Written Answers Nos. 214-227
214. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if IDA Ireland put out a tender for a full-time Mexico based business development consultant in the years of 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [53220/23]
View answerIDA Ireland did not issue a tender for a full-time Mexico-based business development consultant in the years specified and has no plans to do so at this time. Potential FDI investments originating from Mexico are managed by the IDA’s West Coast USA offices.
215. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the efforts being made in his Department to streamline the employment permit process to facilitate the recruitment of workers for the private and voluntary nursing home sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53279/23]
View answerThe Strategic Workforce Advisory Group (SWAG), led by the Department of Health, was established to examine strategic workforce challenges in publicly and privately funded home support and nursing home providers and its report was published in October 2022. Recommendations of the report included the provision of access to employment permits for roles in the nursing home sector and the undertaking of a review of the framework of the health care assistant role in the context of enhanced access to the employment permits system.
This sector review is being led by my Department, the tender process for this study has closed, and a preferred bidder has been identified. It is expected that the consultancy firm will begin work in December 2023, with its findings are expected to be published in the new year.
In order to address skills and labour shortages in the public and private healthcare and nursing home sector the roles of Healthcare Assistant and Care Worker have been made eligible for employment permits since 2021 and 2022 respectively
Separately, a deliberative process to review the occupations lists (Ineligible Occupations List and Critical Skills Occupations List) for employment permits is nearing completion. This review incorporated a public consultation, to which some submissions were made in regard to the nursing home sector. The Interdepartmental Group on Economic Migration Policy was established to oversee the process and its report has now been received by my office for my consideration.
Efforts are ongoing to streamline the employment permits application process. Actions includes enhancing the current processing system through the development of a new Employment Permits IT platform which will align DETE and Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) online information. The new platform will support the removal of duplication of eligibility checks and document validation. It will also facilitate operational efficiencies and coordination between the relevant Government Departments and agencies.
The development of a single application procedure is also under consideration. Currently Ireland operates distinct employment permit and immigration application procedures. Employment permit holders must undergo an application processes with the Department of Justice for immigration and visa permission to enter the State if the individual is a citizen of a visa-required country.
An Interdepartmental Group, led by the Department of Justice, has been established to examine the legal and operational changes required to deliver a single application process for users of the employment permits system and visa immigration system. The IDG is due to report in the coming weeks.
216. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he was informed that a business (details supplied) has withdrawn its services in Galway and Mayo, leaving employees without any statutory redundancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53299/23]
View answerIreland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers who are facing redundancy. Employers must comply with a number of legal obligations when proposing redundancies, particularly when it is a collective redundancy situation.
The Protection of Employment Act 1977 defines a collective redundancy as 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.
Employers must notify the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the proposals at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes place. Employers must also comply with the requirement to consult and provide information to employees and their representatives for a 30-day period before any notice of redundancy can issue.
My Department has not received a collective redundancy notification in relation to potential redundancies at the company in question. However, it is important to note that redundancies which occur outside of the parameters set out above are not required to be notified to the Minister.
By law, it is the responsibility of the employer in the first instance to pay statutory redundancy to eligible employees. If an employer is genuinely unable to pay redundancy due to financial difficulties or insolvency, the State provides a safety net and may make the statutory redundancy payments on the employer’s behalf from the Social Insurance Fund through the Redundancy Payments Scheme. The scheme is administered by the Department of Social Protection.
The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is the organisation which is mandated to secure compliance with employment rights legislation. Employees have the right to refer complaints to the WRC on a wide range of employment law breaches for an adjudication and compensation where appropriate. This includes the right to make a complaint if an employer fails to consult with employees or their representatives in collective redundancy situations, and in situations where an employer refuses or fails to pay statutory redundancy.
217. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the Trade Policy Committee and the Foreign Affairs Council on Trade will next meet; what Ireland's key priorities are for those meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53578/23]
View answerThe Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) met on 27th November where EU Trade Ministers discussed preparations for the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference meeting in February, 2024 as well as the conclusion of the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement and EU-US trade relations. The Council is set to hold an informal meeting of Ministers in Brussels, under the incoming Belgian EU Presidency, on 22nd January 2024. While an agenda for that meeting is yet to be decided, it is understood that preparations for the WTO Ministerial Conference in February 2024 will continue be a significant focus of discussions.
The Trade Policy Committee meeting of officials next meets on December 7th and will discuss the third annual report of the Chief Trade Enforcement Officer, specifically on market access and sustainability commitments. Other topics scheduled for discussion are EU-US trade relations as well as updates regarding the EU-India discussions and EU-Mercosur agreement.
The Trade Policy Committee is constituted under Article 207(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The committee is responsible for advising and assisting the European Commission in negotiating agreements on behalf of the EU with third countries on matters concerning the common commercial policy, in which the EU holds exclusive competence.
In terms of Ireland's key trade priorities, achieving meaningful reform of the WTO is paramount. In addition, Ireland advocates progressing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, in order to expand Ireland's and the EU's export markets and strengthen the resilience of international supply chains.
218. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department operates an X account (formerly Twitter) or any other social media account, and if such accounts are verified through a subscription fee; the policy in place that guides when any of these accounts can ‘like’, endorse or support a posting on X or other social media platforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53652/23]
View answerMy Department has social media accounts on the platforms: X, LinkedIn and YouTube. It also subscribed to X Premium earlier this year, primarily to retain two-factor authentication protection on the account.
These social media accounts are managed by staff of the Department’s Corporate Communications Unit, and reviewed by a senior manager. As outlined in the Department’s Social Media Policy, content reposted by the Department does not imply any endorsement of the message posted or the individual or organisation who posted it.
219. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment what conditions must be met under section 39 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 for civil proceedings to be instituted by him on behalf of an employee for the recovery of an amount owed to an employee under section 24 of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53726/23]
View answerThe National Minimum Wage applies to most employees. It is the minimum hourly pay rate that must be paid. It applies to full-time, part-time, temporary, casual employees and seasonal workers. Close relatives of the employer and apprentices are generally excluded under the Act.
Section 39 of the Minimum Notice Act 2000 provides where an employer has not paid to an employee an amount of pay to which the employee is entitled in accordance with the Act and, where there has been no dispute referred under section 24 or allegation referred to an inspector under section 34 for investigation, and, in the opinion of the Minister, it is not reasonable in the circumstances to expect the employee, or the representative of the employee with the employee's consent, to either refer a dispute or allegation, or to institute civil proceedings for the recovery of the amount, the Minister may request an inspector to advise the Minister whether or not, in the inspector's opinion, civil proceedings should be instituted by the Minister on behalf and in the name of the employee.
Any decision by the Minister on whether to pursue civil proceedings will have to be determined on the merits of a given case, and is at the Minister’s discretion.
220. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how much his Department has spent on advertising on a website (details supplied) for each of the years 2019 to 2022 and to date 2023, in tabular form; and whether his Department will still run advertisements on the platform going forward due to issues. [53797/23]
View answerMy Department has run advertising campaigns to promote supports to business, events and information campaigns on X (formally Twitter) in the years 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Please find details of this spend in the table below.
The Department has been running a targeted advertising campaign across several social media platforms which will conclude on 5 December. There are no other plans to advertise on the platform X.
|
Year |
Spend |
|
2019 |
nil |
|
2020 |
€5,644.14 |
|
2021 |
€19,831.77 |
|
2022 |
€34,330.02 |
|
2023 |
€9,355.57 |
221. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the rationale for the exclusion of a special needs assistant representative on boards of management (BOMs) at primary school level; her views on whether SNAs are not adequately represented by the role of the teacher representative; and if she will seek to include a specifically allocated space on BOMs for an SNA representative by amending section 14 of the Education Act 1998. [53185/23]
View answerIn accordance with the provisions of section 14 of the Education Act 1998, the composition of a board of management must be agreed between patrons of schools, national associations of parents, recognised school management organisations, recognised trade unions and staff associations representing teachers and the Minister. Under the existing agreed arrangements, there are no provisions for the appointment of non-teaching staff representatives on boards of management.
