Brendan Smith
Ceist:73. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when a school application will be approved (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52741/23]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Questions Nos. 71 and 72 taken with Written Answers.
Schools Amalgamation
The boards of management of St. Mary's Boys' National School and the Convent of Mercy National School in Belturbet, County Cavan, submitted a well-researched and detailed proposal to the Minister's Department seeking approval to amalgamate the schools and have a new school provided on an identified suitable site owned by the parish within the town. Both aspects of this proposal need to be approved in order that the primary school-going population of Belturbet will have a modern and appropriate co-educational facility. I strongly support this application. The proposed new facility, as requested in the application, needs to be sanctioned and delivered.
I thank the Deputy and acknowledge his engagement with me on this issue. I can confirm my Department recently received a request from the patron of the schools under reference for the amalgamation of the two schools. The proposal also included a request for a new school building for the amalgamated school. As the Deputy will be aware, the decision-making authority for school amalgamations belongs to the patron or trustees of a school, and this is subject to the approval of the Minister for Education. Any proposed change involves extensive negotiations at local level and must be well planned and managed in a manner that accommodates the interests of students, parents, teachers and local communities and contributes to an inclusive education system.
My Department is reviewing the amalgamation proposal. This process is nearing completion and my officials will be in contact with the patron shortly. Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €3.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 690 school building projects and with construction currently under way on approximately 300 other projects.
School building projects at construction involve an overall State investment of more than €1.2 billion. We also have 200 modular accommodation projects that are well advanced. This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities. The main focus of my Department’s capital funding over the past decade and for the coming period is on the provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special educational needs. The Department is required to manage the overall school building programme such that we target and prioritise areas that are under the greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects our fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.
The Deputy may be aware there are plans for capital investment in the primary schools in the Belturbet school planning area with a view to increasing the number of mainstream and special class pupil places. In total, three school building projects in schools in the Belturbet area are at various stages of planning and delivery. At primary level, this includes plans for additional mainstream and special class provision at Milltown National School and Scoil Naomh Bríd. The overall position-----
I thank the Minister.
I am glad the Minister has confirmed the Department is assessing the application. I do not want an amalgamation proposal to be approved for the schools to operate from the existing sites. That would defeat the purpose of the exercise. I compliment the Minister on the excellent school building programme she has had in place for the past three and a half years. My constituency, Cavan-Monaghan, is a major beneficiary, and in particular St. Bricin’s College in Belturbet through modern new buildings the Minister sanctioned and funded.
The two schools have totally outdated facilities that do not have room for expansion. They cannot provide for children with additional needs because they do not have the space to provide additional accommodation. To ensure the school-going population of Belturbet town and its immediate catchment area will have proper facilities, we need a commitment to a new school. The schools the Minister quite rightly mentioned that have major building projects approved or under way are some distance from Belturbet. I am speaking about the school-going population of Belturbet town, the population of which is growing, and its immediate catchment area.
As I said, the request has been received and is being assessed. The overall position with regard to potential modernisation and the replacement of existing school infrastructure will be kept under review as capital funding allocations are clarified. The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform will engage with other Departments on national development plan, NDP, allocations for the period 2026 to 2028 over the coming months, with allocation decisions expected during the first half of 2024.
I assure the Deputy that the provision of required school places, including for children with special educational needs, is a priority for my Department. My officials will work to ensure there is sufficient provision to meet the school place needs in the schools referenced by the Deputy and in the wider school planning area. This will include a focus on any school accommodation provision that may be required in the short to medium term.
As I outlined, the application for amalgamation is being reviewed and contact will be made with the patron shortly in that regard.
I thank the Minister. As she will know from having visited Cavan and being familiar with the area, unfortunately Belturbet has suffered terribly over decades.
There were bombs there and people were killed. The town suffered immeasurably. Thankfully, we are now in a new era in areas like Cavan and Monaghan. I welcome that the population of Belturbet showed a substantial increase in the recent census. The county development plan of Cavan County Council plans for a substantial increase in the population of the town. The detailed proposal submitted by the Minister's Department itemises the projected enrolment in primary schools in the town in the future.
