Written Answers Nos 273-289
273. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a new building for the relocation of a school (details supplied); the funding which has been allocated for this project; the estimated completion date for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12861/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has approved substantial devolved funding for the provision of the long-term accommodation solution for the school referred to.
My Department is in ongoing contact with the Patron and the school authorities in respect of the proposed project, which includes finalising the project brief. In that regard, it is not possible at this point to advise on the completion date for the project.
Pending delivery of the project the school referred to will continue to be accommodated in its current temporary accommodation.
274. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the special circumstances of persons (details supplied) will be accepted relative to their applications for a student grant which are now under appeal with a view to approving a grant in each case. [12876/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the students to which the Deputy refers, recently appealed the decision of the Appeals Officer in SUSI to the statutory independent Student Grants Appeals Board (SGAB).
Their appeals will be heard within the 60 day timeframe set out in the Student Support Act 2011. The decision of the SGAB will be communicated directly to the students in due course.
275. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of school bundle 5; the completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12877/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 14 March last, officials from my Department and the National Development Finance Agency, along with representatives of each of the six schools included in the Schools Bundle 5 PPP Programme, met with the Dutch Infrastructure Fund (DIF). At that meeting, DIF, representing Inspiredspaces (the PPP Company responsible for Bundle 5), provided an update on its plan for the delivery and operation of the six facilities following the liquidation of Carillion.
The update provided by DIF indicated that, as a consequence of the Carillion liquidation, the construction and facilities management agreements have been terminated and are required to be replaced. A number of contractors/service providers have now been invited to quote for finishing the works and for the provision of facilities management services over the 25-year life of the PPP project. DIF expects to receive final bids from tenderers, with whom it has already had extensive engagement, by 5 April.
Based on this, and the expected timeframe for the evaluation of tenders, and appointment and mobilisation of the new contractor/service providers, DIF is targeting all six buildings to be operational for the beginning of the coming school year, with the most advanced schools ready earlier in the summer.
DIF has confirmed that, in conjunction with its lenders, it will deploy all necessary resources towards achieving these targets for delivery and operation of the schools and further education college.
276. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made on the site location for the development of a new school (details supplied); the stage these plans are at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12885/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a project to provide a new site for the school in question is included on my Department's Capital Programme.
Discussions with relevant parties regarding the potential acquisition of a preferred site option are currently in progress with a view to advancing matters as expeditiously as possible.
I can assure the Deputy that my Department is in communication with the school patron and representatives to keep them appraised of progress and they will be informed of the proposed location as soon as it is possible to do so.
277. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Education and Skills if assistance can be provided to a group (details supplied) in County Louth that is providing language supports to Lithuanian students preparing for the leaving certificate examinations. [12886/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2017 I launched 'Languages Connect', Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026. One of the aims of the strategy is to support the languages of immigrant communities in Ireland, including the Lithuanian community. Sustaining the language capacity of these speakers will support the growth of language competencies which is sought by this Strategy. I discussed some of these matters with the Lithuanian Minister for Education when she visited Ireland earlier this month.
Support for foreign languages begins in primary school. The Primary Language Curriculum recognises that “most schools and classrooms include children whose home language is a language other than English or Irish.” Proficiency in their home language contributes to these children’s development of proficiency in the language of instruction.
My Department is supporting specific developments directed at the Lithuanian community in Ireland. At junior cycle level, short courses are a new way in which students from immigrant communities can be supported in enhancing their fluency and in developing the range of competences in their home language. My Department's Post Primary Languages Initiative (PPLI) has been working with embassies to develop these courses in students’ home languages, drawing on guidelines provided by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). Work is currently underway in the development of a 100-hour short course in Lithuanian for junior cycle. This is being progressed by the PPLI in conjunction with the Lithuanian Embassy in Ireland. This course is due to be implemented on a pilot basis in a number of schools from September 2018.
At senior cycle the Foreign Languages Strategy commits to developing and introducing Lithuanian as a curriculum subject. It is currently available as a non-curriculum subject. With the introduction of a curriculum specification, candidates will be examined, not just on written but on oral and aural competencies also. The specification will be aimed at heritage speakers of the language.
278. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to prevent vandalism and anti-social behaviour in a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12918/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the position at the school property referred to and appropriate security measures have been put in place.
279. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the Department or organisation that has responsibility for monitoring the effects of over-exposure to EMF radiation on schoolchildren from primary level upwards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12919/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIndividual school authorities are responsible, in the first instance, for ensuring the safety and welfare of children in their care. In this instance, school authorities should consult the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) for information and guidance on the issues associated with EMF radiation if they have concerns in this area.
280. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills when the primary school capitation grant will be restored to the 2008 level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12920/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. Restoring capitation funding as resources permit is one of the actions included in the Action Plan for Education.
Budget 2018 marked the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education increased by €554 million to over €10 billion.
The process is under way for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. The ancillary grant was increased by €6 in 2016, €5 in 2017 and €5 in 2018, in order to enable primary schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
281. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the increasing levels of fundraising parents must engage in to facilitate the running of primary schools; his views on whether this is acceptable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12921/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe level of fundraising activities is a matter for each Board of Management. However, I do recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years.
Budget 2018 marks the second year of major reinvestment in the education sector, as we continue to implement the Action Plan for Education, which has the central aim to make the Irish Education and Training service the best in Europe within a decade. In 2018, the budget for the Department of Education will increase by €554 million to over €10 billion.
Capitation funding remains a priority for me to address as part of the Action Plan.
The process is under way for restoring grant funding that is used by schools to fund the salaries of ancillary staff. Circular 0079/2017 outlines the current rate increases in order to enable schools to implement the arbitration salary increase for grant funded school secretaries and caretakers and to also implement the restoration of salary for cleaners arising from the unwinding of FEMPI legislation.
282. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department advises schools on the percentage of children with complex special educational needs such as autism spectrum disorder that is safe to include in a mainstream class in primary school; if there is a tipping point; and his views on whether there should be a balance of children with and without special educational needs in classrooms. [12925/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe policy of this Department is to ensure that all children with special educational needs can be provided with an education appropriate to their needs.
This Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
Where possible, provision is made for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs. Department policy is that children with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special school or special class places are provided for.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with schools and the Health Service Executive (HSE). The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required, once a child has been enrolled in a school.
The NCSE is also responsible for the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools. Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all of their school day. Special classes are for students who have a recommendation for a special class placement in their professional reports.
Autism is a spectrum disorder the characteristics of which can present themselves in a wide variety of combinations and can range from mild to severe. The NCSE’s Autism Policy Advice, published in 2015, did not recommend any restriction or limits on the numbers of children with Autism which could be present in one mainstream class, nor did they identify any criteria which might indicate a need for such limitations.
Circulars 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools, published on 7 March 2017, set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools.
The revised allocation process replaces the generalised allocation process at primary and post primary school level for learning support and high incidence special educational needs, and the NCSE allocation process which provided additional resource teaching supports to schools, to support pupils assessed as having Low Incidence disabilities.
The new Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of needs identified in schools through the identification process.
This means that, where there are a higher number of children with special educational needs in a school, the school will receive a higher level of supports to support those children.
283. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the special needs unit in a school (details supplied) will open in September 2018; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the school will have a further ten junior infant children with autism spectrum disorder starting school in September in addition to high numbers of pupils with complex needs in large junior and senior infant classes. [12926/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra284. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to approve the immediate opening of one special class in a school (details supplied) in view of the long waiting list of children with autism requiring places in special classes in Firhouse and the surrounding areas; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that opening a special class now would alleviate the pressure on mainstream classes and enable the school to start the process for opening the second special class in the special needs unit for children with autism in September 2018. [12927/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is an independent statutory body whose functions include planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs in conjunction with schools and the Health Service Executive (HSE).
The NCSE, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required, once a child has been enrolled in a school. The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year and where special provision is required it is planned and established to meet that need, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools.
Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all of their school day. Special classes are for students who have a recommendation for a special class placement in their professional reports.
The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.
In addition, the NCSE will consider:
- the school’s accommodation and accessibility
- the number of special classes, if any, already in the school.
In order to identify need in any area for the forthcoming school year, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) refer to professional reports indicating students require the support of a special class. In this regard parents/guardians of students with ASD seeking a special class placement should provide the relevant professional report to their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) to inform the planning process.
The report must state that:
- S/he has ASD
- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.
The NCSE has advised officials in my Department that 2 new ASD Primary classes will be established in Firhouse Educate Together N.S for the forthcoming school year.
The Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.
In addition to 2 special classes, the special education teaching allocation provided for 2017/18 was maintained at the allocation that the school, referred to by the Deputy, received in the previous school year. In October 2017, the school was provided with an additional SEN allocation of 2.45 hours on the grounds that the school qualified for one additional developing mainstream teaching post. The school has now received a revised total special education teaching allocation which equates to over 2 full time additional Special Education Teachers. This is a very significant allocation for a school of this size, which has a current enrolment of 169 pupils.
DES Circular 0013/2017 for primary schools and 0014/2017 for post primary schools were published on 7 March 2017 which set out the details of the new model for allocating special education teachers to schools.
285. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of progress with regard to the permanent location for a school (details supplied); if a technical report has been submitted; the stage the design process is at; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12951/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, a building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school in question is included in my Department’s 6 Year Construction Programme.
My Department has been working with the local authority to acquire the site on which the school is currently located. It is intended to progress the building project for the school into the architectural planning process shortly. In this regard, a schedule of accommodation for the building project has been finalised and was furnished to the school authority recently.
My Department will be in further contact with the school in relation to the next steps at the earliest opportunity.
My Department will continue to liaise directly with the school in the context of progressing the new school building project.
286. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for capital funding by a school (details supplied). [12968/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware the school to which he refers was allocated devolved funding under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2017 to provide 1 standalone mainstream classroom with en-suite toilets, 1 WC for assisted users and 2 resource rooms.
The school submitted an application for significant additional funding for works outside the scope of the approved project in February 2018. Following assessment by my Department this application was refused and the school were advised to arrange for and submit a design consistent with the works approved by my Department.
The school has recently submitted a further application for additional funding and has asked my Department to reconsider their preferred design option. This proposal has been reviewed and the school have been informed that my Department's decision not to grant the additional funding stands. In this regard, I am sure that the Deputy will understand that due to the level of demand on my Department's capital budget to meet demographic needs, it is not possible to accede to all requests made of my Department.
It is now a matter for the school to progress the project based on a design consistent with the works approved by my Department. The grant earmarked for the approved works remains available to the school.
287. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for an ASD unit. [12969/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for organising and planning provision for children with Special Educational Needs, including the establishment of special classes in mainstream primary and post primary schools.
Special classes offer a supportive learning environment to students with ASD who are unable to access the curriculum in a mainstream class, even with support, for most or all of their school day. Special classes are for students who have a recommendation for a special class placement in their professional reports.
Schools may apply to the NCSE to open a special class where a need has been identified in their area i.e. a number of students have professional reports indicating they require the support of a special class.
The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.
In addition, the NCSE will consider:
- the school’s accommodation and accessibility
- the number of special classes, if any, already in the school.
While it is not always possible to ensure that a special class placement will be available in the child’s local school, the NCSE are satisfied that there will be sufficient ASD special class placements for students in Co. Longford in the forthcoming school year.
Should the NCSE identify the requirement for additional special class placements in the area it will contact schools in the area in relation to establishing an ASD special class.
Parents/Guardians who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement, including special class placement, should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) who can assist in identifying an appropriate educational placement for their child. Contact details are available at http://ncse.ie/seno-contact-list.
My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.
288. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the projects mentioned in the National Development Plan 2018-2027 that come under his Department's remit or bodies under its aegis; and the estimated completion dates for each project in tabular form. [12988/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 to 2027 includes a number of key investment envelopes for the education sector as follows:
- School building programme: €8.4 billion
- Digital Strategy for Schools: €420 million
- Higher Education Infrastructure: €2.2 billion (excluding PPPs)
- FET capital: €300 million
The purpose of the plan is to set out an overarching framework for public capital investment. It is not a detailed blueprint of how and where funding will be spent. The significance of the NDP is that it provides a level of funding visibility to Departments over a 10 year period that enables proper planning, appraisal and prioritisation to take place
In the schools sector, the funding will allow a continued focus on the generation of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand. The new funding under the NDP will also provide an additional focus on refurbishment of the existing school stock, to include:
- Upgrade of labs to support modernisation of science curricula
- Build and modernisation of PE facilities in post-primary schools
- Commencement of deep energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008
In the higher education sector, funding will support both new buildings and upgrade of the existing stock. A PPP programme planned for the higher education sector will deliver expanded capacity across 11 Institutes of Technology. The first projects in this programme are expected to become operational in the 2021/22 academic year.
In the Further Education and Training (FET) sector, the €300m funding envelope will facilitate the initiation of a building programme from 2020, focused on the consolidation of provision in modern, fit for purpose facilities. Funding will also support the capital costs associated with expansion and modernisation of apprenticeships.
289. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding his Department has provided to a centre (details supplied). [11951/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Safer Internet Ireland project operates as a partnership between the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) in my Department and four stakeholder bodies funded under the EU Safer Internet programme. The EU funding covers 50% of the actions carried out by the partner bodies in accordance with a formal agreement. The remaining 50% of the funding for the actions of the partner bodies is provided by the partner bodies themselves. The current EU funding runs from January 2017 to June 2019 and amounts to €770,850. Separate funding is not provided by my Department to the project.
