Written Answers Nos. 451-470
451. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 200 of 10 October 2023, if eligible parents who applied for the special transport grant will be considered for a backdated grant to when the service ceased, to help with the costs previously accrued while transporting their children to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47446/23]
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.
Over 134,000 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. 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.
Under the terms of the Department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for transport where they are attending the nearest recognised school that is or can be resourced to meet their special educational needs. The National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) acts in an advisory role to the Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised: mainstream school, special class / special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education criteria.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
A Special Transport Interim Grant has been offered to families of children with special educational needs who are eligible under the terms of the school transport scheme and were awaiting a School Transport service to be put in place.
This grant is a once off payment. The interim grant is offered from the date of application/date the services ceased to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until a transport service is ready to commence. The Family do not have to make an application for this grant, they will be contacted directly in this regard.
452. 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. [47447/23]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy was approved funding under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme and the project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.
I can confirm that a request has been received by my Department for review of additional fees which are currently under consideration, and the result of this review will be communicated to the school authorities in due course.
453. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education for an update on the provision of a school transport service for pupils left without a bus to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47449/23]
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.
There was an increase of 21% in tickets issued to eligible students and an increase of 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 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.
A pupil with special educational needs is eligible for school transport if they are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit, that is or can be resourced, to meet the child's special educational needs under Department of Education criteria.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
There was a 30% increase in the number of special educational transport journeys from 2019 to the 2022/2023 school year, and already over 1,400 new applications have been received since July for the 2023/2024 school year.
New applications for the 2023/2024 school year will be catered for through a mix of new services (some being individual), children being accommodated on existing services where capacity exists, extensions of existing routes and grants to families.
Bus Éireann has reported that unfortunately, for a small number of families assigned to Special Educational Needs transport services that had been secured, difficulties have arisen in some localities with a small number of contracted services.
A Special Transport Interim Grant is available to families of children with special educational needs who, following the application process, are eligible under the terms of the school transport scheme and are awaiting a School Transport service to be put in place. The Department will be in direct contact with families in regard to full details of this grant.
This grant is a once off payment. The interim grant is offered from the date of application to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements that families have to put place until a transport service has commenced.
You do not need to make an application; the School Transport Section in the Department of Education will email you directly with further details of the grant.
Bus Éireann has advised that a service commenced for the pupil referred to by the Deputy on 26th October 2023.
454. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education when the solar panel programme for schools will be rolled out; if she can give an indication to a timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47450/23]
View answerBudget 2023 provided for the provision of funding from the Climate Action Fund, which is under the remit of the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output.
The Department has been engaging regularly with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to prepare for the roll-out of this programme. This has involved engagement around issues such as the scope of the scheme, the detail of what is included in the PV installation package, and compliance with the requirements of the Climate Action Fund.
The scheme will fund 6 kilowatts of roof-mounted solar PV, which equates to approximately 16 solar panels. Connection to the grid will be included, to allow unused solar energy to feed to the grid when schools are closed. This will enable schools to be compensated for renewable exports to the grid.
Monitoring software will also be provided to each school, to allow review and discussion of the energy generated each day for staff and students.
It is intended that the scheme will be implemented using my Department’s geographic information system (GIS) to support efficient rollout. This will provide a user-friendly online mechanism for schools interacting with the Department on this scheme.
This will be the first capital delivery programme of its kind to be implemented using GIS as the interface between schools and the Department. As a result, considerable work has been ongoing in my Department in developing the GIS platform and interface.
It has been agreed in principle between the two Departments that the solar PV programme will be rolled out to schools in phases.
I am pleased to advise that we remain on track to launch the first phase of the scheme this quarter and we expect all schools to have the opportunity to apply on a phased basis between Q4 2023 and the end of 2024. Officials from my Department and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications are currently working to finalise all details of the scheme.
455. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education her views on an issue affecting a school (details supplied); if she will clarify the position regarding the tender process and planned handover date of September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47452/23]
View answerThe permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is a campus project to deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including four classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The campus project is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme.
This project is currently at tender stage. The Invitation to Tender issued in April 2023, as part of a bundle of projects issued to the Department's Framework of Design & Build Contractors. The tender process currently takes approximately 8-12 months. It is projected that the construction of the campus will take approximately 88 weeks.