From dealing with the childcare facility in the town, I know that it does not have space to cater for the demand for childcare places. It is a welcome development in one way as it shows the growth in population and the demand for pre-school, primary and post-primary places in what is generally a rural area. We need the proposal to amalgamate the two schools approved, and also the proposal to provide a new school on a site that is already available, identified and owned by the parish. The proposal has the absolute, strong and unwavering support of the principals,staff, boards of management and the parents' associations of both schools and the wider community. The school-going population of Belturbet needs to have a commitment that they will have modern and up-to-date facilities catering for the needs of all children.
I appreciate the Deputy's passion, absolute determination and vision for this project. The amalgamation proposal will be assessed. Contact will be made with the patron.
We divide the country into 314 special school planning areas. We rely on a geographic information system, GIS, which gathers information from the Central Statistic Office, CSO, to determine future patterns of demographics. We engage with local authorities on their development plans and projections for the future, especially as regards housing developments. The information available to us says that enrolment in the Belturbet school planning area is due to peak in 2026 at 673 pupils. I understand there are seven primary schools and one post-primary school in the Belturbet school planning area. Notwithstanding that, I appreciate that both schools have come together and there is a vision locally, supported by the Deputy. Every consideration will be given to the proposal that has been made and contact will be made with the patron shortly.
School Accommodation
Patrick Costello
Ceist:74. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education when her Department expects to complete the assessment of the additional accommodation scheme application from a school (details supplied); what steps she can take to ensure the additional accommodation is promptly delivered; and what steps she can take to ensure the return to use of the hall as a community space. [52938/23]
Deputy Neasa Hourigan will take this question.
First, I thank the Minister for her earlier comments in which she clearly differentiated the perpetrator of the tragic incident last week on Parnell Square from those who inhabit the streets of my constituency, Dublin-Central. There is an increasing appetite for scapegoating people in addiction or who are forced to live on the street, often due to the failures of us in this House, and to link those two things. I reject that completely so I thank the Minister. The Department is focused on expediting the Dominick Street site for Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire and I thank the Minister for that.
On the assessment of the additional accommodation scheme application for the Corpus Christi Girls National School, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure the additional accommodation is promptly delivered and, in particular, to ensure the use of the hall as a community space?
Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested in the region of €3.5 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of more than 690 school building projects. Construction is currently under way on more than 300 building and other projects. School building projects at construction stage involve an overall State investment of more than €1.2 billion. We also have 200 modular accommodation projects that are well advanced for delivery or at construction stage. This is a record level of investment in our schools and highlights the Government’s strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities. The main focus of the Department’s resources over the past decade and for the coming period is the provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics.
I confirm to the Deputy that the Department is in receipt of an application under the additional school accommodation scheme from Corpus Christi Girls National School. The purpose of the additional school accommodation scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation. I am pleased to confirm that the application from Corpus Christi Girls National School has been assessed and has been approved to move to the next stage. The project involves reconfiguration of the existing school and parish hall to establish two special education classes, along with two mainstream classrooms, a special education tuition room and a universal access toilet. Additionally, a request from the school's patron for a change of status to co-educational with effect from the 2024-25 school year has been approved by the Department.
The parish is making the hall available to the school in question and, as such, any use of the hall as a community space is currently a matter for the parish. The hall will ultimately form part of the overall school property. In such circumstances, any use by the community in future will be a matter for the school’s board of management. In general, the priority use of school property will be for educational purposes. However, it is Department policy to support the use of school facilities for wider community usage where possible.
I thank the Minister for the two confirmations of those two important approvals. I take her point that community use is a matter for the parish, but what we are talking about today is how in use the building is. As the Minister will know, the hall closed in 2020, ostensibly for fire-safety reasons - there are some differing views on that - and there has been a hard fought local campaign, as the Minister outlined. It is good news, which we received this time last year, that the hall will be given to the school to allow for the special education needs classes. A year later, the classroom is still not in use. The Minister is aware of the urgency of the need and that the girls' school does not have a physical education, PE space either. We are looking for a sense of timelines and asking whether the project can be expedited. As the Minister will be aware, space is at a premium in the constituency. It is certainly hard to come by in that area. Anything that can be done to move the project along as fast as possible would be much appreciated.
