Tuesday, 12 Dec 2023

Written Answers Nos. 348-362

School Admissions

Questions (348)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

348. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her Department can assist to bridge the cost of placing a child in a boarding school in instances in which home schooling is not available and the appeals process in respect of a school place has been exhausted to the point where the child has no school to enrol in. [55248/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

My Department is not in a position to assist with the provision of individual boarding grants for students. However, Tusla Education Support Service can provide support to parents to apply for home tuition if their child is without a school placement.

My Department published Circulars 0024/2023 and 0031/2023 on gov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie) detailing the Home Tuition provisions for children without a school place.

The purpose of my Department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. For children without a school place my Department administers Home Tuition schemes for:

a. Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school

b. Students who are temporarily without a school place, is without an offer of a school place and is actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school

Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term educational intervention. It is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardians of the child who is to receive the tuition.

My Department funds the cost of tuition provided where this complies fully with the terms of the approval for the scheme. It is a condition of grant funding that tutors engaged by parents are registered with and recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland. All teachers currently registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland are vetted by the National Vetting Bureau. It is the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian to source a tutor at the earliest possible opportunity to allow for applications for registration/vetting to be made by the tutor to the Teaching Council, if necessary.

This Department does not keep lists of tutors available to carry out home tuition. It may be helpful to contact local schools in the first instance, or alternatively, the Department is aware that many parents use education provider websites to advertise for tutors.

Additionally, to help parents source a home tutor for this scheme in their local area, the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN) has created a Home Tuition Noticeboard for Parents to help them source a suitable candidates. This noticeboard is available on www.educationposts.ie.

Educational Welfare Officers are available to assist parents in applying for home tuition.

Application forms for scheme a) above are available from the gov.ie website gov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie).

Application forms for scheme b) grant scheme are available from the local Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)/or the appointed social worker. Contact details for the EWO’s in a specific area can be obtained from the following website at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/#EWO.

Section 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.

The Section 29 Appeals Committee are statutory decision making bodies under the Education Act 1998 (as amended) and the Department does not decide on matters relating to how an appeal is conducted or the decision that may be made by them.

School Transport

Questions (349)

Anne Rabbitte

Question:

349. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Education the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for school bus transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55267/23]

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.

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 current terms of the scheme, pupils at primary level are eligible where they live no less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school. At post primary level, students who live no less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre are deemed eligible. Any pupils/students who do not meet these criteria are deemed not eligible, or otherwise known as concessionary applicants, and are allocated a ticket based on the availability of a seat when all eligible children have been catered for.

Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated. Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.

Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport as they do not meet the distance criteria under the terms of the Primary School scheme. An application and payment was received on time for this pupil in the 2023/24 school year, however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary ticket for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity at present.

It is recognised that all pupils issued with tickets will not travel every morning and every evening. In addition, certain after school activities may also result in pupils not travelling on certain days.

Bus Éireann organises for vehicles to be full to capacity with tickets based on applications received and based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. For safety reasons, it is not possible to issue additional tickets over and above the seating capacity of the vehicle which could result in a potential overload situation arising and all pupils not being carried on the service.

Home Schooling

Questions (350)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

350. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of primary and second level pupils that are being home schooled, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55268/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Irish constitution acknowledges the role of a parent or guardian as the primary educator of their child and has enshrined in law that a parent or guardian may home educate their child or may choose to send their child to a school which is not a recognised school in accordance with section 10 of the Education Act, 1998.

While the State cannot oblige parents or guardians to send their children to recognised schools, it must satisfy itself that all children receive a certain minimum education.

Tusla’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) is under the remit of my Department and its function is to assess the educational provision and to maintain a register of children who are being educated in a place other than in a recognised school.

In response to the Deputy’s query, an age breakdown by county of children on the Section 14 Register is outlined in the table below. For data protection purposes, numbers less than five are suppressed to mitigate the risk of identifying specific children and young people within the data provided.

*Denotes a number less than 5 but total number in County recorded.