The composition of primary school boards of management was last changed in 1997 following a church/state agreement reached at that time. Any changes to the existing composition of boards would require the agreement of all parties referred to in section 14 of the Education Act 1998. Accordingly, the composition of the new primary school boards being appointed in December 2023 will remain unchanged.
The Primary Education Forum offers a platform for discussion with our partners as to what the future governance arrangements for schools might look like. This platform also offers an opportunity to consider how in future boards might be supported and strengthened in their key governance role in schools.
222. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the reason for the delay in providing transport to a pupil attending an ASD unit (details supplied); if she will expedite this transport provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53187/23]
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.
Bus Éireann has reported challenges in sourcing contractors and drivers for all school transport schemes, this is against a backdrop of significant shortages of drivers in the labour market overall and competing demands for drivers to deliver additional public transport initiatives such as Connecting Ireland and Bus Connects/Local Link services.
New applications for transport for children with special educational needs 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.
Applications for transport for children with special educational needs are received on a year round basis. Where a new service is sanctioned, this means a procurement / vetting process is required, while in many instances the school is also sanctioned to employ a transport escort and this necessarily takes time to put in place. By accepting applications year round, the Department can ensure that children with special educational needs receive the transport they require.
To ensure the efficient delivery of services for children on Special Educations Needs school transport, Bus Éireann assesses each application to identify the options available. Where children can be facilitated on an existing service, applications are processed immediately and arrangements put in place with families involved.
Where a new service has to be established there is a lead in period for this process that includes issues such as:
• route design and procurement including contract award.
• in many instances a School Bus Escort is required for the child’s safe transport to school and it can take time for the school to source a suitable person which can impact the start date.
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.
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 is ready to commence.
Bus Éireann has advised that the service referred to by the Deputy will commence on Monday 4th December 2023. The family has been contacted directly with service details.
223. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education what measures are in place to assist mainstream schools who are catering for children with additional educational needs, to ensure that these children can attend their local school along with their siblings where this is the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53195/23]
View answerEnabling 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. This will mean 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 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 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.
384 new special classes – 251 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
There are currently 2,915 special classes opened nationwide, with 2,045 at primary and 870 at post-primary level.
This will bring to over 2,000 the total number of primary special classes, the vast majority of which are to support children with autism.
This level of provision ensures that there is sufficient special classes provided across the country to allow children access a class placement in their local area.
However, it is simply not possible to open a special class in every school, and therefore, it is important that where available places in local special classes exist, that these places are filled in the first instance before any decision is made to open additional special classes.
A range of supports designed to support children with special educational needs are available, including;
The school transport scheme for children with special education needs which provides free school transport to eligible children with diagnosed disabilities and can include the provision of additional transport assistance such as escorts or the provision of specific or individual transport arrangements.
The assistive technology scheme where funding is provided to schools towards the cost of computers and specialist equipment, which are required for educational purposes. All equipment provided under this scheme supports children with more complex disabilities who, in order to access the school curriculum, require essential specialist equipment.
To offer longitudinal support to children with certain sensory conditions, the visiting teaching service under the NCSE is available. This service provides qualified teachers, who have particular skills and knowledge of the development and education of children to support the child, the school and parents.
My Department has also developed school building guidelines based on the principle of universal design to ensure that children and young people can access school buildings and attend school with their peers.
These supports underline the aim of my department in ensuring every child is allocated a suitable school placement appropriate to their needs.
I wish to assure the Deputy that 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.
224. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education when an application to the NCSE to open an ASD class from a school in Donegal (details supplied) will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53196/23]
View answerEnabling 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. This will mean 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.
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 2024/25 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.
384 new special classes – 251 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this school year.
Of these new classes, 17 are in Donegal, with 10 at primary level and 7 at post-primary level. These new classes will bring the total number of special classes in Co. Donegal to 114, 67 at primary and 47 at post-primary.
