Written Answers Nos. 115-125
115. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 680 of 17 January 2024, the reason all applicants were given equal weighting in the lottery, regardless of DEIS status or not. [3167/24]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that as set out in Parliamentary Question No. 680 of 17 January 2024 a lottery was run but then the application from each school selected in the lottery was assessed on a case by case basis. The applications were read again by the evaluation team, to ensure they met the requirements as set out in the grant call. School status was one of the considerations taken into account but was not the only factor as set out in the call for proposals.
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. A key strategic goal of my Department is to develop an education system that welcomes every child and young person and meets their educational needs irrespective of background or ability so as to fulfil their potential. The successful delivery of this goal means that our school system is open and welcoming for all children and young people 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. The DEIS 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. My Department’s overall spend on the DEIS programme is over €180 million yearly. DEIS schools are eligible for a range of additional resources and supports aimed at tackling educational disadvantage, including additional classroom teaching posts in DEIS Band 1 primary schools, access to Home School Community Liaison Coordinator for DEIS urban primary and DEIS post-primary schools, DEIS grant funding and access to the School Completion Programme. The full list of resources and supports for DEIS schools is available at gov.ie - DEIS Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools (www.gov.ie)
116. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) will receive approval for their building programme to move to the next phase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3168/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school referred to was approved for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The project will provide the following accommodation at the school - 2 classroom SEN base, 12 SET rooms and reconfiguration of an existing staff room to provide HSCL room and new staff room.
This project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.
A Stage 1 report has been submitted by the school’s design team, has been received, and is currently being reviewed by Department officials. Once this review is complete, an update will be issued to the school Board of Management shortly.
117. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the reintroduction of the allowance for teachers in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools (details supplied). [3171/24]
View answer120. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education her plans to reintroduce the allowance for teaching through Irish which was ended in 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3186/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 120 together.
My Department implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform which means that many allowances, including this one, were no longer payable to “new entrant” Teachers.
Circular 0008/2013 outlines the effect of this review on teachers. In common with a number of job-role based allowances, sanction for payment to new beneficiaries of the Teaching through Irish Allowance and Gaeltacht Allowance was withdrawn from 1st February 2012 under the terms of the Circular. Furthermore, if a teacher was eligible for receipt of the allowance prior to 1st February 2012 and subsequently left that job role on or after 1st February 2012 on a voluntary basis, their entitlement to the allowance ceases from the date of the move and they cannot re-gain entitlement.
Additional amendments to Teacher Terms and Conditions, including pay and allowances, can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the public service unions. Over the course of recent collective agreements amendments have been agreed including that “new entrant” teachers had the equivalent of an honours primary degree allowance integrated into their salary scale.
Any further amendments to alter the allowances paid to teachers, whether “new entrant” or not, give rise to significant cost issues and should, as mentioned, be part of engagement and collective agreements between Unions and Government. Any review of the eligibility criteria for qualification allowances can occur only under that process.
118. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will outline the existing capacity of second level schools in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area to meet the demand for actual number of additional first year places required for 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029 school years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3179/24]
View answerThe Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area.
A critical next step for the Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Town, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. This data has been received by my officials and is currently being analysed with a view to establishing the actual requirement for places. Preliminary assessments indicate that duplications of applications, and applications from outside the local area, are very much contributing to enrolment pressures in the town.
The Department is working to clarify the actual requirement for additional school places and to identify particular further capacity requirements for 2024 and forthcoming years. The Department will engage with schools and patrons to put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.
The information requested by the Deputy is not available at this time. The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. Enrolment data for previous schools years is on available on the Department website. Provisional enrolment data for the 2023/24 school year is available of the Departments website at www.gov.ie
I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department.
119. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the campaign by parents in Newcastle, County Dublin for the establishment of a school in their village; when the New Schools Establishment Group will next revisit the provision of an additional secondary school in the Newcastle-Rathcoole school planning area, specifically in Newcastle village; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3180/24]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that requirements for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including CSO Census data, Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my Department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from Local Authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
The 2023 demographic exercise indicates that post primary enrolments in the Newcastle_Rathcoole SPA are projected to peak in 2033 and decline thereafter. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
The Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area.
