Written Answers Nos. 338-347
338. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of plans to develop an additional post primary school in Swords, County Dublin given the consistent over subscription of school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52904/23]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
There can be a high degree of inward and outward mobility of children between School Planning Areas, particularly in urban areas, and parents are free to apply to enroll their children in any school, whether that is in the School Planning Area in which they reside or not.
There are 5 post primary schools in the Swords School Planning Area with the projected peak year for enrolments is 2023.
There are two post-primary capital projects planned in the Swords school planning area and when completed, will cater for the demand for school places in the area:
Loreto College, Swords (Roll No: 60810B)
Brief: 1,000 pupil school plus 2 Class SEN base.
Project Stage: Stage 1 - Preliminary Design Stage where the Design Team in conjunction with the school authorities, will analyse all the constraints of the site, develop a preferred design option and ensure that the preferred option is the best option for the delivery of the brief.
St Finian’s CC, Swords (Roll No: 70120F)
Brief: Extension to provide LTPE (Long Term Projected Enrolments) 1,000 plus 2 Class SEN base.
Project Stage: Stage 1 - Preliminary Design Stage
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Swords for the 2024/25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in the Swords School Planning Area will receive a first year place.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including Swords.
339. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education how many section 29 appeals were submitted for students trying to access a school place in Fingal for the school year 2022/2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52905/23]
View answerSection 29 of the Education Act 1998 as inserted by Section 7 of the Education (Admissions to schools) Act 2018 provides for an appeal, where a board of management, or a person acting on behalf of the board of management (normally the school principal) refuses to admit a student to a school, suspends a student for not less than 20 days or permanently excludes a student.
Section 29 D of this legislation provides for an oral hearing to be provided in circumstances where the appeal taken relates to a suspension of not less than 20 days, a permanent exclusion and a refusal to enrol decision that is for reasons other than oversubscription.
Section 29 E of the legislation provides that any appeal taken in respect of refused enrolment due to oversubscription, will be considered without an oral hearing.
Each appeal type, both oral and paper based is considered and determined by a three person appeal committee, appointed by me, as Minister, in accordance with Section 29 A(1) of the Act.
Within each appeal type, there is a provision for the hearing committee to allow or disallow or refuse to hear or determine the appeal before them. Section 29D, E and F outline the considerations that the appeals committee must make in determining each appeal. An appeal committee of three persons is appointed to consider each appeal.
Unfortunately, Section 29 Unit are unable to provide statistics for specific regions of the country and are only in a position to provide statistics relative to a specific county. To that end, Section 29 Unit are only able to provide statistics relative to the wider Dublin region. From 01 December 2021 to 30 June 2022 for the school year 2022/2023 in the County of Dublin, there were 94 Section 29 appeals under refusal to admit for oversubscription and reasons other than oversubscription during that period.
340. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she can provide an update on the project to deliver a new school building for a national school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52906/23]
View answerThe large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 - Tender Action and Award.
The original grant of planning is due to expire in December 2023, but due to changes to the Planning Acts in September 2021, it is no longer possible to apply for an extension to the planning permission for the main building project and a new application is required.
My Department officials will be in contact with the School authority when the planning permission application is progressed.
341. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she can provide an update on the project to deliver a school building for a Gaelscoil (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52907/23]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers is part of a campus project and has been devolved for delivery under the patronage of CEIST. The brief for the project includes the delivery of a 16 classroom Primary School with 2 classroom SEN base, GP room, library and other ancillary accommodation.
The project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural planning design process. At a recent meeting with the Department, a Stage 2a addendum report was requested from the delivery body to address the comments and recommendations expressed by the Departments Professional & Technical Team.
Once this is received, reviewed and approved, the project will then move to Stage 2b which allows for detailed design/planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. The project will then move onward to Tender and Construction in due course.
As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion. However Ceist as the patron body, will continue to engage directly with the school authority to keep it fully informed of progress.
342. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she can provide an update on the project to deliver additional classrooms at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52908/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the school to which he refers was approved a school building project under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project is being managed on a devolved basis by Louth & Meath Education and Training Board on behalf of the school authority and a design team was appointed for the project.
The project approved consists of the building of a 4 classroom SEN unit as an extension to the existing school building, secure hard & soft play areas, a sensory garden and associated works with the school's car park.
I can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a Stage 2b (post planning approval) report from the school. This report is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. This review is in the final stages and my Department will be in contact with LMETB directly once its review of this report has been completed.
343. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education for an update on the discussions her Department is conducting with patron bodies and school authorities in Fingal to expand the school network to cater for the growing population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52909/23]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department.
In order to plan for school place needs, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in the school planning areas in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students across Fingal School Planning Areas for the 2024/25 school year and into the future.
344. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education whether a school (details supplied) will be permitted to hire substitute teachers on a short-term basis to cover SET positions which have been allocated but are unfilled, in order to ensure that pupils with additional learning needs are not further disadvantaged. [52922/23]
View answerThe Department is aware that a number of schools are experiencing some challenges recruiting teachers for the school year. The Department meets on a regular basis with school management bodies and teacher unions on this very important issue with a view to identifying solutions to the challenges faced by these schools.
Fixed term replacement teacher posts must be filled according to the current rules for teacher recruitment. These include that the recruited teacher shall be offered a fixed term contract.
There is also a requirement that a person employed in a teaching position is registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid by the public purse. This is provided for under legislation and therefore it is not possible for the State to pay a person whose Teaching Council Registration is pending.
There is an exception to this rule which permits an unregistered person to be employed in a substitute capacity for up to 5 days in place of a teacher.
Teachers who carry out substitute work and who are not on supply panels or who do not hold a permanent/fixed term contract in their own right, can be used to fill vacant posts where a school cannot secure a teacher on a longer-term basis. However, the school must continue to seek to recruit a teacher on a longer-term contract for that post.
The Department will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement solutions to address the teacher recruitment challenges being experienced by some schools.
345. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 231 of 17 December 2013, if she will provide the make-up and-or membership and structure of the governing authority on the date on which it was established, and as of 24 November 2023.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52946/23]
View answer346. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 231 of 17 December 2013, if the governing authority was established under the Education and Training Board Act 2013 (details supplied); and if this board was and/or is on a statutory footing. [52947/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 345 and 346 together.
Kildare and Wicklow ETB (KWETB) has informed my Department that a single governing authority for Maynooth Educational Campus (MEC) involving both Maynooth Post-Primary School and Maynooth Community College was established in 2013.
The ETB has confirmed that details of the composition and membership of the governing authority at the time were as was documented in the answer to the 2013 Parliamentary Question referred to by the Deputy.
KWETB has outlined that the MEC governing authority fulfilled a critical oversight role in the joint admissions process in Maynooth for a period of time, that this oversight provided reassurance for all stakeholders, especially to the parent body of the greater Maynooth area, and ensured that the enrolment process of the very large and increasing volume of applicants to the post primary schools in Maynooth was conducted with integrity.
KWETB has informed my Department that the governing authority is no longer in place and has not met in an official capacity in the last 3 years.
347. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education to provide, in tabular form, a list of second level education institutions aided by her Department that did not provide Higher Level Mathematics for the Leaving Certificate in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2022. [52949/23]
View answerThe information that the Deputy requested is set out in tabular form in the attached spreadsheets. The information is based on the annual October Returns which were submitted to the Department by Post Primary schools.
It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to the Leaving Certificate exams in 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2022 and therefore the data provided is from the associated academic years 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2021.
Higher level Maths not provided for 2005
Higher Level Maths not provided for 2015