I confirm the Deputy is correct, the building, which was the parish hall, has been closed since 2020. It will form part of the school going forward. Currently, whether it can be used by the community is a matter for the parish. When it becomes part of the school, it will be a matter for the board of management, but we have clear guidelines, which we consistently update. We recommend that facilities be made available to local communities. I am personally engaged in and supportive of that. The Minister of State, Deputy Thomas Byrne, is also engaged in ensuring school facilities, especially halls, be made available to the wider community.
It is the intention of the Department to progress this approved project through the project manager framework, which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in the management and delivery of projects.
I thank the Minister for that information . I know she met the group from the school and the area and has engaged with the issue. I welcome that and the further information about the project manager framework. We will monitor its progress with a view to ensuring it is done as urgently as possible.
It is positive that the project is approved and we are moving it towards the project manager framework. It is our intention to expedite it as quickly as possible for the benefit of the school community. Ultimately, decisions about the use of the hall going forward will then be a matter for the board of management of the school.
Question No. 75 taken with Written Answers.
School Staff
Paul Murphy
Ceist:76. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to address the high level of vacant teaching posts at primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52820/23]
The problem of vacant teaching posts has been growing year-on-year under the Minister's watch. The problem is now out of control with 800 vacant teaching posts at primary level and two thirds of secondary schools having unfilled vacancies. Special schools and DEIS schools in the Dublin area are suffering the most due to the housing and cost-of-living crisis. What will the Minister and the Government do about it?
Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that children have qualified and engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority. In particular, budget 2024 contains a number of measures that demonstrate my commitment to continued investment in our education system. In addition to numerous actions that have been taken in recent years to address teacher supply, a number of specific and targeted measures will be introduced with the new funding provided. A professional masters of education, PME, incentive scheme is being introduced for newly qualified teachers graduating in 2024. Those newly qualified teachers who graduate with a PME will, subject to some conditions, be eligible for an incentive payment of up to €2,000. Additionally, there will be an expansion in the number of upskilling programmes available. These programmes will increase the number of teachers who are qualified to teach in-demand subjects, including Irish, French, politics and society, and computer science, and will be in addition to the existing programmes in respect of physics, Spanish and maths. Also, an extra 1,000 posts of responsibility are being provided for in the school system for the 2024-25 school year.
These new measures are in addition to other measures, for example, approving 610 additional places on initial teacher education and meeting the primary teacher initial education providers. In 2023, more than 2,700 student teachers have made themselves via registering with the Teaching Council to provide support to our schools.
The operation of primary substitute teacher supply panels will continue in the 2023-24 school year, with 590 teaching posts covering almost 3,000 schools allocated. Retired teachers are being encouraged to provide substitute cover. Interestingly, an increase of more than 49% in teaching days provided by retired teachers has been noted. Restrictions preventing job sharing teachers or teachers on career breaks from working as substitutes have been removed. Ensuring that post-primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours of cover has also been enacted. The average student-teacher ratio in primary schools reduced by 10% between 2017 and 2023, the lowest ever seen.
Teaching remains an attractive career. CAO first preference choices for post-primary teaching increased this year by 14%, which is in addition to the 9% increase last year. Many initiatives are being taken to recognise that there are challenges.
Saying there are challenges in some schools or areas is a significant understatement of the problem. The problem is getting worse year on year. Of the 809 vacant primary teaching posts nationwide, 513 are in Dublin. In my constituency, Dublin 24 has 58 vacancies, Dublin 15 has 35 vacancies and Dublin 12 has 33 vacancies. Teachers and principals have written to the Minister warning her that this has reached crisis point and that they are tired and worn out from trying to find teachers for the most disadvantaged and marginalised children. In correspondence to her, they wrote that teachers were moving to schools closer in their homes due to the rising cost of living and young teachers could not find accommodation in Dublin.
