I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, to the House.
Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters
Driver Licences
I thank Senator Conway for taking the Chair while I ask this question and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for coming to the Chamber to take this question. It is about an issue that affects many Irish emigrants who return home. Often their driver licences are out of date and they have to take the driver test again, even though they may have been driving for 20, 30 or 40 years. Not only does it cost them a lot of money but it is an inconvenience. It also affects many citizens of Canada, Australia and the US who want to come here to work but find we do not have reciprocal driver licence agreements with their state or provincial government. It is an economic issue that creates hardship and barriers for our citizens returning home from abroad after many years or, sometimes, after many decades. Anything we can do to make their lives easier is important. A reciprocal driver licence agreement between Ireland and some of the countries where many of our emigrants go could be of assistance to them there in getting their driver licence exchanged without having to go through various loopholes.
In return, US, Canadian and Australian citizens who want to work here would be able to do likewise. It is a practical measure and it has been done in provinces in Canada. When we had the ambassador, H.E. Ray Bassett, there for a number of years from 2010 to 2016, he put this in place by personally pursuing this as an issue and he managed to succeed with it in a number of Canadian provinces. After he left office, it seemed to fade away. It would be a measure that would be of great benefit to Ireland but also to citizens from other countries coming to Ireland.
I thank the Senator for raising this very important matter. I acknowledge his ongoing work and dedication to building relationships with legislators in other jurisdictions, working with both the Irish community and the broader community in other areas. This question is very much a thematic of his approach and I know that does not happen by accident but by hard work and diligence. These connections are not made organically but happen because of the investment of time, effort and resources. I acknowledge the Senator's ongoing work in that regard.
I will set out the context for driver licensing law, how it is set up and how it relates to the three jurisdictions of interest in the question: the United States of America, Australia, and Canada. First, Irish driver licensing law operates within a framework of EU law and the EU and we have a place in that wider system. The driver licensing legislation, therefore, is one with which all member states must comply and is common across member states. Notwithstanding that however, Ireland can enter into bilateral licence exchange agreements with countries outside the EU and EEA. We have a common framework within the EU but we can and do enter into bilateral agreements with other countries.
Entering into a driving licence exchange agreement with a country outside of the EU, however, is not a straightforward matter and neither is it a matter of political will. If everything we wanted to do in these Houses was a matter of political will, I suspect a great deal would be done much faster. We must follow the regulations that apply particularly in something as important as road safety and consistency of standards on our roads.
To reach a bilateral agreement, the most important element is ensuring that the other jurisdiction applies standards for obtaining a licence which are compatible and comparable with our own, that we have a common approach, and that their and our standards are aligned. If the other jurisdiction does not meet these standards, no agreement is possible, no matter how desirable an agreement with that jurisdiction may be. From our the Irish side, the Road Safety Authority, RSA, perform that comparison or analysis of the standards in other jurisdictions to see whether they are compatible with ours.
With regard to Canada, the Senator will be pleased to learn, or perhaps he is already aware, that we have exchange agreements with seven of the ten provinces of Canada. These are: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Seven of those ten are in agreement with us in the Canadian provinces. Ireland generally issues the equivalent categories of AM and A1 licences for motorbikes and B for cars in exchange for the Canadian licences.
On Nova Scotia, we are reviewing the driving test standards against ours at the moment and we are hopeful of reaching such an agreement. That will be an eighth province if that is added to the list. No other province is currently under review but the RSA has invited each Canadian province to engage with us with the intention of entering into further bilateral agreements but, unfortunately, as at this time, other provinces have not sent for the information that is required and have not engaged in that process. There is an open invitation for them to do so and perhaps the Senator might use his good offices to encourage them to do that. I am sure he will do that after this debate.
Ireland has a driving licence exchange agreement with Australia. All categories of driving licence can be exchanged, as long as they are compatible with an Irish equivalent. An automatic licence is the default licence issued, unless the licence holder subject to the exchange can prove they passed their driving test in a manual transmission vehicle. We already have a good working arrangement with Australia and I hope that would be quite satisfactory to most people.
