Thursday, 19 Oct 2023

School Transport

Questions (193)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

193. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education if she will ensure that a school bus ticket can be provided for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45917/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The 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 same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

Bus Éireann has confirmed that the pupil to whom the Deputy refers is mainstream eligible to their selected school. However, a late application for school transport was made in September 2023 for the 2023/24 School year and there is currently no available seat on the service for the pupil to avail of.

However, if a seat does become available, Bus Éireann will contact the family directly.

School Accommodation

Questions (194)

Ged Nash

Question:

194. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) will receive an update and approval to proceed to the next stage on a matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45925/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The school to which the Deputy refers applied for funding under my Department's Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) to carry out roof works to the school building. The works were deemed to be outside the scope of the scheme and the application was refused in that context.

However to assist the school address the problems in the interim the school have been advised to appoint a Roof Detection Leaks specialist to identify the leaks within the existing roof and once the leaks have been detected, the necessary repairs can be carried though the EWS until a more permanent solution can be carried out under the Summer Works Scheme. The leak detection test will be funded under the EWS.

School Transport

Questions (195)

Steven Matthews

Question:

195. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the issues in providing a school bus service (details supplied); if efforts are ongoing to resolve this issue; if a timeline for a resolution can be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45926/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

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.

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 has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

Bus Éireann has reported in recent weeks that unfortunately, for a small number of families, assigned to mainstream and Special Educational Needs transport services that had already been secured, a number of difficulties arose in some localities with a small number of contracted services. Bus Éireann is working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible.

Bus Éireann has advised that the route referred to by the Deputy is not currently operating due to driver shortage. Bus Éireann has further advised that once a suitable contractor is sourced for this service, they will contact the families directly.

Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for mainstream and students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore avail of the Exceptional No Service Interim Grant for mainstream services and the Special Transport Grant for Special Educational Needs services. These are once off payments, paid retrospectively to families once the School Transport service is in place and is to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until services are finalised.

This exceptional payment will be based on the number of days a child attends school, calculated from the date the service was due to begin. As the payment is based on the number of days a child attends school up until the time a service has commenced it cannot be paid in advance and will be made available to families retrospectively. Families do not need to make an application for the exceptional payment, those who have been issued a ticket, and do not have a service in place, have been contacted directly by the Department of Education with full details of this exceptional payment.

Bus Éireann will continue to keep families updated in relation to transport services.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (196)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

196. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education to outline the plans, if any, for an ASD class in Monaghan town. [45948/23]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

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 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. Further progress has been made in Budget 2024 where 26% of my department’s budget will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs, representing a 5% increase on Budget 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 and in 2024 a further 744 teachers, and 1,126 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs.

This will mean there will be close to 20,000 teachers and over 21,000 SNAs working in the area of special education. Together we will have over 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.

Over the last number of years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.

These initiatives are bearing fruit with almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.

My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As a result of this forward planning, earlier this year, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two special schools for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.

Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes – 252 at primary and 137 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.

Of these, 3 new special classes have been sanctioned in Monaghan, 2 at primary level and 1 at post-primary level, bringing the total number of special classes in Co. Monaghan to 42.

Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at: www.ncse.ie/special-classes

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

In October of last year, my department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list

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.

School Funding

Questions (197)

Alan Kelly

Question:

197. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education the amount of IT funding that is provided for primary and secondary schools in County Tipperary for the years 2013 to 14 October 2023, by year and by primary and secondary education, in tabular form. [45954/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support its implementation, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021.

The previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 saw overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding enabled schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to enable the embedding of the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

Funding of €50m secured as part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility also issued to all recognised schools in the free education scheme to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide in late 2021.

My Department intends to issue the next tranche of ICT grant funding in the 2023 to 2024 school year. The specific timing for issue of the ICT grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation.

As part of the forthcoming Review of the National Development Plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the breakdown of IT funding that was provided for primary and secondary schools in County Tipperary for the years 2013 to 14 October 2023, is as follows,

	Primary	Post Primary
2013/14	nil	nil
2014/15	nil	nil
2015/16	N/A	333,500*
2016/17	741,909.67	462,223.08
2017/18	733,726.84	455,793.42
2018/19	1,079,362.43	698,598.50
2019/20	1,031,368.95	896,746.36
2020/21	1,019,461.53	919,190.00
2021/22	1,101,009.03	735,632.58
2021/22/ NRRP	1,255,480.00	572,750.00

* One off targeted funding scheme for Design Computer Graphics (DCG) equipment for post primary schools

School Funding

Questions (198)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

198. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education whether there will be a grant available to primary schools this year, similar to what happened previously for the upgrading of technology and ICT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45961/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support its implementation, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021.

The previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 saw overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding enabled schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to enable the embedding of the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.

Funding of €50m secured as part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility also issued to all recognised schools in the free education scheme to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide in late 2021.

My Department intends to issue the next tranche of ICT grant funding in the 2023 to 2024 school year. The specific timing for issue of the ICT grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation.

As part of the forthcoming Review of the National Development Plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.

School Transport

Questions (199)

Claire Kerrane

Question:

199. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be provided to students (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45967/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Education

The 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 has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.

Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

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 and capacity exists.

Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.

Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMs) at post-primary level are continued for the 2023/2024 school year. This means that transport arrangements will be provided where such services are in operation and capacity exists for a number of concessionary post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and registered on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are not eligible for school transport as they are attending their 2nd nearest Post Primary Centre. Bus Éireann has confirmed that no payment was received for the 2023/24 school year and the service is full to capacity.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (200)

Michael Lowry

Question:

200. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be issued regarding the application for a personal special needs assistant for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45979/23]