, webinars and support from local libraries, that support is still available to schools.
In Budget 2023, my Department announced over €50 million to provide free schoolbooks to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from September 2023. At a minimum the scheme will provide free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for all pupils in recognised primary schools and special schools and will eliminate the cost of these items for parents of children and young people enrolled in these schools. Any surplus grant can be used to purchase shared books, audio books and other material to increase the literacy (in English, Irish or other languages) and numeracy resources in a school. Funding should only be used for this purpose, however, where all other schoolbooks, workbooks, copybooks and related classroom resources costs have been met.
As no doubt the Deputy is aware, library membership is completely free of charge for everyone in every library in the country. A teacher’s card is made available to every teacher in every school, which enables each teacher to borrow items for his/her class. Further information on the services to schools can be found at www.librariesireland.ie/services/right-to-read/services-to-schools. Libraries Ireland also offer a Digital Library Service, and currently anyone with a library card can access the eBooks, audiobooks and eLearning Resources.
There is also a commitment in the new strategy for the public libraries, The Library is the Place: Information, Recreation, Inspiration National Public Library Strategy 2023-2027, to work with my Department to build on the current provision of library services to primary and post primary schools and explore the potential for an expanded programme of library supports, which will be delivered in alignment with this Department’s forthcoming new national strategy on literacy and numeracy.
I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.
503. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the current staffing schedule at primary level, for DEIS and non-DEIS schools; how many teachers are currently employed across the primary level system; the number employed in each year from 2018 to 2023, in tabular form; the cost of reducing the average class size to 20 pupils; the cost of each one-point improvement in staffing costs, and capital costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37011/23]
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. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, in place since 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. Teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools are at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.
The Statistics Section of my Department's website contains extensive data in relation to our schools including pupil teacher ratios and teacher numbers. The numbers requested by the Deputy are attached.
|
Year |
Teacher Numbers |
|
2018/19 |
37,341 |
|
2019/20 |
37,839 |
|
2020/21 |
38,604 |
|
2021/22 |
40,351 |
|
2022/23 |
41,812* |
* provisional, pending publication
Each one point improvement in the staffing schedule at primary level for DEIS and non-DEIS schools requires between 350-400 additional teaching posts, at a cost of in excess of €20.5 million per annum.
In addition each one point improvement in the staffing schedule to include both DEIS and non-DEIS schools, is estimated to generate capital costs of circa €40 million.
504. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education to provide, in tabular form, the projected costs of reducing the staffing schedules for DEIS urban band 1 vertical schools to 17:1, DEIS urban band 1 junior schools to 15:1 and DEIS urban band 1 senior schools to 19:1; the costs for the 2024-25 school year; the current number of schools in each band; the staffing schedules that apply for DEIS urban band 2 and DEIS rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37012/23]
View answerI have reduced the class sizes in DEIS Urban Band 1 schools in each of the past three budgets. I provided for a one point improvement in the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools for the 2021/22 school year, a further 1 point improvement for 2022/23 and Budget 2023 brings in a further 1 point reduction from next September.
This means that from September 2023 the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 vertical schools will be 19:1, DEIS Urban Band 1 junior schools will be 17:1 and DEIS Urban Band 1 senior schools will be 21:1.
It is estimated that each 1 point improvement in the staffing schedule for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools, would require an additional 70 teaching posts. The cost for each additional post is approximately €55,000.
The mainstream staffing schedule applies to all DEIS Urban Band 2 and DEIS Rural schools. For the third consecutive year I have brought in a measure to reduce class sizes for all schools, including DEIS Urban Band 2 and DEIS Rural schools, by lowering the staffing schedule and bringing it to an historic low of 23:1.
Any further improvement in the staffing schedule must be considered in the context of the annual budgetary process.
My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.
Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.
May Departments allocated €180 million annually to support schools in the DEIS programme. The programme now includes 1,200 schools and supports approximately 240,000 students. This means 1 in 4 of all students are now supported in the programme.