There are a number of simple answers to this. Accommodation for key workers like teachers needs to be prioritised. There is the idea of a Dublin allowance to address the cost-of-living crisis. Permanent and decent contracts for teachers could be guaranteed and we could recognise the principle of equal pay for equal work by ensuring that young teachers were no longer on a lower pay scale.
I would never for one minute underestimate the challenges and difficulties in some areas. They are more heightened in some areas than in others. We are a country that is practically at full employment and the challenges we are facing in the education sector are not unique to it. They are evident in healthcare, tourism, retail and many other areas. That said, 70,000 staff are employed by the Department of Education. This is a significant figure, notwithstanding the difficult issues that arise in some instances.
We have introduced a number of initiatives, for example, increasing the number of places on initial primary teacher training by 610, 2,700 student teachers being made available, a €2,000 bursary for those who wish to take up a postgraduate in teaching, 1,000 additional posts of responsibility in the system, and the upskilling of staff free of charge in particular subjects, such as Irish, French, politics and society, computer science, maths, physics and Spanish. We are not standing still. We are intent on doing all that is necessary and happy to keep everything under review in terms of additional measures.
There are very immediate things that can be done. Some of the obstacles to teachers with qualifications from abroad could be removed.
I will provide another example, this one a letter from the deputy principal of St. Aidan’s Senior National School in Brookfield. She wrote:
Our school was granted permission to open a classroom for our pupils with a Mild General Learning Disability a number of years ago. However, like many schools in Dublin, we have been unable to hire enough teachers and so we were unable to open this class this year. We were also unable to hire the full complement of SET teachers that we were allocated, and so, once again, our most vulnerable pupils missed out.
These two positions are considered unfilled temporary contracts. The current policy of the Department of Education dictates that we are prohibited from hiring substitute teachers to cover these positions on a short-term basis.
This is an unnecessary block to the proper education that our most vulnerable pupils need and deserve. There is a teacher who regularly subs in our school who has indicated she would be happy to cover one of these positions for a number of months but she is not able to take on a temporary contract.
A policy of the Department is creating an obstacle and there is a teacher who could take up the role. Could the policy be changed?
The Deputy referenced special education. We have almost 3,000 special classes operational in our system. These are deliberately kept at a low rate of one teacher and two SNAs to every six students. This is a significant measure. In addition, we have the pupil-teacher ratio at an historic low of 23:1 in our primary schools. This means that we have never had as many teachers in the system as we do now, notwithstanding the specific issues the Deputy raised.
We are happy to consider flexibilities. We did so in respect of teachers who trained abroad. If they trained in an appropriate setting, they can now complete their Droichead training – their first year of qualification – in Ireland. We have introduced this flexibility. I am happy to consider the specific case the Deputy raised. I would need further information, though, so he might be happy to share it with me. We are happy to engage with schools on a one-to-one basis where they have particular staff challenges.
Special Educational Needs
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:77. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education if plans are in place to provide an ASD room to a school (details supplied) that requires such an addition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52750/23]
I raised this matter with the Minister of State previously. It relates to St. Eunan’s National School in the town of Raphoe, which is in desperate need of a new ASD unit. Has she given further thought to this matter since I last raised it with her and what plans has she or her Department in place to provide a unit for this fantastic school and its deserving pupils?
I thank the Deputy for his question. He has indeed raised this matter with me previously. I have spoken to Mr. John Kearney of the National Council for Special Education and officials in my Department about this school. As the Deputy said, it is an excellent school. Before I speak about it, though, I have been in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for special education for three years and have been in a ministerial role for three years today. Three of those years I have spent working on special education. Since taking this role – since it was created for me – there has been an increase of 78% in special classes. We have created 1,300 special class places over the past four years. In 2011, we had 548 special classes. We now have 2,915, which is almost 3,000. A considerable amount of work has been done in this area. This year alone, we have opened 384 special classes. Of those, 17 are in Donegal – ten at primary level and seven at post-primary level. Overall, we have opened 251 special classes at primary level and 133 at post-primary level.