The RSA has previously explored reaching agreement, or exchange, or an agreement in principle, with the USA. The difficulty is that US licensing operates at state rather than federal level. Rather than there being one jurisdiction we are engaged with, there are 50 different systems, all with widely varying standards, road safety performance, metrics and so on. Some have road fatality rates that are not acceptable in an Irish or EU context. The difficulty is that agreement with any one state would also mean taking into account the exchange relationships that state might have with the other 49 states. There are interstate relationships and understandings within the US where, if we entered into agreement with one particular state, we may unwittingly become bound by agreements with other states who might have standards below what we would expect in this country.
That is the difficulty, unfortunately, with the United States. The RSA, therefore, determined that such an agreement was not possible without, frankly Senator, endangering road users in Ireland because of the gap in standards.
I am open to making progress on that as I understand the Senator is also and if that is something we can explore. Perhaps with the future US administration, I would be happy to engage, but not just on my side. That is the position as it stands now for the Senator and I thank him for raising this important matter.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. On the issue of political will, we can see what happened in Canada as a result of one individual, our ambassador, taking the issue on board.
On the response that the RSA determined that such an agreement would not be possible without putting in danger road users in Ireland, that is a wholly unacceptable response in that all of those states will have, as I understand it, agreements with Canada. Drivers, therefore, can exchange their Alabama driving licence with a Canadian province and, ultimately, with Ireland. It is not acceptable for the RSA to say that their road safety standards are not up to our standards.
This is a matter of political will with regard to the RSA not wishing to undertake what is an onerous and lengthy task of taking on the 50 states individually but other European countries have done it. Yet, we are turning around and saying that we will accept motorists from other European counties driving here. They will accept US citizens driving in their countries, but we will not allow them to drive here. If we follow the matrix, there is no logic to the answer. The answer should be that the US has standards that are acceptable to most European countries.
We go over there and our citizens drive and end up having to take tests and to do all of that. Their citizens come over here, as our citizens do, and have to go through a rigorous process as if they had never driven in their lives. Practically, it makes no sense that we do that. Ultimately, the answer that the RSA is not accepting the driving licence system of the United States as being up to standard is wholly unacceptable and is quite frankly, a bit of an insult by the authority to our friends there. I would like the RSA to provide the Minister of State with its analysis of that as it would make for quite interesting reading. It is a somewhat wholly unacceptable answer by the authority to say that the United States does not have an acceptable driving licence system and is not an answer the Government would support.
I thank the Senator and I have carefully noted what he said. The argument is well made and I will be certainly happy to take that away and to do further analysis on it. I will ask the RSA to provide further detail on the analysis it undertook.
I note also with interest that the Senator suggested that a Canadian province licence is compatible where there is perhaps an exchange agreement with the United States. Someone could therefore have an United States licence, converted to a Canadian licence, converted to an Irish licence under these agreements. I will have to investigate that to see if that is correct and if it is, it would certainly seem to be something that is capable of being explored further.
The Government's focus on reciprocal agreements at the moment is targeted largely at identifying states that may be a source of drivers and even mechanics into the industry, as we have a shortage of drivers and mechanics both in buses and heavy goods vehicles, HGVs, at the moment. I met with Dublin Bus representatives recently and they impressed upon me its challenge in recruiting mechanics and Haulage sector representatives would comment similarly. That is why often in the Houses when we have debates on public transport, bus reliability, and so forth, part of that debate goes back to the difficulty in obtaining both drivers and mechanics. The focus is on identifying states outside the EU that may have a pool of talent available in those skill sets and that is where the primary focus is at the moment.
Notwithstanding that, it is absolutely possible, where the Senator gave an example of the good offices of the former ambassador, H.E. Ray Bassett in Canada, where there are now seven of the ten provinces in an agreement and with an eighth province under way. Such progress is possible.
I am happy to work with him on this going forward and I thank him for his contribution.
I thank the Minister of State and Senator Daly. Our next Commencement matter is in the name of Senator Gallagher.