There are currently:
306 DEIS Urban Band 1 Schools
149 DEIS Urban Band 2 Schools
510 DEIS Rural Schools
235 DEIS Post-Primary Schools
1,200 Total
505. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the current staffing schedule at second level; how many teachers are currently employed across the second-level system; the number employed in each year from 2018 to 2023, in tabular form; the cost of each one-point improvement in staffing costs, and capital costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37013/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that details of the staffing schedule arrangements for post primary schools are set out in my Departments Circulars:
0002/2023 gov.ie - Staffing Arrangements in Voluntary Secondary Schools for the 2023/24 school year (www.gov.ie)
www.gov.ie/en/circular/84e36-staffing-arrangements-in-voluntary-secondary-schools-for-the-202324-school-year/
0003/2023 gov.ie - Staffing arrangements in Community and Comprehensive Schools for the 2023/24 school year (www.gov.ie)
www.gov.ie/en/circular/f35af-staffing-arrangements-in-community-and-comprehensive-schools-for-the-202324-school-year/
0004/2023 gov.ie - Staffing Arrangements in Education and Training Boards for the 2023/24 school year www.gov.ie/en/circular/9ae10-staffing-arrangements-in-education-and-training-boards-for-the-202324-school-year/
Details of the number of teachers who are employed by primary and post primary schools (excluding Education and Training Board (ETB) schools ) each year, including for the years from 2018 to 2023, are published at www.gov.ie/en/publication/c97fbd-teacher-statistics/#number-of-teachers-by-gender-appointed-to-teaching-posts
For approved mainstream enrolments, a ratio of 19:1 is currently applied in respect of recognised pupils in free education scheme post primary schools.
A ratio of 23:1 is applied in respect of recognised pupils in recognised schools outside the free education system.
Each 1 point adjustment to the pupil teacher ratio at post primary level would cost approximately €60.4m per annum.
506. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education how many children are enrolled in fee-paying private second-level schools in each year since 2018; the subsidy for teaching salaries and SNA posts in each of those years; the additional capital or grant expenditure provided in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37014/23]
View answerGross expenditure in the order of €571 million was incurred by my Department on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants (including employer’s PRSI) in fee-charging schools since 2018/2019 school year. Capital supports (building-related and ICT grants) were also available to such schools totalling over €9 million since 2018. In addition, specific Covid-19 grant funding of over €8 million was paid to these schools since 2019 for hand sanitiser, enhanced cleaning and supervision
The total amount of funding paid by my Department to fee-charging schools and Department-funded staff salaries in fee-charging schools by year from 2018 to date, along with enrolment numbers, are set out in the attached table and accompanying notes.
|
Type of Funding |
2018/2019 |
2019/2020 |
2020/2021 |
2021/2022 |
2022/23* |
|
Gross Teacher & SNA Salary Costs (including employer PRSI) |
€106,159,271 |
€112,448,289 |
€120,578,511 |
€120,792,883 |
€111,119,941 |
|
Covid 19 Grants |
€0 |
€1,251,220 |
€2,992,546 |
€3,046,754 |
€914,830 |
|
Capital Planning & Building** |
€162,942 |
€1,268,934 |
€999,265 |
€3,638,307 |
€282,857 |
|
Capital ICT Grants |
€711,648 |
€613,738 |
€610,654 |
€697,733 |
€0 |
|
Total |
€107,033,861 |
€115,582,181 |
€125,180,976 |
€128,175,677 |
€112,317,628 |
|
Fee-Charging Schools |
52 |
51 |
51 |
50 |
50 |
|
Females |
10,716 |
10,944 |
11,098 |
11,284 |
11,633 |
|
Males |
14,890 |
14,937 |
15,128 |
15,398 |
15,559 |
|
Total Enrolled |
25,606 |
25,881 |
26,226 |
26,682 |
27,192 |
Note: PRSI Rate applied - 11.05%
The Gross Teacher and SNA salary costs includes €245k in respect of the Supervision and Substitution balancing payment
* Salary costs noted for 2022/23 are to-date in July 2023 only. As the financial school year does not end until 31st August 2023, this figure does not represent the full salary costs for the 2022/23 school year