County by Age	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total
Carlow			*	*	*	*	*	*	5	*	*	8		32
Cavan		*	7	*	5	5	*	6	5	5	7	5	*	55
Clare	*	6	*	7	6	6	5	10	11	10	6	5		76
Cork	*	15	22	23	29	32	26	38	30	31	38	27	*	314
Donegal	*	*	*	14	6	12	6	7	11	12	9	12		95
Dublin	*	*	10	28	26	41	41	36	29	42	38	20	*	317
Galway	*	*	5	10	12	19	18	16	16	18	9	9	*	139
Kerry	*	*	6	5	12	7	8	13	12	15	8	13	*	104
Kildare		*	*	9	*	12	14	13	*	11	13	*	*	89
Kilkenny			*	*	*	*	*	7	*	9	5	7		42
Laois				*	8	8	6	10	12	7	9	7		69
Leitrim				5	*	7	*	5	5	*	6	6		41
Limerick	*	*	10	8	5	7	*	7	7	14	*	*		71
Longford				*		*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	21
Louth		*	*	*	8	7	12	5	*	7	10	*	*	60
Mayo		*	*	5	10	12	7	10	8	14	11	11	*	95
Meath	*	*	*	13	8	17	19	15	11	11	13	15	*	130
Monaghan		*	*	6	*	6	7	6	*	6	*	*	*	46
Offaly		*	*		*	5	*	5	*	*	*	5	*	32
Roscommon	*	*	*	*	6	10	8	10	7	11	9	*		76
Sligo		*	*	*	*	5	8	*	*	7	5	5		47
Tipperary	*	*	5	6	8	10	13	9	8	11	11	6		90
Waterford		*	*	*	6	10	13	12	12	7	*	7	*	79
Westmeath		*		5	6	8	6	11	6	11	10	*	*	69
Wexford				6	9	7	9	10	10	9	13	9		82
Wicklow			*	*	12	13	14	7	9	14	8	10	*	94
Total	18	50	97	182	202	274	261	273	234	294	251	209	20	2365

School Admissions

Questions (351)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

351. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of section 29 appeals that have been filed with her in 2022 and to date in 2023, by county; the number of those that were successful; and the number that were not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55269/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

Section 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.

The Section 29 Appeals Committee are statutory decision making bodies under the Education Act 1998 (as amended) and the Department does not decide on matters relating to how an appeal is conducted or the decision that may be made by them.

Please see attached, the number of Section 29 appeals that have been filed with this Department in 2022 and to date in 2023 by county. Information on the outcome of these appeals is also included.

2022

County	Disallowed	Refuse to Determine	Allowed	Withdrawn	Total
Carlow			1		1
Cavan	1				1
Clare	3	2			5
Cork	12	3	2	5	22
Donegal	1			1	2
Dublin	62	23	4	20	109
Galway	7	6	1		14
Kerry	2		1	1	4
Kildare	10	7	1	13	31
Kilkenny	1	1			2
Laois	4		2	2	8
Leitrim					0
Limerick					0
Longford					0
Louth	5	2	1	2	10
Mayo	4	1	1	1	7
Meath	12	6	1	2	21
Monaghan				2	2
Offaly	1	1			2
Roscommon	2				2
Sligo	1				1
Tipperary	2			1	3
Waterford	6	3			9
Westmeath	9	1	1		11
Wexford	5	1		3	9
Wicklow	1		1		2
					278

*2023

County	Disallow	Refuse to Determine	Allow	Withdrawn	Totals
Carlow	1	1			2
Cavan	1			4	5
Clare	1	1	1		3
Cork	13	3	4	2	22
Donegal			1		1
Dublin	43	23	12	11	89
Galway	6	3	1		10
Kerry	3	1			4
Kildare	18	23	2	10	53
Kilkenny			2		2
Laois	4	1		1	6
Leitrim				1	1
Limerick	13	24	4	8	49
Longford		1			1
Louth		3	1	4	8
Mayo		2	2		4
Meath	6	2	1	1	10
Monaghan					0
Offaly	1				1
Roscommon					0
Sligo	1				1
Tipperary	3	1			4
Waterford	7	3	2	1	13
Westmeath		1		2	3
Wexford	4	1			5
Wicklow	2	2	1	2	7
					304

*Completed appeals as of 07 December 2023

School Admissions

Questions (352)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

352. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of children that were not offered a school place in north Wicklow and north Kildare in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. [55270/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, 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 increasing pressures and demand for additional school places 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.

My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.

This close engagement will allow my Department to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.

The specific information requested is not available at this time.

The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (353)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

353. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of children that have special educational needs that were not offered a school place in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023. [55271/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

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 an additional €113m has been provided which will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.

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.

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 2024/25 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 for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools. Just last week a further four new special schools were announced for the 2024/25 school year which will bring the number of special schools nationwide to 134.

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.

Planning for special classes nationwide is currently under way ahead of the 2024/25 school year.

This planning ensures that there is adequate provision for all children known to the NCSE as requiring placement in a special educational setting. The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs. My department does not hold records on the needs of individual student's in this regard, therefore the information requested by the Deputy is unavailable.

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. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are 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 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.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (354)

Sean Fleming

Question:

354. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education the position regarding extending recognition to Route 4 training through the Teaching Council for properly trained staff to work with special needs children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55285/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills

The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations.