Disability Services
The Minister of State is very welcome to the House this morning. I am seeking an update on the proposed extension of services at Errigal Truagh Special Needs Day Care Centre in Knockconan, Emyvale, County Monaghan. The Minister of State's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, kindly met this group on Tuesday last at my request for the second time this year and was very impressed by the group's enthusiasm for the service it is providing down at Errigal Truagh. Indeed, I commend the Minister of State again on her work in the disabilities Department as it relates to my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan. During her term we saw the official opening last Tuesday of a new children's respite facility in the county, which is much-needed and long overdue.
We have the seen the expansion of adult day services at Steadfast House, Carrickmacross. We have seen an allocation of €7.5 million towards the expansion of Drumlin House at Cootehill, and the proposed new development to replace Knockcarrig House in Cavan. The reign of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has been a very successful one as far as my constituency is concerned. I thank her personally in that regard.
To go back to Errigal Truagh, staff there operate an adult disability day service. They do an excellent job. Any service user who comes in contact with them enjoys and has a great time in that service. However, because the service has been so successful, it is now oversubscribed and is in need of an extension. The group has not sat on its laurels. It has been very energetic in that it has secured planning permission for this proposed extension to its services, which in addition to providing more adult day services will also provide the potential for a children's respite day service that, again, is much-needed. As I said, planning permission has been secured. The project has been completely funded. The group has been working tirelessly with the local HSE with a view to progressing this project to the HSE at national level. We are now at a point whereby it is hoped that the time-related savings in the capital plan will result in some moneys being unspent, and that this project at Errigal Truagh will be able to get its hands, if you like, on some of that funding. I hope we will have good news in that regard and that this much-needed project will be able to progress. Again, I cannot commend this group highly enough on the work it does. All the service users who come in contact with the service have nothing but positive things to say about it.
The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has been working on this. I spoke to her again yesterday and to her office staff this morning on the issue. We are hopeful that moneys will be left unspent that will potentially be allocated to Errigal Truagh Special Needs so it can continue the good work it is doing. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.
I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. I am aware of his ongoing advocacy for his constituency, especially the County Monaghan area. I know that this project is of great importance to him and the users of the service.
I will take this opportunity to state the Government’s commitment to supporting disabled people to live ordinary lives in ordinary places, even extraordinary lives at times, by helping to provide the services and supports that they need. This year, the Department was able to secure a significant uplift in the budget for disability services. For the first time, the budget will exceed €3 billion. In addition, €27 million has been secured for capital expenditure. That is an achievement that the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, is very proud of. The Senator is working with her on this and is closely engaged on it. Capital investment is something he fought hard to achieve.
This increased capital funding for capital projects in disability services will be spent in line with the Government’s strategic plan for reform of the disability sector, as laid out in the disability action plan 2024 to 2026. Launched in December 2023, the disability action plan contains ambitious targets for service expansion as well as a route for making services more person-centred, in the spirit of the UNCRPD, through strategic innovation and policy reform. A senior and dedicated lead within the HSE is being appointed to drive growth in investment and delivery of disability capital projects. Good progress has been made in the meantime. Spend on disabilities capital is on profile at this stage in the year and is expected to be spent in full by year end.
As funding for individual capital projects is an operational matter for the HSE, it has advised the Department of the position regarding Errigal Truagh as follows. Errigal Truagh, a section 39 disability service provider in Monaghan, has submitted a number of business cases to HSE disability services in the Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo area. The business cases received so far relate to the extension that Errigal Truagh is seeking to progress at its current location and for which capital funding is being sought, as I am sure the Senator is well aware, and the services Errigal Truagh advises it intends to operate from the new extension, if that is funded. As such, a number of the business cases received from Errigal Truagh relate to revenue funding requirements that also arise in respect of the proposed development. There are two aspects to this; the capital funding for the extension and the services that are to be provided at that extension. It is a twin-pronged plan.
HSE disability services continue to engage with Errigal Truagh with regard to these business cases. That is part of the capital approval process in place for these kind of projects. As the Senator will be aware, the Department sets out allocations at a broad service level. Precise allocations to individual organisations is a matter for the HSE. HSE management is involved at a detailed level with individual organisations. The Department has its criteria and its broad-brush allocations but it is a matter for the HSE to engage on particular projects. The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, holds capital project development in disability services as one of her key priorities. She is very keen to ensure that capital projects are delivered on time and on budget and that value for money is being achieved, so that projects such as the Errigal Truagh Special Needs project can provide valuable services for citizens, and provide more of them under the proposed plan.
