Written Answers Nos. 614-633
614. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the issue of the fence at Buirg An Rí Glen separating the school from an estate (details supplied) which is supposed to be closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. (details supplied); if she will work with local residents to urgently resolve this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1374/25]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that my Department is aware of the mentioned issues at this school. I can confirm that officials from my Department are currently in the process of attempting to arrange a meeting between the relevant stakeholders to try to progress this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.
615. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education for details of the status and timelines for all school building projects in Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1384/25]
View answerSince 2020, my department has invested over €5.7 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,150 school building projects and with construction currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes new school buildings some of which are being delivered in phases. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.3bn.
The department previously announced that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in this latest phase, investments by the Department of Education are adding over 550,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our school estate.
This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities, right around the country.
The key drivers of capital investment in the schools sector include:
• demographic growth, particularly at post primary level
• increased demand for special educational needs provision
• alignment of school place provision with new housing development
• climate action objectives including deep energy retrofit.
Since 2020, the total capital invested in Co. Wicklow schools is over €164m.? From 2020 to date, 36 school building projects have been completed in Co. Wicklow.
Currently there are 11 school building projects (Large Scale/ASA/Modular) under construction in Co. Wicklow, of which 2 are new school projects.
There are also 43 school building projects (Large Scale/ASA/Modular) in Co. Wicklow moving through the various stages of design, of which 10 are new school project.
These projects are being delivered to ambitious timeframes, and the position on individual projects evolves all the time as they advance through various stages. The status of all projects is set out at (www.gov.ie). This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
616. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education for an update on the number of school bus routes still not in operation, including details of the areas and schools serviced by these routes and how many children are impacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1385/25]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over 143,800 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 21,700 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.
The total expenditure on the scheme in 2024 was €512m.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Bus Éireann has reported that unfortunately, for a small number of families who were issued a ticket for the 2024/2025 school year, difficulties have arisen in some localities where services could not commence as expected.
These difficulties have arisen in some cases due to lack of driver or contractor availability, or where zero bids were received for a service, despite repeated efforts to procure one.
While the majority of these routes are now in place, there are still two mainstream routes without a service. These routes are located in Galway and Wicklow and affect 33 mainstream pupils in total.
In relation to services for children with special educational needs, there are currently 7 routes that were in place in the 2023/24 school year affected. These routes are located in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Roscommon and affect 31 pupils travelling on the school transport scheme for children with special educational needs.
Bus Éireann has contacted the affected families directly and will maintain communications with them. These routes are going through various stages of the procurement process.
An “Exceptional No Service Interim Grant” payable by the Department, which will be based on the number of days children attend school will be made available to the families. Bus Éireann have contacted these families directly. Families do not need to make an application for the exceptional payment. Those who have been issued a ticket and do not have a service in place will be contacted by School Transport Section in the Department.
Work is continuing in order to resolve this matter and Bus Éireann are committed to providing transport to these students as quickly as is possible.
617. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education for an update on the planned changes to the school transport scheme for the 2025/26 school year, including the reduction of the distance a student must live from their school in order to be eligible for the scheme and the removal of the “closest school” requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1386/25]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 172,500 children, are transported daily in approximately 7,900 vehicles across 10,300 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. These daily trips cover over 100 million kilometres. This figure includes over 143,800 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 21,700 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The scheme is made up of three separate schemes, the school transport scheme for primary, post primary and for children with special educational needs. Transport is also provided for children who have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and those residing in IPAS/EROC centres.
The total expenditure on the scheme in 2024 was €512m.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school. At post primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre. Distance is determined by the Department/Bus Éireann and rules have regard to ethos and language.
The School Transport 2030 report, which was published in early 2024 marks the largest review of the School Transport Scheme since it was established in 1967. The Government is committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendation of expanding access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030. The recommended changes to the future operation of the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer. A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024/2025 school year.