The qualification in Montessori Education referred to has long-standing recognition with the Department of Education (DE) and was subsequently amalgamated into the Council’s Registration Regulations under Route 4. With the making of the 2016 Regulations it has been known that this is being phased out with a clear timeframe for same and this has been subject to extensive consultation with all relevant stakeholders. This qualification is only acceptable for registration under Route 4 Other where the application is made on or before 31 December 2023. Any Route 4 Other teachers registered with this qualification prior to this date will remain on the Register, and can continue to renew their Registration in the usual manner.

It should be noted that access to Route 4 Other remains in place and open for applicants who have obtained a qualification or qualifications in special needs education outside of Ireland, which on assessment by the Council is deemed of an equivalent standard to the standards required.

The Teaching Council works within Department policy and central to this policy is that all teachers who are teaching children with Special Educational Needs should be qualified Primary or Post-primary teachers in the first instance and may then apply for one of the Department of Education recognised qualifications in Special Educational Needs as outlined in the DE circular 0044/2019.

All Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes in Ireland that lead to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. Registration under Route 3 (Further Education) of the 2016 Regulations is the route of registration available where an accredited qualification in the primary or post-primary sector is not held. Applicants who apply under this route must hold a degree qualification but are not initially required to hold a teacher education qualification (TEQ). Applicants who meet the degree qualification requirements and who have not completed an accredited TEQ are eligible for conditional registration for a period of three years in which time this requirement must be completed.

There are a number of Graduate and Post-Graduate Diplomas in the field of Special Education which are approved by the Department of Education and which can be used to add this sector to a teacher’s registration where the teacher also holds an accredited teacher education qualification.

The Department understands that there has been engagement between the institution providing the Montessori qualification referred to and the Teaching Council to discuss requirements should it wish to submit an ITE programme to the Council for the purpose of review and accreditation. Any such engagement is subject to the Council’s schedule for programme accreditation, and is a matter for the institution, and the Teaching Council in discharging its statutory functions.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Questions (355)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

355. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to provide reduced class sizes at primary school level since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55298/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

Budget 2024 has provided for an unprecedented €10.5 billion investment in education, which includes an increase of €421 million in core current funding, as well as over €80 million in core capital funding. An additional €170 million is also being provided as part of Cost of Living and COVID-19 supports. These additional funds build on significant increases in recent budgets and further enhance the investment in Ireland’s education system. The significant increased investment is the largest education budget in the history of the state and reflects government’s commitment to a quality inclusive school system and improved learning outcomes for every student.

In the three previous budgets, I prioritised reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools, by one point each year, which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. A three point reduction in the retention schedule, which I introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. I also improved teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools which now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.

Each one point improvement in the staffing schedule at primary level for DEIS and non-DEIS schools requires between 350-400 additional teaching posts, at a cost of in excess of €20.5 million per annum. In addition each one point improvement in the staffing schedule to include both DEIS and non-DEIS schools, is estimated to generate capital costs of circa €40 million.

The latest figures in relation to pupil teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of teachers to pupils from 15.7:1 to 13.4:1 at primary level when comparing the 2016/17 school year to the 2022/23 school year. In the same period the primary staffing schedule improved from 27:1 to 24:1. Average class sizes at primary improved from 24.6 to 22.8 in the same period. The improvements brought about by Budget 2023 for this school year will be available in the statistical reports published at the end of the school year.

Education Standards

Questions (356)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

356. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to improve the quality of secondary education since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55299/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Programme for Government sets out this Government’s intention to continue to develop our educational system to meet the needs of all students and to tackle disadvantage from an early age. Progressing this ambition, while responding to the particular challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in the Ukraine, has been a key priority for my Department since 2020.

I am pleased to say that over recent budgets, significant additional funding has been provided to post-primary education, including through the delivery of thousands of extra teaching and Special Needs Assistant posts. Since 2020, post-primary related funding has increased by an estimated 30 percent (over €830 million) to over €3.6 billion including school staff payroll costs, school grants, capital costs and a share of grants to agencies who deliver services to the education sector. The figures exclude additional funding provided for COVID-19 measures and Ukrainian students. In addition to these investments at post-primary level, there have also been significant increases in funding for school transport and a range of other services and supports for students in all our schools and not just post-primary.

In regard to the quality of post-primary education, in June 2020 as the Deputy will be aware, the challenge of COVID-19 meant a rapid switch to distance learning, during the unprecedented closure of schools. Schools and educators took on a range of approaches to support their pupils’ continuity of learning during that period and, in immensely challenging times, demonstrated great innovation including the use of digital technologies and online learning platforms for teaching and learning. In supporting schools, my Department provided resources and supports including enhanced ICT grants, updated guidance for teaching and learning in a remote context and an expanded supplementary programme of learning to take place in students’ homes or in schools over the summer of 2020.