Once again, I thank the Senator for raising this important issue and giving me an opportunity to give an update on it.
I thank the Minister of State for his response on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. Respite is essential to all families, be it adult or children's respite. When we talk about respite, it is important that we know exactly what we are talking about. It gives families time to breathe and time to get on with other duties with other family members. It is absolutely essential.
There has been an awful gap in Monaghan for a long number of years. I am glad that the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has gone a good way to assist in providing much-needed services to the county and to County Cavan. With that in mind, this is another project that can further alleviate the pressure on families by providing additional services to adult day services, as well as children's respite, at Errigal Truagh. It does an excellent job. I am sincerely hopeful that capital funding will be left over in the capital plan and that the HSE will have the plan at national level whereby, with moneys left over, a positive decision can be made on the funding of this much-needed and richly deserved project.
I again recognise the Senator's continued advocacy for this centre and for communities in County Monaghan. I once again restate the Government's commitment to providing services and supports for people with disabilities, empowering them to live independent lives, providing greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhancing their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs. Ultimately, our aim is to provide supports and services in line with commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In recent years, significant resources have been invested in disability services. This is reflected in the budget for disabilities, which has increased from €1.2 billion in 2020 to €3.2 billion in 2025. By any metric, that is a significant multiplier and a very significant commitment of moneys from the Exchequer to the sector. That shows the Government's intent.
I also acknowledge the Senator's remarks on respite care and how vital a service it is to families and the persons around them. Often, it is family members who are most in need of the support, as well as the person with the disability. I acknowledge, entirely sympathise with and share the Senator's concern for the centre and his desire to see it grow. I will pass that on to the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte.
Prison Service
I much prefer to have conversations such as this with the appropriate Minister, but I recognise that in his time as Chair of the justice committee the Minister of State will understand the issues I will speak about. I am not over-exaggerating the point when I say that the current situation in Irish prisons is not only dangerous but is a matter of life and death. The overcrowding situation we see right now has resulted in very recent deaths as a result of having to double people up. We have seen the impact overcrowding can have, not only on prisoners but on prison staff in terms of tensions rising. When there is overcrowding, decisions on security have to be made, which means it can have a negative impact on the likes of the prison school and gym and all the different situations that are rehabilitative rather than security driven.
There had to be an FOI request recently to get information on the recommendations made by the prison overcrowding response group because the report was not publicised by the Minister. There are some very key recommendations in that report. Some of those are long term, including the community sanctions legislation and expanding Trinity Court and the drugs court. However, there is stuff that could happen right now. If we were move towards discounting sentences, without exceptions, 150 prisoners would be released overnight. That is 150 prisoners who would be out of the system. That could happen right now.
Instead, what we are seeing from the Minister is legislation being prioritised, like increasing sentences for knife crime in the Life Sentences Bill 2024 that is going to be coming before the Joint Committee on Justice. These types of legislation are an illusion of safety and of addressing things because they do not act as a deterrent to crime, they do not reduce the prison population and they do not reduce violence. Instead, legislation like this is being prioritised over having an impact in the system in the moment.
On short sentences, last year alone, 79% of sentences were under 12 months in duration. In 2023, 79% of committals for last year were for shorter than 12 months. There has to be a more sensible way. Why would we be putting people in for short sentences? That is not advocating for people to get longer sentences, but to make sure the supports are in place so that we can see community sanctions happen within communities and that we relieve the pressure on the prison system.
Another area that needs to be looked at is the expansion of probation. Other countries have a much more expansive probation system that even goes into things like step-down accommodation when people are coming out of prison. We have people in prison right now who are not being released because they are homeless. Imagine being detained because of the situation with homelessness in this country. We need to be able to address that, and some of that can be addressed by looking at the prison system with regard to how we can expand the Probation Service.