Regarding St. Eunan’s National School, which the Deputy asked me about specifically, it is important to stress that, in my role as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, I do not want a school that is magnanimous enough to want to open a special class in circumstances where there is a need for one only to be unable to do so. Having spoken to the National Council for Special Education and officials, if there are special class places available in the vicinity, the school will not be in a position to open a special class. This is not a “No”, but a “Not yet”. This situation, particularly as it relates to St. Eunan’s National School, is being monitored constantly. I understand that there is a school nearby in Killygordon, Dromore where five special class places are available.
It is the view of the National Council for Special Education that until those places are filled there will not be demand for a special class in another school. As I say, that is subject to change. It is a constantly evolving situation. If the Deputy were to come to me and say that he knew of children in the area who desperately needed a place in a special class in St. Eunan's National School, I could work on that.
I thank the Minister of State for her engagement in the aftermath of my raising the issue relating to this school previously. I do not in any way question her bona fides in relation to these matters, but we cannot treat children like this. It is just not fair. These are children with autism whose families may be struggling with other issues, as well as issues regarding their children's development. The answer here is that there are other classes in the vicinity, so go 10 miles down the road. It does not matter that the child's brother or sister is attending this school. It does not matter that the child's roots, family and connections are with this school. Three local families with children with ASD have been in contact with the school expressing the wish to enrol them. They will not be able to do so. They are local and they want their children to go to that school. A number of children in the school are in the process of being assessed. Once they get their assessments, they will have to leave the school because it cannot cater for them due to the lack of an ASD classroom. That means those children will be separated from their brothers and sisters. This is not the way to do things. Children with autism and their parents have enough challenges. For children with autism, the familiarity and trust that has been built up in the school community needs to be maintained. The Minister of State asked me if there are issues here. There are kids with autism who want to go to this school. There are pupils in the school who are likely to get a diagnosis. Please action this.
I very much welcome the efforts of the board of management of the school, the principal and the teaching staff who are willing to open a special class. The resources we have are for 350 special classes to be opened. This year alone, we have opened 384 special classes. There are 3,000 of these classes around the country which will have to be adequately resourced in order to provide those appropriate placements for the children who desperately need them.
The Deputy mentioned three local families who are looking to enroll their children in a special class in this particular school. I wonder if they have sought a place in the other school. I know it is 10 km away. From my perspective as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, the first thing we have to do is provide an appropriate placement. The second task is to provide one in the child's actual locality, exactly where they live. That is quite a difficult task. The National Council for Special Education tells me that it will not open a special class where places have not been filled in a school in the vicinity. That is the difficulty here. However, we will assess and monitor the situation on an ongoing basis.
That is exactly the difficulty here. The policy here is that the child who is born in this community cannot go to school where their parents went to school and where their brothers and sisters are going to school. They have to go in a different direction. The Minister of State, commended the management, and rightly so, on their willingness to open an ASD classroom. They have the classroom. There is no need for an additional one. They have the outside yard space and a dedicated toilet for an ASD class. They have all those facilities in the centre of the school and there is easy access to the sensory areas and the sensory garden. I have been there and seen it. There is no need for capital works or capital expenditure.
I look at this from the point of view of rights. These children have a right to go to the local school. It is not one child in this case. There are three who want to go to this school who have been diagnosed, while others in the school are awaiting diagnosis. There is demand in the local area. Surely to God this can happen when we have willingness, a classroom, a sensory garden, a sensory room and toilet already in place. All we need is approval and a staff member to allow kids with autism to be taught with their siblings in their local community.