The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an OECD international test that takes place every three years and aims to measure how well 15 year-old students are performing in three areas – reading, mathematics and science. I am very pleased to say that the 2022 assessment found that students in Ireland are significantly above the OECD average in all three domains, with performance in reading literacy among the highest across OECD and EU countries. Other key findings include that:

• Ireland’s placing in all three domains has improved since 2018 - in reading literacy, we have moved from eighth to second of all countries; in science literacy, we have moved from twenty-second to twelfth and in mathematical literacy, we have moved from twenty-first to eleventh.

• the overall performance in science showed a significant increase in comparison to the 2018 cycle of PISA.

• in all three domains of mathematics, reading and science, Ireland had a smaller proportion of lower-achieving students than the OECD average

• both male and female students in Ireland significantly outperformed the OECD average in all three domains.

In relation to the curriculum, the Framework for Junior Cycle continued to be embedded over this time period, with 2022 being the first full year of examinations in which all subjects were examined based on the reformed Junior Cycle specifications. Review and evaluation of this major reform is ongoing, with a longitudinal study commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to explore the experiences of schools over a period of four year. The study will run for four years to 2024. The first two reports have been published by the NCCA.

In March 2022, I announced an ambitious programme of work for a reimagined Senior Cycle where the student is at the centre of their Senior Cycle experience. In September 2023, I announced a significant acceleration of parts of the programme, with national introduction of the first tranche of revised Leaving Certificate subject specifications in schools in 2025, two years earlier than previously planned. Draft specifications for six of the subjects in this first tranche, including Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Arabic, Latin, and Ancient Greek, were published on 7 December 2023 and a public consultation on the drafts is open until 23 February 2024. Work by Subject Development Groups on the revised specifications for Business and the specifications for the two new subjects of Drama, Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development is also at an advanced stage and a public consultation on draft specifications for these subjects will take place early in the New Year. The schedule for revised specifications to be completed as part of the second tranche of subjects has been published and is available online.

In my September 2023 announcement I confirmed that Additional Assessment Component(s) (AACs) will be introduced across all new and revised subjects to spread the assessment load more evenly and also to assess a broader range of skills than traditional written examinations.

A draft revised Transition Year Programme Statement has been published and a public consultation on the draft concluded in October 2023. Work is now underway within the NCCA to finalise the Programme Statement, pending its introduction to schools in 2024.

A total of €8 million was allocated to the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme under Budget 2024. The additional resources secured in Budget 2024 will support the further implementation of the programme by providing funding for the staffing of a number of positions at the NCCA, the SEC, and Oide, the newly integrated teacher support service.

Other curricular initiatives include development of new curricular specifications in SPHE/RSE and in Physical Education at Junior Cycle, and in Modern Foreign Languages (Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Lithuanian and Portuguese) at Leaving Certificate.

As with any new subject, these have been supported by the provision of high quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) noting that the quality of our teaching profession is a critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes. In that regard, my Department integrated the four Department-funded teacher education support Services into one single professional learning service, Oide, in September 2023. Through Oide, my Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of a wide range of teacher professional learning and supports for teachers and principals. These include an induction programme for newly qualified teachers, dedicated support for school leaders, national teacher professional learning for curricular and policy reform and ongoing support for teachers. A new NQF Level 9 Graduate Level Diploma in SPHE/RSE education commenced in January 2023 for post-primary teachers and is now available alongside a range of existing postgraduate upskilling programmes.

In any consideration of quality within education, it is important to note that the Department’s Inspectorate has a statutory duty to inspect and report on the quality of educational provision in recognised schools, centres for education and other education settings. It plays an important role in sustaining and assuring the continuity of educational provision for all children and young people in our schools, especially those with special educational needs and vulnerable learners. The Inspectorate has adjusted its inspection programme on a number of occasions, for example, during the pandemic and in response to the Ukraine crisis, in order to support schools and the education system, while also helping to ensure that educational provision is as effective as possible.

In addition, an extensive range of supports have been made available for schools in relation to supporting the embedding of digital technologies in teaching, learning and assessment, in terms of both financial and professional learning and other resources.

The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published in April 2022 and builds on the achievements of the previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. It aims to further support the school system so that all students across our schools have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an ever-evolving digital world successfully. The strategy is underpinned by an overall investment of €200m, €50m of which has already issued directly to schools. In addition, €50m in grant funding was issued in November 2021 as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) to address the needs of learners at risk of the digital divide. Again this builds on the overall investment of €210m under the previous strategy.