Following receipt of extension of time requests, the final tender return date was 22/09/2023. Tender returns have been received and are currently being evaluated by the Project Manager and a tender assessment report is being prepared for the Department’s consideration. Once a Contractor has been appointed, it is anticipated that construction would commence shortly thereafter.
My Department has delivered interim accommodation on site for 2023/24 and 2024/25 school years, in line with enrolment figures agreed with the schools patron body.
My Department will continue to liaise with the school's patron body in relation to the school's enrolments and interim accommodation needs pending delivery of the permanent accommodation for the school.
456. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the management of the construction site for a new temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied); if the site manager for this project can meet with school management to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47453/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers has been granted approval for the provision of 6 mainstream classrooms under my Department's Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. The use of the Department’s Modular Accommodation Framework also assists in ensuring lead in periods for procurement of modular accommodation are minimised to the greatest extent possible. To date, this has worked very well in the education sector and has seen delivery of large scale, high quality modular accommodation to meet the needs of children, particularly those with special educational needs.
The school authority and client in this case is Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB), I can confirm that the Project Management company regularly communicates with the school authority on programme delivery. The project is fully devolved to the school authority.
457. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if some leeway will be given for a school (details supplied) in danger of losing a teacher, in view of extenuating circumstances. [47493/23]
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 arrangements include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. These posts are approved provisionally pending confirmation of enrolment on 30th September. The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated one of these posts. Following the confirmation of 30th September enrolment, the school has been advised it may retain the post for the remainder of the year, pending achievement of the required enrolment by Christmas.
458. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she has sought an update form the NCSE regarding the number of ASD places for primary and post-primary schools in the Ballincollig area; if so, how many places will be available for the September 2024 term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47516/23]
View answer459. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to ensure that all students in Cork north central with ASD will have a secondary school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47517/23]
View answer460. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to ensure that all students in Cork north central with ASD will have a primary school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47518/23]
View answer461. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she is satisfied that there are sufficient school places in Cork city and county for the September 2024 intake; what engagement she has had with the NCSE in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47519/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 458 to 461, inclusive, 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 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 1,216 SNAs will be added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. Together we will have over 41,500 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 recent years.
My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/2025 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an 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 in Carrigtwohill, east Cork and Dublin 7 for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.
Along with the two new special schools, 385 new special classes – 252 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
Of these, 75 new special have been sanctioned in Cork, 51 at primary level and 24 at post-primary level bringing the total number of special classes in Co. Cork to 495 in total.
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.
The NCSE is committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.
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.
462. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education when officials from her Department will meet with a school in County Mayo (details supplied) as requested by the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47542/23]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers, has been approved funding under my Departments Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. This project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
In October 2023, a pre Stage 1 report and associated documents were received and these are currently with the Professional and Technical team in my Department under review.
Upon completion of that review, my Department officials will be in contact with the school authority to advise the next stage in the delivery process.
463. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education in relation to a young person (details supplied) who is responsible for conducting an educational assessment for school enrolment, considering that an institution has said that it is no longer responsible to do this, suggesting it is the responsibility of NEPS, but NEPS does not have the resources to conduct such an assessment. [47572/23]
View answerMy Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools.
The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
In relation to the pupil referred to, the parents/guardians should discuss their concerns with the school principal in the first instance with a view to seeking the involvement of NEPS.
464. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 218 of 10 October 2023, when the review of the Stage 2A report will be completed in respect of the application from a school (details supplied) regarding the proposed permanent extension comprising of three classroom SEN base, five additional classrooms, two special education tuition rooms, one music room, one textiles room, one science laboratory and preparation room, associated circulation and WC and ancillary areas; if she will expedite this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47573/23]
View answerA Stage 2A report has been submitted and this is currently under review by my Department's Professional and Technical team and this review is expected to be completed shortly.
The school authority is being assisted by Cavan and Monaghan ETB (CMETB) in the delivery of this project.
Once this review is complete, the outcome will be conveyed to Cavan and Monaghan ETB and the school authorities.
465. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the application for capital works made by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47574/23]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the Office of Public Works (OPW).
This project is currently at Stage 2A of the architectural planning process. Upon receipt, review and approval of the Stage 2A report, the next step for the design team will be to obtain the necessary statutory planning approvals.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project, the OPW will continue to engage directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.
466. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education to clarify whether a teacher (details supplied) should be on the new or old entrant scale for pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47576/23]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department records show that this teacher first began teaching on 25th November 2003.
As she was appointed prior to 1st January 2011 she is being paid on the pre-2011 pay scale. Circular 41/2023 refers. A member of my staff has reviewed the teacher's service and I can confirm that the teacher is on the correct pay scale for salary purposes.
In relation to her "status", the teacher concerned is classed as a “new entrant” in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 and in this regard has a minimum retirement age of 65 years.
467. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education for an urgent update on school transport for a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47581/23]
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 134,000 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.
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.
I am pleased to advise that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the scheme and a sanction has been sent by School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new service to the school referred to by the Deputy.
Bus Éireann have tendered this service in line with procurement guidelines and have advised that a contractor has now been sourced. Bus Éireann will liaise with the family directly with regard to this.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore apply for the Special Transport Grant which is a once off payment, 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. The Family have been contacted directly with an offer of the Special Transport Grant until the Transport Service commences.
468. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) that completed a Stage 2B submission on 2 June 2023 to the building unit of her Department under the additional accommodation scheme, may be permitted proceed to tender for this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47597/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the project referred to has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.
The brief for this project is to provide an extension to the existing school buildings, as defined in the schedule of accommodation, decanting if required, necessary to satisfactorily develop the post primary school on its existing site.
The Stage 2B report has been received and is currently under review in my Department. It is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks and the Department will revert to the school authority directly on the outcome of this review.
469. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education the reason for the delay in the provision of school transport for a child (details supplied) attending a special ASD unit; the specific financial support available to the parents to meet alternative transport costs in the interim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47600/23]
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 134,000 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.
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.
I am pleased to advise that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the scheme and a sanction has been sent by School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new service for pupils to the school referred to by the Deputy.
Bus Éireann have tendered this service in line with procurement guidelines , once a contractor has been sourced, the service will commence. Bus Éireann will liaise with families directly with regard to this matter at that stage.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services may therefore apply for the Special Transport Grant which is a once off payment, 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. The Family has been contacted directly with an offer of the Special Transport Grant until the Transport Service commences.
470. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if she will include a school (details supplied) for DEIS status particularly in light of the student blend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47604/23]
View answerMy Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students, including students attending Gaeltacht secondary schools, 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.
In March last year, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme. This benefited 361 schools. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 240,000 students. 1 in 4 students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme.
This expansion 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.
Schools that were identified for inclusion in the programme were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model, which is an objective, statistics-based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model was applied fairly and equally to all schools.
The extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one component of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, I also recognise that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools, including Gaeltacht secondary schools. Since June 2020, and over the past four budgets, I have secured funding to provide measures to support children in this regard.
My Department recognises the need to target resources to those schools who need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to all schools to tackle educational disadvantage.
The DEIS Plan is based on the premise that in order to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of educational disadvantage, then extra resources need to be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need. This will involve further development of the existing DEIS programme, to create a more dynamic resource allocation model where levels of resources more accurately follow the levels of need identified by objective data.
To support this work my Department has 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 is currently ongoing and the OECD team estimate that the review will be complete in Q2 of 2024. 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.
Meeting the educational needs of children and young people arriving from Ukraine and other countries is a priority for the Government, and my Department is determined to support the efforts of school communities across the country who have shown huge commitment and generosity.
The Regional Education and Language Teams (REALTs) were established by my Department in 2022 to support the needs of children arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. As of the 25th October 2023, 17,621 pupils from Ukraine were formally enrolled in schools across the country.
The primary role of the REALT is to assist children in finding school places and to support schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, to advise and support my Department in developing new capacity where required, and to coordinate the provision of education services to children and families across their defined area.
The remit of REALTs was extended in November 2022 and includes support for both non-Ukrainian arrivals in the International Protection system and children under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). This ensures a comprehensive approach to supporting all children in our education system.
Every school in Ireland has a Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation that can be utilised for students with special needs and those needing English language supports. This ensures a baseline of support for all children, irrespective of their backgrounds.
Last year my Department introduced the New Entrant Allocation Scheme to support schools with increased enrolments from Ukraine and provided temporary special education resources to schools to reflect fluctuation in enrolment.