As the Deputy knows, the right to education is enshrined in the Constitution. However, the location of the school is not enshrined as a right. That is not to say that I, as Minister of State with responsibility for special education, do not want children to be able to go to school in their locality. Unfortunately, it is not only children with additional needs but also other children who need to travel. I understand that Dromore National School is 10 km away, which is a bit of a distance. In my discussions with the National Council for Special Education, the difficulty I have - which I am sure the Deputy can understand - is that if those places are not filled, then it will be difficult to open a special class in the locality where these families want it. . I understand why they want this. We all have children and we wish for them to go to the school in their locality. We will continue to assess and monitor it and I will continue to engage with the Deputy to see what can be done in the future.
School Enrolments
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
Ceist:78. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the measures her Department has in place to end the practice of non-fee-paying schools linking the payment of a fee with the acceptance of an enrolment place. [52250/23]
This is related to the reputed practice of a particular school that came to my notice of linking the payment of a fee with the enrolment of a child. I want the Minister to comment on that practice and set out the Department policy in respect of it.
The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, is important legislation which has introduced a more parent-friendly, equitable and consistent approach to how school admissions policy operates for the almost 4,000 primary and post-primary schools. The legislation is part of a suite of measures taken to take greater account of the needs of parents and students in the school system.
All school admissions policies must be approved by the patron following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent. 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 will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion regarding their admission criteria and how they are applied. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. Section 64 of the Act prohibits the charging of fees or seeking payment or contributions for an application for admission to, or for continued enrolment, in a school. Exceptions are included in relation to fee charging post-primary schools, the boarding element in boarding schools and admission to post leaving certificate or further education courses run by post-primary schools.
I am aware that my Department has received correspondence from the Deputy recently relating to a particular school that was requesting a fee to be paid upon acceptance of a place of the school. My Department contacted the school on Monday, 20 November. The school recognises that it made an error in requesting a fee from parents upon acceptance of a place in the school. The school has stated that it does not charge an admission fee, and that this fee was never intended to be a fee for enrolment. The school has never refused admission to any student based on the fact that they can or cannot afford to pay.
Further to this it stated that at no time has an offer of a place been withdrawn based on non-payment of a fee. The principal of the school concerned has confirmed that he will contact all parents that have paid this fee to arrange a refund. This process will commence this week.
I would like to thank the Deputy for bringing this to our attention. I am satisfied that this practice has now ceased in the school he referenced.
I have no intention of naming the school. The school management has told the Minister that they made a mistake. We need to have robust communication from the Minister. I appreciate the effort she made in contacting the school. The parents from that school will be very appreciative of those efforts. It is quite outrageous that a school would say a mistake was made in making the connection between the payment of fee and the enrolment of a child. No parent involved in that scenario is ever going to put their hand up and say that they think this practice is wrong. The parent would be more worried about getting their child into the school than anything else. The fallback parents should have of calling out this kind of behaviour does not really exist because there are so concerned about securing school places for their children.
Are there any ramifications for that particular school in stepping outside the law or do we just have to accept that a mistake was made? What kind of communication can the Minister give to every second level school in particular, around the country to ensure that do not must make this mistake again.
I appreciate that the Deputy has highlighted a very important issue. We need to reiterate that no parent can be charged for enrolment to a school or for tuition in any subject. Section 64 of the Act makes that explicitly clear.
This school has said it never intended for any link to be made between enrolment and the paying of a fee. The school has categorically confirmed that it does not charge an admission fee and that the fee was never intended to be a fee for enrolment. The school has said, and it has been confirmed, that it has never refused admission to any student based on the fact the student cannot afford to pay. In this instance, as I said, immediate contact was made with the school and immediate clarity was sought. The school in question has confirmed that it will contact all parents in this regard, should there have been any misunderstanding anywhere along the line.
I want to be explicit that it is not and never will be acceptable to charge any fee either for enrolment or tuition of any subject on the curriculum.