A further €13m is invested on an annual basis in the Schools Broadband Programme. Through continued investment all schools, regardless of location, will be provided with appropriate broadband connectivity. In addition, NRRP funding of €13.5m is being used to help ensure that all primary schools will be provided with high speed connectivity through the Schools Broadband Programme.

In furtherance of student well-being, Cineáltas, which was published on 1 December 2022, is the Department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. It is centred on a child right’s based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying in our schools. Cineáltas contains a number of actions aimed at increasing the participation of children and young people in policy development at a national level and at school level. These actions include the establishment of the Student Participation Unit in the Department of Education to promote the participation of children and young people into the development of Department policy.

Educational Disadvantage

Questions (357)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

357. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to tackle educational disadvantage since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55300/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

During my time as Minister for Education I have shown a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage. My Department’s Statement of Strategy, sets out the vision and mission of the Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It sets as a goal to ensure equity of opportunity in education and that all students are supported to fulfil their potential recognizes that equality of opportunity and inclusivity must be fundamental principles in our education system. The successful delivery of this goal means that our school system is open and welcoming for all students, regardless of background, and that in particular learners at risk of educational disadvantage will be supported to achieve their full potential. Since June 2020, and over that past four Budget’s I have secured funding to support measures aimed at achieving that goal.

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. Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model which is an objective, statistics based model. The extension of the DEIS programme follows an extensive body of work by the DEIS technical group to develop the refined DEIS identification model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. It also took into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller and Roma learners and by students residing in direct provision or emergency homeless accommodation. This expansion was supported by an additional €32million investment in the programme from 2023, increasing my Department’s overall spend on the DEIS programme to over €180million yearly.

The extension of the DEIS programme followed on from an investment of €5m I secured for the programme in Budget 2021. This investment allowed for a 1 point improvement in the staffing schedule for Urban Band 1 schools, a reduced student threshold for the allocation of additional Deputy Principal posts in DEIS post-primary schools. It also provided for a 5% increase in funding for the School Completion Programme. I again increased funding for this programme by a further 5% under Budget 2023, as part of an €8 million allocation to address the impacts of COVID-19 and increase retention rates of students in schools, especially those from groups at risk of educational disadvantage. In addition to this I secured a further €3 million in Budget 2023 which provided for social inclusion measures, including enhancing the capacity of the education welfare services in Tusla that are now under the remit of my Department.

As part of Budget 2024, additional targeted funding will be provided to social inclusion and educational supports which help facilitate the continued provision of high quality and inclusive school and education systems and promote improved learning outcomes for pupils and students.

Funding of €5 million is being provided for additional Educational Welfare Officers posts. It will also provide supports for the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) for their work in relation to the assessment of education provision in places other than in recognised schools, including home schooling and independent schools. There is also €2 million once-off funding provided for increasing services in school retention and completion programmes and supports targeted at the most educationally disadvantaged children.

Since the Department of Education took over responsibility for the SCP in January 2021,I have increased the overall budget for the programme by almost €10m. This includes €5.9 million provided to allow access to SCP to new DEIS urban primary and post-primary schools under the recent DEIS expansion as well as two separate 5% increases under Budget 2021 and Budget 2023. The total allocation of SCP funding for 2023 is €34m.

While DEIS is the main policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level, I have introduced many initiatives to further address the issue of educational disadvantage across all schools.

Under the Programme for Government there was a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. Budget 2022 implemented a further 1 point improvement in the primary schools staffing schedule for the 2022/23 school year meaning primary schools have been allocated teaching posts on an average basis of 1 classroom teacher for every 24 pupils since September 2022. Budget 2023 announced a further reduction in class sizes for primary schools to 23:1 resulting in an increase in the number of teaching staff in our schools. The 1 point improvement also applied to the enhanced staffing schedule in place in the 306 DEIS Urban band 1 schools.

This Budget measure has brought the teacher allocation ratio in all primary schools to the lowest ever seen at primary level. That was the third successive Budget which has seen an improvement in allocation of teachers to primary schools.

As part of Budget 2023, I secured a major investment of over €53 million to provide free schoolbooks in primary schools and special schools in the Free Education Scheme which has resulted in free schoolbooks for approximately 561,000 pupils in over 3,230 recognised primary schools, including over 130 special schools from this September.

The free primary schoolbook scheme delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the free school book pilot which was available in over 100 DEIS primary schools from 2019 to 2022, as resources permit.

The extension of the free schoolbook scheme to all public post primary schools was considered in the context of available resources as part of budget negotiations. I announced that further funding is allocated under Budget 2024 to extend the free schoolbooks scheme to all students in junior cycle years in public post primary schools.