We also had recommendations from that group which looked at the curtailing of the use of remand. We heard about this in the Joint Committee on Justice. Right now, people are being held on remand for crimes for which they are presumed innocent. We have huge overcrowding with regard to remand and a misuse of remand. That needs to be addressed today. Right now, I am sure the prison system is making decisions on how it can release prisoners who have been sentenced, so it can detain prisoners who are on remand. I reiterate that right now, it is a situation of life and death in terms of the prison system. It always concerns me when Ministers choose the idea of giving the illusion of doing something by looking at long-term issues around increasing sentencing and mandatory sentencing. None of that addresses the issues. It is really important for a Minister to recognise that he or she is not an expert. Right now, the experts are very clearly calling for and making recommendations on how we can address overcrowding in the prison system today as well as other long-term issues.
I thank the Senator. At the outset, I wish to acknowledge her advocacy for this sector and many other issues in the justice area. As she said, I had the pleasure of working with her on the justice committee for a number of years. I also thank her for arranging a visit to Mountjoy Prison in which I participated. She worked with the inmates through the medium of drama, essentially, an art, showing the individuals as human beings, for better or worse, as all of us are, as opposed to numbers in a prison system. That was a really worthwhile exercise. I commend her on her work on that. It was really important. Certainly, I left with a different mindset after that exercise. I want to acknowledge that.
I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. I can update the House that in July 2023, a prison overcrowding response group, composed of officials from the Department of Justice and representatives from relevant agencies, was established to consider measures to address capacity issues across the prison estate. This summer in June 2024, on foot of a report from that group, the Minister approved a range of actions, and work to implement these is ongoing.
These actions include developing new, innovative responses to deliver structured temporary release for suitable prisoners, progressing actions to increase the use of community service as a priority and advancing legislative changes to support the delivery of community-based sanctions more generally. Justice Plan 2024 commits to a review of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill 2014, and preparations have now commenced for a number of changes to the 2014 general scheme to increase the use of community sanctions.
The Minister is very conscious of the challenges placed on the prison environment and the Irish Prison Service due to the increased prison population. To help address these measures, the Minister secured significant funding in budget 2025 to enhance the existing prison infrastructure and provide additional capacity. The capital budget for the Irish Prison Service will increase by over 70% in 2025 as part of the plan to deliver 1,100 extra spaces between now and 2030 and, accordingly, to hire hundreds of extra staff, with 150 prison staff to be hired in 2025. This is in addition to 240 prison officers recruited in 2024. Funding has also been secured for 130,000 additional staff hours in 2025. This represents one of the fastest ever expansions of prison capacity in Ireland. Works are in progress to deliver over 150 additional spaces by the year end. As part of these plans, the Minister secured capital funding of €159 million for the years 2024 to 2026, including an increase of €49.5 million through the most recent national development plan allocations, which will support the delivery of these plans.
Separately, to further consider future prison capacity needs, the Minister established a new working group to make recommendations on the numbers and types of prison capacity needed out to 2035. As part of this work, the group will also make recommendations on the future use of the Thornton Hall site. An initial report will be provided to the Minister next month in November.
In summary, there are a number of actions, including the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill, which is being considered to look at alternative sanctions, the increase in capacity and staffing, which is intended to alleviate some of those overcrowding issues to which the Senator referred, and the additional work in terms of the working group, which is expected to report very shortly. I hope those actions are of some assistance to the Senator's query.
Unfortunately, I do not think they are. There are four paragraphs from the Minister on more prison places but not reducing the need for prisons in the first place. That is so short-sighted. It lacks analysis, nuance, ambition and understanding of the issue where right now, we have a situation where the prison is completely overcrowded. It is not able to operate at the capacity it would like or able to offer the rehabilitative measures it needs to. Right now, there is nothing within that plan that states how we are going to release prisoners today.
There are life-sentence prisoners near the end of their sentence who can benefit no more from the system. They have completed their degrees and training and alternatives to violence work. They are out working in communities. They are doing their temporary release. There are so many measures that can be taken right now if the Minister was brave enough to make decisions against what she may think are political decisions because people will wonder why she is releasing prisoners. She needs to be brave in those decisions. All I am seeing in that response is how we create more prison places, so that we can lock more people up. I know I am putting that in very blunt terms, but I would have much preferred to see from the Minister's response today what she plans to do immediately and how she can make that meaningful.
