Written Answers Nos. 71-83
71. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an update on the issue of public access from the N4 to Castletown House; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41847/23]
View answerThe Office of Public Works has entered into a process of constructive dialogue with the owners of the Castletown lands in the form of commercial negotiations with the intention of arriving at an outcome that is acceptable to both parties, is in the public interest and represents value for money for the taxpayer.
72. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will consider a CPO over the roadway that provides access from the N4 to Castletown House; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41848/23]
View answerThe Office of Public Works has entered into a process of constructive dialogue with the owners of the Castletown lands in the form of commercial negotiations with the intention of arriving at an outcome that is agreeable to both parties, in the public interest and which represents value for money for the taxpayer.
As to a compulsory purchase order, the OPW is seeking legal advices on this matter and therefore, it is not possible to comment further at this stage.
73. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how many job losses have been reported to his Department from 1 January 2023 to date (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41843/23]
View answerSection 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 provides that employers proposing a collective redundancy must notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the proposed collective redundancy.
Collective redundancies arise where, during any period of 30 consecutive days, the employees being made redundant are:
• 5 employees where 21-49 are employed,
• 10 employees where 50-99 are employed,
• 10% of the employees where 100-299 are employed,
• 30 employees where 300 or more are employed.
I want to emphasise that statistics on collective redundancy notifications do not reflect the number of actual job losses. Redundancies which occur outside the parameters set out are not required to be notified to the Department. As such, information on collective redundancy notifications does not reflect the total number of actual redundancies that take place across the workforce. Furthermore, not all proposed redundancies result in actual redundancies as alternatives can be found during the 30-day consultation period between employers and employees and job losses may be avoided.
The number of notifications in 2023 which specified potential redundancies in the area mentioned is as follows:
|
No. of notifications |
No. of potential redundancies notified |
|
3 |
44 |
74. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if her Department is dealing with any applications from second-level schools in Tallaght for additional autism classroom accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41673/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is dealing with one application from a second level school in the Tallaght school planning area, St Aidan's Community School, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, for additional autism classroom accommodation. My Department has agreed a brief with the school with respect to the provision of this accommodation.
Additionally, over the last number of months my department has approved and is in the process of delivering special education accommodation at the following schools:
- Mount Seskin Community College in Tallaght - Two classrooms for students with special educational needs
- Old Bawn Community School Tallaght - Two classrooms for students with special educational needs
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classrooms and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
The NCSE is responsible for planning and coordinating special education provision at both a local and a national level and advising my Department in this regard. In recent years my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school-year.
Through this alignment and integration of NCSE and Departmental planning and forecasting processes at both national and local level, my Department works to ensure that specialist education places come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. The active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard.
The planning process involves the NCSE establishing current and anticipated demand for special education provision locally and nationally. Through its local network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (or SENOs), the NCSE establishes demand for special classes on an ongoing basis at a local level. The local SENO engages with parents, local schools, HSE officials and other stakeholders to determine demand.
Additionally, short, medium and long term planning is undertaken at national and regional level based on projected future population demographics and the average percentage of school going population requiring special class places. The future population demographics is linked with my Department’s demographic analysis of future mainstream school place requirements, thereby enabling an integrated approach.
The information gathered by the NCSE at a local level on demand for special education placements is collated at a national level to identify areas of potential unmet demand. This in turn informs the long term forecasting of demand for such provision, over a rolling 5 year period, which in turn facilitates planning for special education placements in special classes and special schools.
Utilising all this information, the NCSE and my Department work closely to plan how best to address this identified unmet demand in those areas in an integrated way, such as utilising suitable existing or new accommodation, as well as the resourcing requirements for schools. This is an ongoing process, with forecasts being continually updated to ensure that special education provision is put in place when and where required. The requirements for special classes at schools in Tallaght will continue to be kept under active review in that context.
75. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education if consideration would be given to extending a bus route to allow for a child (details supplied) to be picked up outside their home, as had been the case some years back; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41697/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 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.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
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.
Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.
Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 2.4 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children living off the main route of a service are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Bus Éireann has advised that this family referred to by the Deputy are eligible for school transport and reside 4.5kms from home to the pick up point to their school of attendance. Bus Éireann also advise an Inspector from their Local Office is currently reviewing if the service can be brought closer and will liaise directly with family in this regard.
A remote area grant is sanctioned by the Department where a family resides 3.2kms or over from a pick up point. Following investigation, if Bus Éireann cannot move the route closer to home, School Transport Section of my Department will liaise with the family referred in this regard.
76. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 308 of 20 September 2023, if she will acknowledge that relative to the 149,000 students transported for the 2022/2023 school year that to date only 132,000 tickets have issued; if she is anticipating an increase in the number of children transported in 2023/2024 over the previous year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41711/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children which includes over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
There has been an overall increase in both applications and tickets issued for the 2023/2024 school year in comparison to the 2022/2023 school year.
To date Bus Éireann has issued over 133,000 tickets for mainstream school transport services, which exceeds the total number of mainstream tickets issued by the end of the last school year. Already there are more children travelling on mainstream services than in the 2022/2023 school year.
Tickets issued so far represent an increase of 7% in mainstream tickets issued compared to the same week in 2022.