The total funding available for this new scheme is €67 million. Up to 213,000 students, in over 670 schools, will benefit from this new measure, which will commence from September 2024.

The extension of the scheme to senior cycle students will be considered as part of future budget negotiations.

In September 2021 my Department published guidelines for schools on the use of reduced school days. The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide clarity to school authorities and parents and guardians on the use of reduced school days and to ensure that this practice is limited to only those circumstances where it is deemed absolutely necessary. The Guidelines are effective from January 2022. An information note for parents has also been published.

Last year my Department published a report on the Review of Out-of-School Education Provision. The out-of-school education sector relates to a small number of schools and education centres which operate outside of mainstream education provision. This review focused on the education provision in the State for learners under 16 years of age who have encountered difficulties staying in mainstream education. The review also makes recommendations to inform future policy to provide a sustainable option within the education system to further serve this group of learners.

Publication of the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and the payment of €50 million in grant funding for digital technology infrastructure to all recognised primary and post-primary schools will also benefit students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This strategy advances the embedding of digital technologies across teaching, learning and assessment, building on the work under previous strategies. It aims to further support the school system so that all students across our schools have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an ever-evolving digital world successfully.

Work is progressing in my Department to develop a Traveller and Roma Education Strategy in close consultation with relevant stakeholders in the education, and Traveller and Roma communities. It will set out our strategic direction in relation to Traveller and Roma education policy. Consultation is a central part of this, and the first phase of public consultation opened in July through an online survey, which was designed with input from an Advisory Group made up of key education and Traveller and Roma stakeholders. This survey closed on 30 October and we have now started targeted consultations. This works builds on the Dormant Accounts Fund project which provided 10 new Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinator posts to 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools with high numbers of Traveller and Roma students. This project aims to tackle education disadvantage for Traveller and Roma communities; funding is also provided for initiatives to improve attendance, retention and progression.

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.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (358)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

358. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to improve the quality of special needs education since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55301/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

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 an additional €113m has been provided which will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.

Below is a table outlining the funding sourced through successive budgets.

Special Education Budget 2020 - 2024

Year	Budget €	% of DOE Budget
2020	1.9bn	22%
2021	2.2bn	25%
2022	2.3bn	24%
2023	2.6bn	27%
2024	2.7bn	26%

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. For 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 include but are not limited to;

• Enhanced arrangements in place, for planning and coordination of special educational needs provision requirements involving the Department of Education, the NCSE and key stakeholders such as patron and management bodies. This utilises the department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to support a strategic and coordinated approach to planning and delivery of special educational needs provision. This includes “real-time” data on capacity across the school system.

• Updated technical guidance for building projects involving special educational needs provision including guidance on reconfiguration of existing accommodation

• Future proofing at post-primary level with the incorporation of four special classes in all new 1,000 student post-primary schools and other large-scale projects and pro-rata for medium to smaller schools.

• Strategic engagement with Spiritan Education Trust in relation to special educational needs provision at its school sites including its post-primary schools in the fee-charging sector.

• Modular Accommodation Framework put in place by my department in early 2021,

• Expansion of existing planning exemptions for provision of additional accommodation at existing school sites.

• Providing expanded project management support to schools to assist with the accelerated delivery of special educational needs provision by means of reconfiguration of existing space or modular accommodation and

• Introducing a much-simplified application process for reconfiguration works for special educational needs provision has also been rolled out.

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 2024/25 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 for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools. Just last week a further four new special schools were announced for the 2024/25 school year which will bring the number of special schools nationwide to 134.

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.

Planning for special classes nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year.

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.

In addition to ensuring there is sufficient provision in place, my department has and continues to review existing policies and bring new initiatives on board to support children with special educational needs.

For example;

For the Summer Programme, additional funding was secured in Budget 2023 to run the programme to match the investment in 2021 and 2022, bringing the total funding available to €40m. My department has focused on attracting school participation by ensuring schools are supported to deliver the programme by introducing a new pilot initiative for special schools and appointing a National Co-ordinator. Since 2019, there has been a 300% increase in the number of children who have participated in the school-based Summer Programme and my department is working to further progress this programme will be in 2024.

In 2022, Minister Foley and I announced the commencement of the first phase of the implementation of an enhanced scheme of Irish Sign Language (ISL) provision. This new scheme is in addition to the existing provision that is in place, in which the enhanced scheme includes the implementation of two new roles to the education system. As part of the expansion of the NCSE that was announced in Budget 2023, 40 dedicated new staff are being allocated for the two new role under the ISL scheme.

Also in 2022, my department created a new unit within its Special Education Section dedicated to SNAs in order to ensure that sufficient time and attention is given to examination of the SNA role and any reform or development required. This action is the first step in the department’s plan to develop a ‘vision’ for the future of SNAs to be informed by the SNAs themselves, teachers and the wider sector.