** Figures taken on calender year.
507. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the projected cost of the current pilot programme of counselling supports for primary school pupils; the projected cost of a nationwide roll-out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37015/23]
View answerI was delighted to announce a pilot programme to provide counselling and mental health supports in primary schools. I secured €5m in Budget 2023 for this pilot which will be rolled out in the school year 2023/24. As we know there is increasing concern about the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people both nationally and internationally. This pilot will complement ongoing work and resources to support children’s mental health and wellbeing currently provided in schools.
There are two strands in the pilot. Strand 1 will see the provision of one-to-one counselling to support some children in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary
Strand 2 will see the establishment of a new type of support from Education Wellbeing/Mental Health Teams for clusters of primary schools. This Strand will also see the introduction of Education Wellbeing/Mental Health Practitioners, who will work as part of a team under the direction and supervision of NEPS in schools across Cork, Dublin 7, Dublin 16 and Carlow.
It is anticipated that the majority of the €5m budget will be spent on payment to counsellors in Strand 1 in the school year 2023/24. An evaluation of the pilot will be carried out which will consider the feasibility of a national rollout including potential costs.
508. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the projected cost of a 10% increase in funding for the school completion programme; the current financial and staff commitments in 2021-22 and 2022-23; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37016/23]
View answerSince 1st January 2021, responsibility for the administration of the School Completion Programme (SCP), transferred back from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to my Department.
The School Completion Programme, (SCP) is funded by my Department via Tulsa’s Education Support Service (TESS) and is a central element of the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme, a key policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level.
The total allocation of SCP funding for 2023 is €34m.
Since I took over responsibility for the SCP in January 2021, an additional allocation of €2.3m was provided for the programme as part of Budget 2021 measures. The increasing of the SCP full year budget to €27m from 2022, encompassed the extension of SCP to an additional 28 schools and incorporated a 5% increase in budget to SCP funding overall.
From September 2022, an additional €4 million (€5.9 million full year) was provided to allow access to SCP to new DEIS urban primary and post-primary schools under the recent DEIS expansion. A further increase of 5% for SCP was negotiated under Budget 2023.
This increase in funding shows my consistent commitment to ensure the provision of vital supports to children and young people at risk of early school leaving.
TESS have operational responsibility for the SCP, with Local Projects operating under the management and direction of a Local Management Committee (LMC). The LMC is responsible for the oversight of the project delivery at local level, including the use of project resources and accountability for public funds.
My Department is continuing to undertake work towards achieving its vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. It also recognises that we need to target resources to those schools who need them most. That is why my Department has undertaken a programme of work to explore the allocation of resources to schools to address educational disadvantage. To support this work my Department have invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies Project to review the current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage in Ireland.
This review will provide an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme, which includes the SCP and, drawing on international examples, inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS.
509. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost of every ten additional home school community liaison positions; how many are currently in place; the current financial commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37017/23]
View answerThe Home School Community Liaison (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 a teacher from a participating school who 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. This is achieved through targeting the families of students most at risk of educational disadvantage and putting in place a range of appropriate support interventions.
Currently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the HSCL Scheme, 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 average salary cost for one HSCL Coordinator position based on mid point of the salary scale is circa €58,000.
510. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost of permanently abolishing fees for sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificate for 2024; the projected number of students in each year, by exam; the cost of waiving the fee in 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37018/23]
View answerExamination entry fees paid by candidates help defray the cost of delivering the state certificate examinations. Fees are also charged for other services such as appealing results (noting that successful appellants have their appeal fees refunded) and for certified copies of statements of examination results.