Okay, so the Department is willing to accept that the school made a mistake. However, can the Minister reiterate to every school across the country the reality that they cannot link a payment to enrolment? Will the Minister also accept there is a toxic relationship between money and education in this country? There is far too much of an assumption within school management sometimes that a voluntary contribution is linked to full engagement in school life, and they may suggest that it is voluntary but it is not. We have to move to a situation where children can attend school in the non-fee-paying sector, my own views on that sector aside, and parents will not be asked to put their hands in their pockets. If there is a request for a voluntary contribution or a fee in regard to enrolment, the potential for humiliation of that parent is huge and the ability of that parent to complain about it is minimised because they are so worried about their child having full participation in school life. We need a robust statement from the Department in regard to these matters.
I reiterate that I am very pleased the Deputy has raised this issue. It is important to state, for the record, that section 64 of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 makes clear that no fee can be charged for enrolment or instruction in any subject, recreation or other activities where all pupils are expected to participate. That is very clear. In this instance, the school has put its hand up following the issue raised by the Deputy and contact from the Department. It has given a commitment that it will contact all parents in regard to the issue. I have no problem whatsoever in reiterating and making it very clear that this is not acceptable practice. This is very clearly provided for in the education Act. It is not now or going forward appropriate for any fee to be charged for enrolment or tuition in any education subject on the curriculum.
Questions Nos. 79 to 82, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
School Enrolments
Catherine Connolly
Ceist:83. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a map of the catchment area for a school (details supplied), given that a number of local residents have been unable to get places in the school despite living in close proximity to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52862/23]
Baineann mo cheist le scoil faoi leith i nGaillimh agus go háirithe leis an rochtain atá ag muintir na háite atá in abhantrach na scoile uirthi. My question relates to a specific school in Galway but it has more general application in regard to the difficulties that people on the ground in the catchment area of the school have in accessing this school. I ask the Minister to provide a map of the catchment plan for the school and to address the issues arising.
Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the board of management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process, and the enrolment policy on which it is based, must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in a particular area. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data in a way that takes account of local and regional variations, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. School planning areas have evolved over time but, in broad terms, take account of traditional post-primary enrolment patterns, natural boundaries, census small areas and other local conditions. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that it is my Department’s intention to publish the parameters of all 314 school planning areas in the coming weeks on gov.ie.
The Department uses a geographical information system, GIS, 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.
The school under reference by the Deputy is in the Galway city school planning area, where there are a total of 11 post-primary schools. In line with the Department's demographic projections of post-primary school place requirements, there has been a continued growth in enrolments in the Galway city school planning area. In response, the Department is providing further significant additional post-primary capacity, including two new 1,000-pupil school buildings for St. Joseph's College - the Bish - and Coláiste Mhuire Máthair. Both of these projects will provide enhanced accommodation for existing schools which will provide a total of 500 additional school places above the current enrolment levels. The St. Joseph's project is at stage 2b, which is the developed design and lodgement of planning permission, while the Coláiste Mhuire Máthair is at stage 1, which is the preliminary design stage. In addition, there are a number of further school building projects at other post-primary schools across the city. Nevertheless, my Department is aware of pressures for school places at certain post-primary schools, pending the delivery of these very significant school building projects.
I welcome the fact the Minister is going to publish the parameters, although I am not sure of what. Will that relate to the catchment areas? I realise it is up to the boards of management but very specific issues are arising with huge implications for other policies. The school in question is on the west side of the city and there is a waiting list. Students with different needs, some of them physical and medical needs, cannot access the school of their choice within walking and cycling distance. What is happening is that parents are driving children to other areas, which is completely not aligned with our climate plans and active travel plans. I ask the Minister to deal with the issue of where we go in this regard.
For clarity, the Department of Education does not set out any catchment areas and we have no function in setting out catchment areas for schools. That is the preserve of the boards of management and the Department of Education has no function there.
For the school referenced by the Deputy, it is my understanding that there is no catchment area designed by the board of management. Schools choose to use whatever type of enrolment mechanism, whether a lottery or otherwise, and consequently, as we do not develop catchment areas, we do not have catchment area maps in the Department. I have referenced the school planning area maps. There are 314 school planning areas in the country. We are happy to publish those maps and my understanding is that they will be published online on gov.ie in the coming weeks.