In addition, a number of new initiatives are currently in train;

Under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities, the department is leading on the implementation of a number of actions supporting transitions and progression in education from early childhood through to further education and training and higher education.

A Transitions Programme Steering Group, chaired by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and including representation from the department, NCSE, Education and Training Board Ireland and Solas, established under the strategy is working to oversee development of a transition programme that aims to provide access to all school leavers requiring specialist supports to an appropriate transition programme.

The CES Transitions programme involves 20 schools (7 mainstream, 3 special in Galway / 7 mainstream, 3 special in Dublin). The overarching objective of the programme is to support students with complex educational needs to transition to the post-school option which suits them best; including further or higher education options, workplace settings or adult disability services.

The second pilot programme – Dormant Accounts Funded Transitions programme is a collaboration between the department and Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability (WALK), an experienced non-government organisation working in the area of disability services and is working with 10 schools – mostly special schools – to deliver their existing Peer Ability programme.

Separately, the National Nursing Programme Pilot for children with complex healthcare needs is a nationwide pilot scheme run in partnership between the HSE and the NCSE. This pilot is to be evaluated and the outcome will inform the provision of nursing support for students with complex healthcare needs into the future.

The pilot nursing scheme will, for eligible students, extend the Paediatric Home Care Package (PHCP) from their home into the school setting. This will allow an agency nurse attend school with the student for an agreed number of hours per week, and travel to and from school with them, if necessary.

This is just a sample of the initiatives taken by my department in recent times.

In addition, to ensure that the NCSE is fully resourced and equipped to continue to meet the current and future needs of the special education sector, the annual budget for the NCSE has been increased by 55%. This increase will allow for the provision of an additional 161 staff. The majority of these new staff will be in front-line special educational needs organiser (SENO) and advisor roles. This will ensure that parents, children and schools can be adequately supported into the future.

2024 will also see a significant milestone reached for special education as a comprehensive report on the review of the Education of Person with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) act (2004) is expected. This significant review is intended to be concluded in the second quarter of 2024.

This review will no doubt have an impact on our education system as we currently know as it and will provide recommendations as to how we can continue to support and ensure children with special educational needs receive a high quality education.

I wish to assure the Deputy that 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.

School Funding

Questions (359)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

359. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of school days in both primary and secondary level that were paid at the unqualified rate between 1 September to 6 December 2023; and the total amount of same. [55353/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I wish to advise the Deputy that all teachers who are appointed to permanent teaching posts, or fixed term positions in schools, must be teachers who are registered with the Teaching Council.

It is also expected that teachers who are working in a substitute capacity, will be registered with the Teaching Council, which includes amongst other things, having a teaching qualification.

Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act commenced on 1 November 2013 and took effect on 28 January 2014. From then, all teachers in recognised schools must be registered with the Teaching Council in order to be paid by the State.

However, at the same time the Minister made regulations (further to amendment of Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001 in the Education (Amendment) Act 2012), to enable a school in urgent or unforeseen circumstances e.g. to avoid closure of a school or cancellation of classes, to employ, for up to five consecutive days at a time, a person who is not registered as a teacher with the Teaching Council.

The figures I am providing show the number of persons who were employed by the managerial authorities of schools to work in a substitute capacity and were not registered with the Teaching Council at the time of the employment.

It should be noted that a person can be a qualified teacher, but may not be currently registered with the Teaching Council, or may have an application for registration pending. A teacher may also have retired from teaching but may not have continued to retain their registration with the Teaching Council.

The figures provided should therefore be viewed in this context.

For the period from 1st September 2023 to 6th December 2023, a total of 356,799 days substitutable leave absences arose in primary schools, of which 25,405 days were filled by persons who were not at that time registered with the Teaching Council.

For the same period, a total of 131,449 days substitutable leave absences arose in voluntary or community and comprehensive post primary schools, of which 29,725 days were filled by persons who were not, at that time, registered with the Teaching Council.

There are also circumstances in which teachers may be registered for a particular sector, such as the posts primary school sector, and are employed for a time as substitute teachers, in a sector other than that for which they are registered. Such teachers are paid at the unqualified substitution rate, despite the fact that they may be teachers who are unqualified and registered with the Teaching Council for another sector. Figures in respect of such payments have not been collated and are therefore not available. Accordingly the total cost of all unqualified payments for this period is also not readily available.