Again, I thank the Senator for raising this issue. I note what she said in her responding remarks. As the Senator is well aware, sentencing practice and sentencing per se is a matter for the courts and the trial judge as opposed to any politician or government. The Prison Service is thereby obliged to accept into custody anybody who is sentenced. That is wholly a matter for the courts to decide. It is a fact that Ireland's population continues to grow. The Minister wants to assure the Senator that Government remains committed to increasing the capacity of our prisons, although I accept the Senator suggests that perhaps alternative sanctions or reducing the number of people in custody in the first place may be the preferred solution. The Minister is committed to increasing capacity, however, which will alleviate overcrowding at the very least. Perhaps there is agreement on that between the sides in any event. That is more than just about increasing prison capacity. It is about providing a safe and secure custody environment for all people committed to prison while also ensuring a safe working environment for the staff. That point is important.
The programme for Government does contain a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society, and a specific commitment to review policy options in the area of prison and penal reform. The Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 was published in August 2022. Work is ongoing on the priority actions of that review, including increasing the use of alternatives to custodial sanctions where they are available. In addition, implementation of the recommendations made by the high-level task force on the mental health and addiction challenges of those interacting with the criminal justice system are being progressed. Indeed, the first annual progress report on the implementation of that task force's recommendations was published earlier this year, and it does show concerted work across the Department of Justice and Department of Health as well as multiple agencies. Senator Ruane, through her work, brings her best and engages with those initiatives. I know she is well aware of those activities.
I thank the Minister of State. I thank the Senator for highlighting a very important issue.
Special Educational Needs
I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for choosing this Commencement matter. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, to the Chamber.
I wish to raise the need for additional special education teacher, SET, and special needs assistant, SNA, resources for the pupils in Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh in Cnoc na Cathrach.
At present, 649 pupils are enrolled In Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, which is the largest national school in the city area. With that enrolment, there are 4.5 SNAs allocated and 155 hours allocated under the special educational teacher allocation, which is equivalent to 6.2 posts. This is not adequate and there is a need for at least two additional SNA posts and a further two SET posts. The model was reviewed and changed, and I understand these allocations are fine-tuned all of the time. At the system level, the total hours are allocated on the basis of 25% to enrolment, 68.5% to the educational needs profile and the remaining 6.5% to support educational disadvantage. It is imperative that the ongoing review results in additional resources.
It is recognised and generally accepted nationally and internationally that a quarter of the overall school population may have some form of special educational learning needs. That is quite a high figure. When there is an enrolment such as that at Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, it equates to many posts being necessary to meet the needs of the pupils. I have engaged with the principal and I know the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, has been engaging with the SENO, as well as the school principal. It is imperative that additional resources are made available under the review for Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh.
Is í Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh an bhunscoil is mó sa chathair, agus bhí sí mar phribhléid agam an scoil a oscailt go hoifigiúil nuair a bhí mé i m'Aire Stáit in 2019. Tá 649 dalta ag freastal ar an scoil i lár Chnoc na Cathrach, ceantar atá ag fás gach uile bhliain, ach níl ach 4.5 cúntóir riachtanas speisialta curtha ar fáil don scoil. Tá 6.2 post curtha ar fáil mar mhúinteoirí tacaíochta, ach teastaíonn níos mó. Teastaíonn beirt chúntóirí riachtanas speisialta breise agus beirt mhúinteoirí tacaíochta breise. Tá an t-éileamh sa scoil. Tá an príomhoide i dteagmháil leis an SENO, is é sin an duine a dhéanann an measúnú ar riachtanas speisialta den Chomhairle Náisiúnta um Oideachas Speisialta. Tuigim go bhfuil model nua i bhfeidhm le cúpla bliain anuas agus go bhfuil athbhreithniú ar siúl sa scoil faoi láthair. Bhí a lán tuismitheoirí i dteagmháil liom faoin ábhar seo, agus tá sé soiléir ó na tuismitheoirí agus ón bpríomhoide go dteastaíonn tuilleadh tacaíochtaí agus acmhainní sa scoil.