As indicated at the time of the launch of the review, a number of pilots were being considered by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann. As also indicated at the time of the launch of the review, it was intended that following closure of the application process for the 2025/2026 school year consideration would be given to further potential pilots.
A total of 14 pilot projects are underway this school year. These pilots are currently being evaluated and they will provide valuable insights into the impact of increased demand on the scheme, the potential for integrating public transport with school transport services, and opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of transport. The findings from the evaluation will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme.
Further information on plans for the 2025/2026 school year will be available shortly.
618. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for a special class (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1463/25]
View answer631. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education the status of plans for the development of an additional special educational needs class at a school (details supplied). [1704/25]
View answer637. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for a special class for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1731/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 618, 631 and 637 together.
As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. Thanks to considerable investment in special education in recent years 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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last 5 years, 11 new special schools have been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,336.
119 of these classes are in County Wexford , 16 are new for the 2024/25 school year, 13 at primary level and 3 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local SENOs are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENOs, advisors and team managers. 120 SENOs now operate nationwide, four of these are operating solely in County Wexford. SENOs play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas and are currently visiting schools nationwide to conduct planning meetings. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided and it is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes in the coming weeks.
I commend schools that express and interest in opening a special class, however, it may not always be possible for the NCSE to open a new class in every school that expresses an interest. The NCSE will continue to keep the matter under review with regard to local level of need. The initial focus at primary level has been on medium to larger primary schools (Principal + 8 teachers) with no special class or just one class.
The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. The NCSE will progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks and will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
619. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she has plans for speech therapists to be returned to special schools full-time, not shared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1499/25]
View answerThe provision of clinical therapy supports to children, including Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, is the responsibility of the HSE, through Primary Care or the Children’s Network Disability Teams (CDNT).
Through the Progressing Disability Services Oversight Group, the Department of Education is working with the Department of Health, DCEDIY and the HSE to develop and strengthen more coherent structures to enable children and young people to access therapeutic supports, including those who attend special schools.
As a result of this engagement, Phase 1 of the enhanced in-school therapy supports pilot commenced in September 2024, in six schools in the Cork and Dublin. An additional ten schools were announced as part of the pilot on 8th November 2024.
This integrated pilot programme will see the delivery of enhanced in-school therapy supports provided by the HSE’s Children’s Disability Network Teams and will be supported by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The focus of this pilot is to provide the effective delivery of enhanced in-school therapy supports to children in selected special schools. This pilot will supplement existing services provided through Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs). Children with special needs will continue to have access to HSE/HSE funded children’s services for individualised interventions from clinicians, such as speech and language therapists as required and in line with the child and families’ goals.
A detailed evaluation of the pilot programme will inform the future development of policy in both education and health provision.
It is my ambition and intention, in time and taking into account the outcomes of the enhanced in-school therapy support pilot, to extend these supports, including speech and language therapists, to more special schools in other locations.
Separately, on the 20th of June 2024 Minister Foley and I announced the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS). The ETSS is designed to build the capacity of teachers (and other school personnel as relevant) to provide as effectively as possible for the needs of all students, including students attending special schools. Therapists will work in classrooms with teachers to provide therapeutic, evidenced informed interventions that will benefit all students.
The ETSS arose from the clearly identified need for wraparound support in schools in the areas of Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language therapy. Based on this need the provision of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy supports in schools was prioritised initially.
The ETSS is delivered through the NCSE. The ETSS provides 2 strands of support. Strand I involves Regional Therapy Support and includes Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) seminars with in-school support. It is planned that these supports will be available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year. The second strand, Strand II provides Sustained In-School Therapy for a period of 24 months, in line with the School Inclusion Model (SIM).
The NCSE intends to deliver Strand II of the ETSS initially, in its Eastern and Western regions. Dublin is the base for the Eastern region and Limerick has been identified as the most suitable hub for the Western region. This includes Kerry, Clare, Limerick, Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The ETSS is available to all schools in these regions, including primary, post-primary and special schools following an application process through the NCSE. A number of schools in the Eastern region are currently availing of this service.
620. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education when a project (details supplied) will be able to proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1504/25]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The Summer Works Scheme plays an important role in the maintenance and upgrade of the condition of our schools.
The project mentioned by the Deputy for an SWS window repairs project at the school in question has been under constant review by my Department and the SWS team has been in regular contact with the school’s Principal. In the course of a review undertaken by the technical team within the SWS a question arose as to the compliance of the project in question with the Department's Guidance on Procuring Consultants for Small Works. The school was informed of this on the 18th of December 2024 and informed as to the next steps required in order to progress its windows project.
621. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the consideration she has given to the condensing of the Professional Masters in Education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1522/25]
View answerThe Professional Master of Education (PME) is a two-year, full-time Level 9 postgraduate professional teacher education programme designed to qualify graduates as primary and post-primary teachers.
Changes to the duration and content of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes were made in response to recommendations in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among children and Young People 2011-2020 and were incorporated into the Teaching Council’s accreditation standards.
What had been the ‘H-Dip’ of 18 months at primary and 1 year at post-primary became the two-year Professional Master of Education for both. The standards were arrived at following extensive research and consultation with regard to the programme that would be required in order to develop the skills, knowledge, understanding, and professional values expected of newly qualified teachers.
The reforms were focused on improving the quality of teaching and learning in schools, which is central to the educational outcomes of children. The extended duration allowed for substantial periods of school placement and a number of mandatory elements in all programmes including literacy and numeracy and ICT in teaching and learning.
These standards were updated by the Council in Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education (2020) which reaffirms that post-graduate ITE programmes shall be a minimum of two years’ duration.
The extensive nature of curriculum and assessment reforms over the past decade, the more complex legislative and regulatory context within which teachers and schools operate, expanded pedagogical approaches and a focus on learner-centred processes have resulted in evolving demands on teachers to reach and demonstrate high professional standards. The requirements for ITE are a significant factor in the high quality of our teaching profession in Ireland, which is recognised at home and abroad.
It is acknowledged that there are challenges around the availability of teachers at present. While there are currently no plans to reduce the current duration of the postgraduate ITE programmes to one year, the Department’s ongoing approach is to continue to develop further innovative measures to improve the availability of teachers.
622. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education the reason for the ongoing delays to the construction and opening of a new ASD unit in a school (details supplied); the timeline for completion of this project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1534/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was granted approval for the provision of the reconfiguration of existing accommodation to create one Special Education needs Classroom under the Department's SEN Reconfiguration programme in early August 2024.
This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. The use of the Department’s Term Maintenance Framework also assists in ensuring lead in periods for procurement of contractors are minimised to the greatest extent possible.
The Department is working closely with the Project Management teams and the term maintenance contractors to ensure additional capacity for the schools sector is delivered as quickly as possible.
The current tentative estimated timeline for completion of internal works is mid-February 2025. My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of same and will be working with the School Authority to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines.
623. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education to outline the overall costs associated with the purchase and installation of prefabricated classrooms at a school (details supplied); associated ancillary and maintenance costs, by year, since 2001, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1566/25]
View answerMy Department has reviewed its records and has provided the information requested for the school referred to by the Deputy in tabular form on the attached report.
My Department has no records of the associated ancillary and maintenance costs. The two main relevant grants for post primary schools paid by the Department in this regard are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
624. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education the reason for the delay in providing permanent school buildings for a school (details supplied); to outline where the process currently stands; the timeframe for the completion of the works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1567/25]
View answerThe large scale capital project for the provision of a new 600 pupil school and ancillary accommodation is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award.
A new grant of planning was received in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached. The design team are examining the implications of these conditions and reviewing technical design information in relation to statutory and current technical design guidance.
The large scale capital project remains a priority for delivery and my Department officials will be in contact with the school authority as soon as the Design Team complete their review.
My Department remains engaged throughout with the Patron DDLETB.
625. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education if her Department and agencies under the aegis of her Department have policies on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Department and those agencies; whether training has been provided to staff on the use of AI; if her Department has used AI, including large language models, in the preparation of legislation or statutory instruments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1577/25]
View answerMy Department and its officials do not presently use AI to generate official text.
My Department recognises the potential offered by AI and is aware of the Interim Guidelines for Use of AI published. My Department will continue to assess the suitability of AI on a solution by solution basis.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department. Contact details for these bodies are set out in the attached document should the Deputy’s wish to contact them directly with this query.
626. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education to review correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1633/25]
View answerAs you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. Thanks to considerable investment in special education in recent years 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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last 5 years, 11 new special schools have been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,336.
7 of these new special classes opened in County Cavan. This brings to 59 the total number of special classes in Cavan for the 2024/25 school year. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENOs, advisors and team managers. 120 SENOs now operate nationwide, two of these are operating solely in County Cavan.
SENOs play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas and are currently visiting schools nationwide to conduct planning meetings. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided and it is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes in the coming weeks. The initial focus of this work at primary level has been on medium to larger primary schools with no special class or just 1 special class.
The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. The NCSE will progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks and will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
I commend any school, such as the school referred to by the Deputy, for their interest in opening a special class. It may not always be possible for the NCSE to open new special classes in every school that expresses an interest. But the NCSE will continue to keep the matter under review with regard to the local level of need in the area.
627. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will work with Bus Éireann to amend the rules to allow those over 70 years-of-age continue to drive school busses, subject to annual medical examinations, to help alleviate the shortage of school bus drivers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1658/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the education section of the new Programme for Government (PFG), Government has committed to "Carry out an independent assessment on the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers aged over 70 from the School Transport Scheme". I will be engaging with the Minister for Education and with Bus Éireann on this PfG commitment.
628. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if her Department can provide an update on the need for an ASD unit in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1673/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE). This includes the establishment of special class and special school placements in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.
The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) are at unprecedented levels. Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last 5 years, 11 new special schools have been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,336.
In 2024, the department spent over €2.7 billion on special education and further progress will be made in 2025 as an additional €159 million has been dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.
Over a quarter of the entire education budget has been dedicated to special education in recent years.
The main supports this funding provides for are special classes, SNAs and special education teachers.
The NCSE has advised that there are 3,336 special classes in operation nationwide for this school year. These classes can provide for over 21,000 students. 408 of these are new for the current school year – 289 at primary and 119 at post-primary level.
Of the 124 special schools nationwide, 4 special schools have been established for this school year and further capacity has being expanded in 11 other special schools. Five more will be added for the 2025/26 school year in counties Cork, Dublin, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 16 the number of new special schools opened in recent years. Over 9,000 students are currently enrolled in special schools.
An additional €159 million in funding will be made available to provide for a further 768 teachers, and a further 1,600 SNAs to be recruited in 2025, to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs.
In addition, a dedicated special education innovation fund in recognition of the need to continually evolve and examine best practice to support children with special educational needs has received funding. Funding has been secured for targeted measures to help children with special educational needs with planning and transitioning to and from the various level of our education system. It has also been provided for supporting teachers and SNAs in their enhanced training requirements.
The largest investment in the Summer Programme has also been secured.
This €62 million investment will allow the department to continue to prioritise the most vulnerable children in our society, those with the most complex special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to access the additional support that they need during the summer.
The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required for the 2025/26 school year in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. The NCSE will progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks and will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that another school in the School Planning area has been identified as having suitable capacity to accommodate special education classrooms required for the area and a proposed accommodation brief has been sent to that school for their consideration.
629. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education her views on local authorities not gritting outside schools during cold weather spells; if she will examine the matter; if she will examine the possibility of providing grit containers for schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1699/25]
View answerWhile my Department takes the issue of road safety for all schools users very seriously, the issue of gritting roads outside of school property does not fall under the remit of my Department. The area of road safety and administration is a matter for the relevant local authority or the Road Safety Authority.
630. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education to report on the plan and timeline for moving a school (details supplied) to its new location in Stillorgan. [1702/25]
View answerThe school referred to by the Deputy is part of a campus project with another special school and is included in my Department’s Construction Programme that is delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040.
The original project brief was to provide 2 ten classroom special schools with General Purpose hall and all associated ancillary accommodation on the same site. The brief for Setanta Special School was subsequently increased to provide an additional 2 classrooms.
Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to a number of unforeseen site issues, and additional delays in relation to the relocation of ESB wires, which were outside the control of my Department, the campus project was delayed on site. Overall completion for the campus project for the two schools is estimated at Quarter 3 of 2025.
During 2024, discussions were held with the design team in relation to the possible early handover of Setanta Special School in December 2024 for occupation in January 2025, taking into consideration careful analysis from a technical, safety and education perspective given that it would relate to a special school operating beside a live construction site on the same campus. Agreement was reached with all parties, however, due to issues surrounding utilities and utility connections, commissioning of the building will take an additional number of weeks. Handover and occupation is still anticipated for Quarter 1.
The Design Team and my Department’s Planning and Building Unit are liaising closely on this matter and will continue to keep the school communities updated on progress and timelines. The School is a key priority for my Department, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that any delays are minimised to the greatest extent possible.
632. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education the status of the introduction of the two new pilot subjects for the Leaving Certificate (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1705/25]
View answerIn 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.
The redevelopment programme includes the development of specifications for two new subjects, Drama, Film, and Theatre Studies, and Climate Action and Sustainable Development which were published by the NCCA in 2024.
It is important to note that the two new subjects are not pilot subjects and are being introduced on a phased basis through a number of selected schools, known as Phase One Schools, from the start of the 2025/26 school year. Taking this phased approach allows selected schools to be supported in the introduction of the new subject and for reflection on the effectiveness of those supports as more schools subsequently offer the subject.
A call for applications by schools interested in becoming a Phase One School closed in April 2024 which set out the suite of supports to be provided to participant schools. The list of 100 selected Phase One schools is available online; www.gov.ie/en/publication/3cc80-phase-one-schools/.
It is expected that national rollout of the two new subjects would commence in the 2027/28 school year. All Phase One Schools will be provided with the technical resources required to establish the new subject department in their school. A Request for tenders to establish a multi-supplier framework agreement for the provision of resources for Drama, Film and Theatre Studies is currently underway and live on eTenders.
Earlier this month, my Department issued circular 0002/2025 informing the management authorities of second-level schools of the prescribed material for Leaving Certificate Drama, Film and Theatre Studies in the academic years 2025-27, 2026-28 and 2027-2029.
The introduction of the new specifications is supported by a comprehensive four-year teacher professional learning (TPL) programme for the subjects provided by Oide. Oide is currently working with over 180 teachers in the Phase One schools in advance of the introduction of the two new subjects. The four year TPL programme is designed to provide the necessary professional learning and supports to teachers both ahead of the introduction of the subjects and on an ongoing basis as students and teachers experience the new specifications and assessment arrangements first-hand in classroom.
The Teaching Council has commenced the process to determine the subject registration criteria for Drama, Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development. These requirements will be published by the Teaching Council when finalised and made available on their website.
The introduction of these two new subjects builds on the innovation of recent years which has included the introduction of new subjects in Politics and Society, Computer Science and Physical Education. The introduction of the two new subjects this coming September is an important step in realising the vision for a redeveloped Senior Cycle.
633. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education the status of the planned development of a school (details supplied); and the timetable for completion of this project. [1706/25]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) on behalf of the school authority.
The project was recently approved by the Department to proceed to tender stage. When this stage is concluded, the project will progress to construction in due course.
While it is not possible to provide a timeline for the completion of the Project at this stage, the Department will continue to engage with KWETB and its Design Team in regard to progressing this important campus project.
The current status of all projects is listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