You may wish to note that, recognising that not all candidates are in a position to pay examination entry fees, the State Examinations Commission, which has responsibility for the operation of the State examinations, operates a fee alleviation scheme. Candidates who hold a full medical card or who are covered for all services on a parent or guardian’s full medical card are not liable for examination entry fees. In a normal year, approximately 39% of candidates are exempt from fees.
In 2019, the last year in which all examinations ran as normal, a total of €10.2m was collected in fees from 123,118 candidates, net of medical card exemptions. In 2019, a total of 41,183 candidates, about 33% of the total examination cohort, were exempt from paying examination fees on the basis that they, their parents or guardians held a medical card.
Given the extraordinary arrangements which applied to examinations in 2020 and again in 2021, fees were not charged. 2022 saw the welcome return of written examinations for all candidates, and on 3 February 2022 I confirmed that fees would not be charged for the 2022 examinations. Examination entry fees for the Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations are again being waived for 2023.
The number of candidates who sat State Examinations in 2019, are entered for 2023 and the projected number of candidates for 2024 is outlined in the table below which includes external candidates:
|
Academic Year |
Junior Cycle |
Leaving Certificate* |
Total Candidates |
% Increase |
|
2019 Number of Sits |
64,331 |
58,787 |
123,118 |
- |
|
2023 (number entered to sit) |
71,494 |
63,539 |
135,033 |
+9.7% |
|
2024 (estimated Entries) |
72,224 |
65,480 |
137,704 |
+2% |
*includes Leaving Certificate Applied
Examinations fees have not been collected since 2019; the exact amount to be collected annually is dependent on the number of candidates and the number who qualify for exemption from examination fees. The SEC has estimated the income from examination fees for the next three years based on fees collected in 2019 as follows; 2023 – €11.3m; 2024 - €11.4m; 2025- €11.6m.
511. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost of abolishing school transport charges for concessionary students; if she will outline the changes in the fees for the scheme over the past two years; the current fees paid by students; the total fees collected this school year; the projected fees to be collected in 2023 for the 2023/24 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37019/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/23 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
There has been an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and 38% in tickets issued on a concessionary basis in the 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 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
As part of the cost of living measures announcement by Government on 10 February 2022 for policy measures to mitigate the cost of living, for the 2022/2023 school year, the annual school transport cap per family was set to be reduced from the previous cap of €220 to €150 per family at primary level and from the previous cap of €650 to €500 per family at post-primary level. There were no reductions announced for single annual tickets at that time. Eligible children holding valid medical cards and eligible children with special educational needs were exempt from paying the annual charge.
However, as you are aware, in recognition that back to school is an expensive time of year for families, in July 2022, Government agreed funding for the total waiving of school transport scheme fees for the 2022/2023 school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Again as part of a wider package of cost of living measures, for the current school year 2023/2024, Government agreed funding for a reduction in school transport ticket charges, as a result ticketholders will save up to €50 at primary and €275 at post-primary, with an overall reduction in the family maximum contribution of €525 compared to the fees for 2021/2022 school year. This reduction in fees is at a cost of approximately €49m.
The annual charge for School Transport Services for the 2023/24 school year is set out below:
|
Category of Pupil |
Annual Charge |
|
Primary Eligible/Concessionary Pupil |
€50 |
|
Post Primary Eligible/Concessionary Pupil |
€75 |
|
Maximum annual charge for families |
€125 |
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the collected and projected fees is currently not available as Bus Éireann are continuing to review all school transport applications and services over the summer months, late applications and payments are still being received for the 2023/2024 school year.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to abolishing school transport charges for concessionary students is not available in the manner requested by the Deputy as Bus Éireann are currently reviewing all applications received for the 2023/2024 school year. However, the average cost of providing transport on a mainstream scheme for a child to a primary or post-primary school is estimated at €1,000 per annum. Over 40,000 concessionary pupils were issued with tickets on mainstream services in the 2022/2023 school year.