With regard to pupils availing of the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs, to date, close to 5,000 new applications have been received for transport for the 2023/2024 school year, with over 1,400 of these having been received since July alone. This compares to some 3,670 new applications received at this time last year. To date transport has been provided for over 3,000 new applicants travelling on the above scheme for the 23/24 school year, with transport being provided for over 19,000 pupils in the current school year. As there is no defined closing date for applications under the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs, my Department continues to receive applications all year round.
77. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if, concerning the OECD report into the DEIS system, she will assure schools in areas of acute disadvantage that such schools will be included in any OECD report and will be visited as part of any such report. [41714/23]
View answerMy Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.
The OECD review will look at the overall Department policy with regards to resourcing schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS, to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. The OECD review will be complimented by a programme of work by my Department which will consider the allocation of supports within the DEIS resource model. The review will consider the DEIS Plan's rationale which states that if we are to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of educational disadvantage, then our extra resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need.
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.
This recent expansion of the DEIS programme to an additional 322 schools has added an additional €32million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall Department of Education allocation for the programme to €180million. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 240,000 students. This means 1 in 4 of all students are now supported in the programme.
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 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. The OECD are engaging with a range of relevant stakeholders to inform the review process as well as drawing on international examples. The OECD estimates that the review will be completed in Q2 2024.
78. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education to provide an update in relation to the status of a project for a school (details supplied); if planning permission has been granted; if there is a timeline available for the commencement of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41720/23]
View answerThe large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is part of a joint campus project with another primary school and a post-primary school. My Department authorised the Design Team to retender the project as the first tranche of tenders were deemed unviable. The Design Team applied for a new planning permission due to a change in the Planning Acts introduced by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Sept 2021 which removed the option to extend a planning permission. Following a Request for Further Information from the Local Authority, the grant of planning permission has been received.
In parallel, the Main Contractor Tender report was received and reviewed by my Department and the Tender report in respect of the Reserve Specialist Contractors is anticipated shortly from the Design Team.
Upon receipt and review of the 2nd tender report, my Department will be in contact with the School Authorities and the Design Team regarding further progression of the project.
79. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education if she will address a school transport matter in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41721/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 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. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.Already over 133,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the start of the 2022/2023 school year. The number of tickets issued so far, has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The Post Primary School Transport Scheme supports the transport to and from school of children who reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post-primary education centre/school.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to is mainstream concessionary and is not eligible for transport as they are attending their third nearest post primary centre.
The route to which the Deputy refers is currently operating to capacity. Bus Éireann local office are currently liaising with the parent on this matter.
80. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education how a parent goes about filling home tuition hours when a student cannot get a place in their local school; if there is a database of retired teachers who offer this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41740/23]
View answerMy Department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. For example, circular 0024/2023 provides information in relation to the 2023/2024 Home Tuition Grant Scheme for children with special educational needs or with a significant medical condition or school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety. This circular can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/67f37-home-tuition-grant-scheme-20232024-special-education-component/.
For children and students who qualify under the Home Tuition Grant Schemes, sanction is given to approve a grant towards the engagement of a tutor who will provide home tuition for the child/student in question. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition and the tutor has no contractual relationship with the Department of Education.
It is the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian to source a tutor at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for applications for registration/vetting to be made by the tutor to the Teaching Council, if necessary. This Department does not keep lists of tutors available to carry out home tuition. It may be helpful for parents to contact local schools in the first instance. Alternatively, the Department is aware that many parents use education provider websites to advertise for tutors or indeed place advertisements in local newspapers or on shop/community notice boards. Additionally, to help parents source a suitable home tutor for this scheme in their local area, the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) has created a Home Tuition Noticeboard for Parents. This noticeboard is available on www.educationposts.ie.
81. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if a facility (details supplied) can be opened early; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41850/23]
View answerIn accordance with the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. In managing the school the board is required to comply with the relevant provisions of the Education Act, 1998 and the terms of circulars issued by the Department.
Decisions in relation to the school’s starting times and finishing times are dealt with at local school level. Any concern that a parent may have regarding the start and finish times of the school should be discussed with the principal in the first instance. If, at that point, the parent remains dissatisfied with the response given by the school principal, the parent can raise the matter with the chairperson of the board of management.
82. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made on a school transport access case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41851/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 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. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
The Department is currently reviewing this case and is liaising directly with the NCSE and the family referred to by the Deputy in this regard.
83. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education following harassment, threats, intimidation and assaults directed towards librarians, health care workers, staff in bookshops, activists and elected politicians, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of teachers and students from such threats; what steps she is talking to prepare schools to recognise and respond to such threats; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41894/23]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school on behalf of the Patron. The principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school as set out in sections 22 and 23 of the Education Act. 1998
The body which has statutory responsibility for ensuring that health and safety requirements are met by all employers, including schools, is the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The Authority also provides information and advice to organisations, including schools, to assist them in ensuring that their responsibilities in respect of health and safety in the workplace are met.The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out the responsibilities on individual school Boards of management to have a safety statement in place in their schools. The Statement should identify potential hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate provision in place to safeguard the safety and health of employees and pupils.The HSA has published resources specifically for schools to support them in managing health and safety in the school environment including the selection and appointment of a safety representative. It also provides a number of online training courses specifically for the school sector. Further details on the advice, resources and training courses available from the HSA can be obtained from the HSA's website www.hsa.ie.