I thank the Minister for clarifying the matter. It is my understanding that the boards of management are free to do what they want with regard to the criteria they set down. However, the catchment area would seem to be one of the most basic requirements, particularly if we are to align our policies with active travel and climate change. It makes no sense for people to be travelling out of the area and across town in desperate traffic. Does the Minister have plans to review what boards of management are doing to see if their plans are aligning with other Government plans, particularly with the Government having declared a climate emergency and given its plans for active travel?
To be fair, our geographical information system, which is based on current information from the CSO or engagement with local authorities, very much informs our projections going forward in terms of the needs in a specific area. I have already outlined that we are conscious of the growing demands.
The Minister might address the issue of alignment with policy.
Boards of management have the autonomy to develop their own unique and individual criteria. No two schools are the same and we are very conscious of that. Individual schools have the autonomy, taking on board what are the individual circumstances in an individual area at any given time, to make their policies with regard to admission. As I said, the Department has no role in developing catchment areas. It is interesting to note that, as I understand it, this school does not have a catchment area policy.
Question No. 84 taken with Written Answers.
School Enrolments
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:85. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of the shortage of second-level school places in Wicklow for the 2024-2025 academic year; the steps being taken to resolve these issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52479/23]
This question concerns the shortfall of second-level school places in Greystones in Wicklow. We had a Topical Issue debate the other night where I welcomed the Minister's guarantee that all children in the Greystones area will receive a school place for September 2024. I would like to specifically look at the accommodation builds that are being planned, particularly for Greystones Community College. On 3 October, the Department said the anticipated handover of the works is at the end of quarter 2 of 2025, which means we would be back in this exact same situation next year, with a shortage of places.
However, the update from November 2023 says that it will not happen until quarter one of 2026. Can the Minister explain how she will expedite that school build so that the new building for Greystones Community College is up and running for September 2025 and can be used for the intake in Greystones at that point?
Reply to Question No. 85 not given on the floor of the House:
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. Since 2018 and to the end of October 2023, a total of €145 million has been invested in school infrastructure in County Wicklow. This significant capital investment includes a recently delivered major building project to expand St. David’s Secondary School in Greystones. State-of-the-art, modern school accommodation for 750 pupils was provided at this school.
In line with the Department's demographic projections of post-primary school place requirements, there has been a continued growth in enrolments throughout many school planning areas in County Wicklow. In response, the Department is providing further significant additional post-primary capacity, including a new 1,000 pupil school building for Greystones Community College. Greystones Community College was established in 2020 as a regional solution for the Kilcoole and Greystones area. The project to deliver this new school building is at stage 3, tender stage. In addition, there is a project under way for Blessington Community College which, once complete, will provide accommodation for 1,000 pupils. Planning permission has been obtained and the project is currently at Stage 2B, detailed design and pre-tender stage. Projects to deliver new school buildings for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School and Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School are also planned. Both of these schools were established in response to projected demographic growth in the county. There are many further school building projects at other post-primary schools across Wicklow.
Nevertheless, my Department is aware of pressures at post-primary level in certain school planning areas throughout County Wicklow pending the delivery of these very significant school building projects. The annual enrolment process for new junior infants at primary and new first years at post-primary is a very large scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. In the context of post-primary enrolment pressures in some areas of County Wicklow, a critical next step is to acquire clarity on the actual number of additional first year places required for 2024 for an appropriate solution to be put in place. In that context, schools in Greystones and Kilcoole have been requested to share data on applications for admissions with my Department. My Department has requested this data as soon as possible and, once it is received, there will be better clarity on the actual requirement for places. It is hoped this data will be received in the shortest timeframe possible to allow for planning to begin on any specific actions which are required.
To further inform our planning, school management bodies are assisting with a detailed analysis of school capacity in the area, taking account of school-specific factors such as current class groupings and subject offerings. My Department is also engaging with patrons and schools with regard to school place needs more broadly across the county. This close engagement will allow the Department to identify particular further capacity requirements for the forthcoming years and put any further required solutions in place. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all children will receive a school place.