Receipts from school transport charges for the 2021/22 school year amounted to approximately €12m (net of refunds issued arising from Covid related school closures).
512. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the full-year projected cost of free schoolbooks at primary level; the cost of expanding that to all secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37020/23]
View answerEarlier this year I announced the establishment of Ireland’s first national primary school book scheme. More than 558,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools, will benefit from this new measure.
Detailed guidance for primary schools on the scheme was published and issued to all recognised primary schools and special schools in March 2023.
The investment in this scheme significantly increases the funding for school books provided to date to all recognised primary schools in the country. The implementation of the measure aims to build on the experience of the existing school book rental scheme which is available in the majority of recognised primary schools and on the free school books pilot provided to over 100 primary DEIS schools in recent years.
The primary school book grant funding for the 2023/24 academic year, totalling €53,712,096, was paid directly to all recognised primary and special schools in April and May, to allow schools implement the scheme in time for the start of the 2023/24 school year.
For the 2023/24 school year the Department also paid €1,873,300 in June to schools as an Administrative Support Grant. Primary and special schools can use this grant to pay an individual to assist with the implementation of the scheme.
A full evaluation of the first year of implementation of the scheme will be undertaken in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, to inform the guidance, implementation, costs and efficiency of the scheme for future years.
The extension of the free school book measure to students in recognised post-primary schools will be considered in the context of the available resources going forward. At this point I am unable to provide the Deputy with a figure for the cost of funding free schoolbooks at post primary level. My Department currently provides a book grant to all recognised post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, my Department provided funding of €10.2 million in 2022 to these schools.
513. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost to provide a permanent release day for administrative purposes every week to every teaching principal; how many would benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37021/23]
View answerAs a result of Budget 2022, all schools with a teaching principal have a minimum of 37 Principal Release Days. i.e. one administrative day per week since September 2022. Schools with one special class have 4 additional release days, a total of 41 in the school year.
Circular 26/2022 which is available on the Department's website - “Release Time for Principals in Primary Schools for the 2022/23 School Year “ outlines the number of Principal Release Days available to schools.
514. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost of restoring the outstanding approximately 2,400 posts of responsibility in primary and special schools, for AP1 to reach 1,605, and AP2 to reach 8,592; the current level of positions in each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37022/23]
View answerI recognise the key role school leadership has in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive and accountable.
Budget 2017 allowed for the commencement of restoration of middle management posts as part of an agreed distributed leadership model and meant lifting the rigidity of the longstanding moratorium on these posts. The equivalent of approximately 1,300 middle management posts (Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II) were restored at both Primary and Post-Primary level. (2,600 in total)
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. 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. New POR threshold tables are produced each year to distribute these POR’s equitably across all school.
At Primary level, there is an approximate allocation of 1363 API's and 7698 APII's for the 2023/24 school year. The current annual rates for Assistant Principal I and Assistant Principal II posts are €9,611 and €4,252 respectively.
515. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the cost of employing an additional 100 SNAs; the projected number of additional SNAs to be employed in 2024/2025 due to demographic pressures; the current number of SNAs at the end of 2022/23 school year; the current number of funded posts from September for the 2023/24 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37023/23]
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. 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 has been 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, 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.
For the first time ever there will be 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.
SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs. My department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
The NCSE have confirmed that as of 17 July 2023, 20,358 SNA posts have been allocated to special classes, mainstream and special schools.
When a school has been allocated an SNA, the Board of Management as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy. The decision on whether to employ a full-time SNA to fill a full-time post, or to employ an equivalent number of part-time SNAs rests with the employer.
The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations for each school year, by county, in tabular form on their website. These details can be found at: www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations
The approximate annual cost at entry of an additional full-time SNA including provision for employer PRSI and substitution costs is €39,990. Therefore the estimated cost of 100 additional SNAs is almost €4 million per annum.
Work is ongoing in relation to finalising the budgetary projections for the 2024/25 school year.