I have been contacted by many parents who have concerns about the allocation level and the fact there are additional needs. It is imperative that children get the best start, and providing additional posts is a solution to ensure that all pupils in need in Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh get the best start possible. If they do not get the best start in national school, that will have a knock-on effect in the years ahead. I know there is engagement between the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, the school and the SENO, and that a detailed review is ongoing. It is imperative that the review results in additional resources - both SNA and SET posts - for Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh for this year and the years ahead. It is a large school and, similar to all schools, it has additional needs.
Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Senator for raising the matter. I stress that enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for the Government. The SET allocations provide additional teaching support for students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary schools. Approximately 97% of all children, including those with special education needs, are educated in mainstream classes. There has been an increase in the number of full-time SET posts across the country, increasing the overall availability of resources. This is the highest number of SET teachers ever in our schools. There will be 14,700 SETs supporting mainstream classes in the 2024-25 school year, which is an increase of 1,000 since the end of the 2020-21 school year.
The allocations to schools issued on 6 February 2024 and the allocation model for 2024-25 distribute the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need. The model makes an allocation on the basis of a number of inputs, including enrolment numbers. The SET allocation model is designed to distribute additional teaching resources across the entire school system. This is to ensure that additional teaching resources are available to support pupils with the greatest level of learning need. There is a defined level of resources available to distribute across the whole school system. It is important to understand that special education teacher resources are distributed to schools based on learning needs across the entire system.
The SET allocation for the 2024-25 school year for Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh was increased by 2.5 hours and its allocation now sits at 155 hours, which is in excess of six full-time teaching posts. The Department acknowledges that every school is different and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when making allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that the Department, working with the NCSE, has streamlined the review process for special education teachers. Schools that have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation.
The Department of Education can confirm that Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh did not submit an application for a review of its SET allocation to the NCSE. The National Council for Special Education is responsible for planning and co-ordinating school supports for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of SNA posts to individual schools. The NCSE has advised the Department that the special educational needs organiser for the school met with the school principal on 4 October and a review of the SNA allocation for the school was discussed at that meeting. However, an application for an SNA review has not yet been submitted to the NCSE by the school for its consideration. A school that believes it has insufficient resources to support the level of special education needs in its pupil cohort should make direct contact with the NCSE. When the NCSE completes its review, and if the NCSE recommends that additional resources should be provided, the Department of Education will immediately sanction the recommended increase.
I hope the path forward is clear from that response. There has been engagement between the SENO and the school and it appears an application will be the next step.
We know a review is in preparation. It is clear from the reply that the Department acknowledges there may be unique circumstances in schools. Without talking about any individuals in this school, I am sure there are situations where, unfortunately, a child or children in a school have a high level of demand, which results in the need for additional resources. I hope that in such situations, including in Gaelscoil Mhic Amhlaigh, that would be taken into account in the review. From engaging with parents and the principal, I believe there is an absolute need for additional resources in this school to cater for the high level of demand and the high numbers within the school.
I thank the Senator for raising the question and giving me the opportunity to reassure him and the House that the Department of Education and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs. Additional teaching and SNA resources are being provided in budget 2025 to ensure a record number of SETs and SNAs in schools in 2025, supporting children with additional needs. I gave the figures in my earlier remarks on the increases during this term of office.
The NCSE has progressed the recruitment of additional special educational needs organisers, advisers and team managers. This will ensure that schools can expect an improved level of engagement and support from the NCSE for this school year. The number of SENOs has increased from 65 to 120 at the start of this school year, and SENOs are now out in the schools, holding planning meetings. This will ensure strong relationships can be built and the NCSE intends to conduct up to 800 of these school planning visits by the end of this month alone. These meetings will consider the resource and training needs of the school, and they represent a welcome and positive two-way engagement between the schools and the NCSE through the SENOs. I am sure those additional resources will be very helpful.
I thank the Minister of State for taking all four Commencement matters this morning. We understand the pressures he is under, especially with an impending election. I thank Senator Kyne for raising this very important issue.
Cuireadh an Seanad ar fionraí ar 10.19 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.38 a.m.
Sitting suspended at 10.19 a.m. and resumed at 10.38 a.m.