School Staff

Questions (360)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

360. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the amount of teacher absences that went uncovered between 1 September and 6 December 2023; and the unspent allocation of funds in respect of same. [55354/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

I can advise the Deputy that between 1st September, 2023, and 6th December 2023, a total of 356,799 days substitutable leave absences arose in primary schools, in respect of 30,451 teacher absences. A total of 131,449 days substitutable leave absences arose in voluntary or community and comprehensive post primary schools, in respect of 13,819 teacher absences. These figures are subject to slight change.

Substitutable leave absences may be filled by schools in a number of ways.

A substitute teacher may be recruited locally by a school, and a claim for payment for the teacher may be submitted to my Department, via the Online Claims System.

Alternatively, the absence may be covered by schools under a number of schemes, which are managed locally by schools.

The Supervision and Substitution Scheme allows for the supervision of students during breaks and before and after school and to allow for substitution to cover certain categories of teacher absences.

This includes providing substitution cover for short term and unexpected absences in schools, such as all uncertified sick leave absences, or to cover the first day of force majeure leave, or illness in family leave

With effect from the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, participation in the Supervision and Substitution scheme is compulsory for teachers, save for those who had availed of the opt-out arrangements prior to this date.

All schools therefore provide cover for a significant number of substitutable absences, arising over the course of the school year, through the Supervision and Substitution scheme.

For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2023/24 school year, 590 substitute teacher supply posts have been allocated to 166 panels, covering nearly 2,900 schools.

This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave. Absences covered by the teacher supply panels are recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leave to my Department.

For post primary schools, Circular 0035/2023 provides for a Teaching Hours Extension scheme to be in place for the 2023/24 school year.

This scheme provides post primary schools with an alternative means of sourcing appropriately qualified substitute teaching cover to support teaching and learning in schools. Teachers on full teaching contracts of 22 hours can provide additional substitution cover, of up to 35 additional hours, for each term designated under the scheme.

Absences covered under this scheme are also recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leaves covered by this scheme to my Department.

As many of the substitutable absences that arise in schools are filled locally by schools, without a requirement for an application to be made to my Department, my Department therefore cannot provide definitive figures as to the number of substitutable absences which were filled, or unfilled, in any given period, or as to the resulting costs savings arising from same.

Education and Training Boards

Questions (361)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

361. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the annual funding allocated and staffing levels in the Kilkenny-Carlow Education Training Board Psychological Service in 2022 and 2023, in tabular form. [55362/23]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Deputy refers to the Kilkenny-Carlow Education Training Board Psychological Service. I wish to clarify that the education psychological service for all schools in the Kilkenny Carlow area is provided by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) of the Department of Education.

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.

There are currently 225 whole-time equivalent NEPS educational psychologists employed across the 8 NEPS regions, delivering a psychological service to our schools. Kilkenny and Carlow are within the South East/Midlands region, there are currently 26 whole-time equivalent psychologists in the region. This region also includes all schools in Counties Wexford, Waterford, Laois and some schools in County Offaly.

Officials in my Department have been examining the matter of how NEPS can continue to recruit adequate numbers of suitably qualified staff and continue to respond to the educational psychological needs of children in recognised primary and post-primary schools across the country.

Since January of this year, NEPS is supporting bursaries for students who are enrolled in the University College Dublin (UCD) Professional Doctorate in Educational Psychology and the Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick’s Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology for Trainee Educational Psychologists. Those in receipt of a bursary commit to joining NEPS upon graduation. As of September 2023 there are 62 Trainee Educational Psychologists in receipt of a bursary from NEPS who are expected will fill a vacancy in NEPS upon graduation, over the next three years.

The Public Appointments Service (PAS) undertook a recruitment campaign for Educational Psychologists for NEPS earlier this year. Interviews have taken place, and panels of psychologists have been created. My Department is actively engaging with PAS to maximise the numbers of psychologists being recruited.

The pay and non pay budget allocation for NEPS in is in the region of €25m. The final budget figure for 2024 will be available after the Revised Estimate process. However, there has been no reduction to the NEPS overall funding allocation from 2023 to 2024. In addition to the NEPS budget I was also pleased to announce that my Department has secured funding in Budget 2024 to continue the counselling in primary school pilot for an additional year, until June 2025.

Special Educational Needs

Questions (362)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

362. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if a new recruitment campaign for Irish sign language-specialist classroom support will be launched early in the new year. [55363/23]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education

I would like to thank the deputy for the question and would advise that the NCSE intend to undertake a further recruitment campaign for the Irish Sign Language Specialist Classroom Support in early 2024.

I am delighted to advise that the first two appointees to the Irish Sign Language Specialist Classroom Support role are presently supporting pupils in accessing the curriculum in their schools.

In addition the recent ISL adviser recruitment campaign has just been completed and the first two ISL advisers will be taking up their roles in early 2024 following completion of the normal clearance processes.