The NCSE has advised my department that the school referred to by the Deputy expressed an interest in opening a special class in March this year.
The NCSE actively encourages expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate the effort taken by the Board of Management in expressing their interest.
Upon assessing the needs in the local area, the NCSE identified that there were schools in the area with available special class vacancies and, as such, an additional special class is not required in this school at this time.
The NCSE acknowledge that circumstances may change, and they are committed to ensuring that both the parents and the school receive the necessary advice and support. The NCSE continue to monitor need at a local level in the area.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.
225. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education to provide assistance in the case of a person (details supplied); what other services and educational supports can be offered should this child not be able to obtain placement in any ASD unit for the 2024/2025 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53201/23]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive a high quality, appropriate 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. This will mean 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 the last four years.
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, 384 new special classes – 251 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
Of these, 14 are in Tipperary– 5 at primary and 9 at post-primary level – this brings the total of special classes in Co. Tipperary to 120.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years. Local special educational needs officers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs.
As your query refers to an individual placement case, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
My department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
226. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the number of ASD places available in secondary schools in Midleton, County Cork for September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53206/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. 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. This will mean 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 2024/25 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, 387 new special classes – 253 at primary and 134 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.
In Co. Cork, 75 new special classes have been sanctioned for opening in the 2023/24 school year, 51 at primary level and 24 at post-primary level, bringing the total number of special classes in Co. Cork to 495. The vast majority of these classes are autism classes which have a teacher pupil ratio of 1:6.
The attached document provides a breakdown of the 125 autism classes currently sanctioned at post-primary level in Co. Cork for the 2023/24 school year. Planning for special classes and places in Co. Cork and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year.
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.
227. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the estimated full-year cost to recruit 42 additional WTE guidance posts in schools for the 2024-2025 school year. [53230/23]
View answerThe Department has allocated an equivalent of 928 guidance posts for the current school year 2023/24. Each school receives an allocation for guidance that is separate from the general allocation to schools. In this way, the hours for guidance are ring-fenced. The hours for guidance are subject to change each year as they are calculated with regard to student numbers in each school.Measures announced by the Department as part of a number of budgets starting in 2016 fully restored the allocation of time allocated to guidance in schools from the initial reduction in budget 2012. Hence, the allocation for guidance has returned to that of pre-recession. However, the model of guidance provision in schools has evolved over the ten years in question. A model of whole school guidance applies in the contemporary post-primary system.The whole school guidance allocation model allows for a balanced, school-wide approach to the three elements of guidance, personal/social, educational and career guidance. Guidance hours are allocated to personnel by school management in each school. In allocating guidance hours, school management consider a range of factors including but not limited to (i) the needs of students and (ii) the student support team in the school at large.The 2023/24 circulars on staffing arrangements/allocations, published in January 2023 provides the following text agreed with the School Management Bodies in relation to the assignment of ring-fenced guidance hours. (Circulars 0002,0003 and 0004 of 2023)“In deploying the guidance allocation, schools are encouraged to give due consideration to the pivotal role the qualified guidance counsellor plays in the implementation of the whole school guidance plan. The guidance counsellor will require time for individual student appointments, for Guidance lessons, and general guidance related work within the context of the Whole School Guidance plan”.The Chief Inspector’s report (2022) notes that whole school guidance is provided to students through a variety of approaches. The found that whole-school guidance was of high quality, well-integrated and collaborative in supporting students and involved a wide range of staff with specific roles and functions. Other good practice in relation to whole-school provision included the establishment of very effective student support teams which facilitated an appropriate focus on student welfare and clear referral pathways, both internal and external.This would indicate that the current allocation model is effective in supporting the whole school approach to guidance provision.
It is difficult to accurately project the estimated full-year cost to recruit 42 additional guidance counsellors. In order to provide a good estimate, a salary of €58,000 may be utilised as an appropriate average. In consideration of 42 additional such posts, a projected total cost of €2,436,000 is a reasonably objective and logical estimate.