A critical next step for the Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Newcastle_Rathcoole, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. This data has been received by my officials and is currently being analysed with a view to establishing the actual requirement for places. Preliminary assessments indicate that duplications of applications, and applications from outside the local area, are very much contributing to enrolment pressures in the town.
The Department is working to clarify the actual requirement for additional school places and to identify particular further capacity requirements for 2024 and forthcoming years. The Department will engage with schools and patrons to put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.
If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational.
A new Post Primary school to serve Dublin Citywest / Saggart (Tallght Newcastle Rathcoole) was announced in April 2018. This post primary school is part of a campus project assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction. This campus project will deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including four classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms, for children with special educational needs on the permanent site in Citywest.
This project is currently at tender stage. The Invitation to tender issued in April 2023, as part of a bundle of projects issued to the Department's Framework of Design & Build Contractors. The tender process currently takes approximately 8-12 months. Tender returns have been received and are currently being evaluated. Once a contractor has been appointed, it is anticipated that construction would commence shortly thereafter.
The large scale capital project for Holy Family Community School Rathcoole to provide accommodation for a 1,000 Pupil School, is at an advanced stage of the tender process. In July clarifications were received from the design team in relation to the Reserved Specialist Tender Report, however further information was subsequently requested. Planning and Building unit officials are currently engaging with the Design Team in relation to the remaining issues. When this review is complete and subject to no further issues arising, the Department will be in further contact with the school authority.
New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.
The Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plan and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.
121. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education if her Department possesses data on the number of reported incidents of LGBTQ+ bullying in 2023. [3189/24]
View answerMy Department published Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022, which is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying or sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools.
Cineáltas 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.
The Implementation Plan for Cineáltas which was published in April last year commits to implementing each of 61 actions within a five-year period.
A number of actions in Cineáltas have already been implemented. One of the key actions in Cineáltas is to update the anti-bullying procedures for schools. This work is well advanced with Bí Cineálta, procedures for preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in primary and post primary schools, due to be published in the coming weeks. The updated procedures will provide for schools to record all incidents of bullying behaviour including information on the types of bullying behaviour.
Cineáltas also contains an action regarding the development of a national database to facilitate data being collated in an anonymised manner to facilitate the development of an annual national report on bullying in schools. The Department has also commenced work to update the Being LGBT in School Resource.
122. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education for a thorough update on the issue with school-places in north Kildare, in particular in bottleneck areas previously notified to her, and in which TDs and families are still awaiting a requested meeting with her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3229/24]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for the Department.
My Department is aware of pressures for school places for the 2024/25 school year in North Kildare School Planning Areas of Maynooth, Newbridge, Naas, Celbridge, Kilcock, Curragh and Kildare.
A critical next step for my Department is to establish the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 in order for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in a number of areas of enrolment pressure, including Maynooth, Newbridge, Naas, Celbridge, Kilcock, Curragh and Kildare, have been requested to share data on applications for admissions. This data has been received by my officials and is currently being analysed with a view to establishing the actual requirement for places. Preliminary assessments indicate that duplications of applications, and applications from outside the local area, are very much contributing to enrolment pressures in North Kildare School Planning Areas.
My Department is working to clarify the actual requirement for additional school places and to identify particular further capacity requirements for 2024 and forthcoming years. My Department will engage with schools and patrons to put any required solutions in place - beyond those that are already in train - to ensure sufficient school places to meet the needs of students in the area.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in the Maynooth, Newbridge, Naas, Celbridge, Kilcock, Curragh and Kildare area for the 2024/25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children in North Kildare School Planning Areas will receive a first year place.
123. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education to provide figures for the number of staff directly employed in her Department who work from home/remotely as part of their working week; the percentage of staff on an overall basis who work from home at least one day a week; the number of working hours on average per week that staff in her Department work from home; the gender breakdown of those who avail of the opportunity to work from home/remotely; if they will provide the figures for 2022 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3234/24]
View answerMy Department’s Blended Working Policy was launched in 2023 and applications for blended working which have been received from staff are still being processed. Therefore, at this point, the department is not in a position to provide exact numbers as the data is not yet fully captured. Under my Department's Blended Working Policy, the majority of staff can apply to work from home up to three days per week.
124. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education to provide figures for the number of staff directly employed in agencies and bodies directly under her aegis who work from home/remotely as part of their working week; the percentage of staff on an overall basis who work from home at least one day a week; the number of working hours on average per week that staff in relevant agencies and bodies work from home; the gender breakdown of those who avail of the opportunity to work from home/remotely; if she will provide the figures for 2022 and 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3252/24]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy in regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is not routinely collated by my Department. We have requested all Department of Education aegis bodies respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
125. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education where primary schools can get support if carbon dioxide monitors are showing high levels of carbon dioxide in the school building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3281/24]
View answerManaging ventilation is one of a suite of public health measures in place to keep our schools safe.
Updated guidance for schools on Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools was provided in 2021 following the work of an expert group that carefully considered the role of ventilation in managing COVID-19.
The updated guidance for schools is also fully in line with the most recent guidance on non-healthcare building ventilation during COVID-19, published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in January 2022 and general advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in non-healthcare settings published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre in May 2022.
The Expert Group established by the Minister for Health note, in its report published in April 2021, that very good advice is contained in the Department of Education’s Practical Steps for the Deployment of Good Ventilation Practices in Schools. They also note that it must be emphasised that ventilation should be delivered as part of a layered strategy of protective measures to control the spread of viruses. Along with these preventative actions, ventilation further reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission in schools.
The Expert Group guidance outlines that Carbon Dioxide (CO2 ) monitors can play a part in providing a useful general indication that areas/rooms may not be adequately ventilated. My Department have funded and delivered in excess of 42,000 monitors to schools nationwide at a cost of over €4 million.
The Expert Group guidance also identifies that in areas with poor ventilation, structural interventions and measures to increase natural ventilation should be completed and if not possible in the short term, that consideration should be given to using stand-alone HEPA filter devices in poorly ventilated spaces pending the completion of structural interventions.
As noted in my Department’s Guidance where the recommended measures in the Practical Steps have been considered and poor ventilation continues to exist in a particular room/area, air cleaners may be considered as an additional measure in conjunction with other methods of ventilation that are available.
To provide additional support in the context of Covid-19 the payment of a minor works grant totalling €45m for primary schools and special schools, plus a once-off Covid-19 minor works funding of €17m for post-primary schools, was issued in December 2021. Schools used this money for a variety of purposes, including investment in ventilation systems. However the Department does not hold information in this regard.
Schools that identify inadequate ventilation in a room can utilise the minor work grant (for minor improvements) or apply for emergency works grant assistance to address ventilation enhancements on a permanent basis. A dedicated team has been established in the Department to support schools that may have concerns about ventilation.
To date 46 schools have applied for additional funding under the emergency works scheme to assist with ventilation. Of these, 40 have been approved, two were incorrectly classified as ventilation-related and assessed separately, three applications were rejected and we are waiting for one school to revert with further information. None of these applications were for the funding of Hepa filters and contact was made with the school who had their application rejected to advise them how best to proceed.
In conclusion, my Department is fully aware of the importance of good ventilation in schools. Our approach, as part of a layered strategy of protective measures to control the spread of the virus, is fully consistent with the Expert Group recommendations on good practices, the use of portable CO2 monitors and the targeted deployment of HEPA air filter devices where necessary for poorly ventilated areas. However, it is important to note that air cleaners do not remove CO2. The best way to reduce CO2 levels in a room is to dilute it with fresh air.
