Written Answers Nos. 1-29
8. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has assessed the need for a second level school for the City West and Saggart area in Dublin which takes into account the existing and future needs of the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14375/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. My Department uses a Geographical Information System to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. This system uses data from a range of sources. Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools
- Provision of a new school or schools.
- For school planning purposes, the Saggart and Citywest areas are located within the Tallaght and Newcastle/Rathcoole school planning areas.
- A new 1,000 pupil post-primary in the Kingswood area of Tallaght was established in September 2016 to serve the needs of students in the Tallaght school planning area, which includes Citywest. A building project for this school commenced construction in August 2017.
- In addition, a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school is due to be established in September 2018 in Firhouse/Oldbawn, which is adjacent to the Tallaght area.
- Nationwide demographic exercises involving all school planning areas, which will determine where additional school accommodation will be needed in the future, are currently ongoing and it is anticipated that decisions based on these exercises will be announced in the coming weeks.
9. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which he will promote the importance of physical education in schools as part of a healthy living agenda; the steps he will take to support the construction of physical education facilities in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14278/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department fully supports the promotion of healthy lifestyles in schools and has issued circulars to support and strengthen schools’ efforts in developing in young people the skills and attitudes needed to make informed decisions about their health. Through the curriculum students are taught the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make healthier life choices and to develop the resilience to reject negative options. This can be seen through subjects such as Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), Home Economics, as well as in Physical Education and as part of the new Junior Cycle Wellbeing Programme that was introduced to all first year students from September 2017.
My Department works very closely with the Department of Health in promoting the 'Healthy Ireland' agenda in schools.
Another significant development in this area is the introduction on a phased basis from September 2018 of a new examinable Leaving Certificate Physical Education subject and a new non-examinable Framework for Senior Cycle Physical Education.
As part of the National Development Plan 2018-2027, increased funding has being provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding will allow a continued focus on the generation of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand. The new funding will also provide for an additional focus on refurbishment of the existing school stock. As part of the National Development Plan, I announced a PE build and modernisation programme. This will ensure that students in all Post Primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.
This ramp up in funding will take place progressively over the period of the Plan.
11. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the immense work carried out by resource teachers with special needs children at a school (details supplied) under very difficult conditions; if following his sanctioning of a grant to build two new resource rooms, consideration will be given to covering the shortfall in actual costs in order that the staff and students can secure the learning environment that they need and deserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14260/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved a devolved grant under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme 2016 to provide 2 Resource Rooms. This project was devolved to the School Authority for delivery.
The School Authority recently submitted a request for additional funding based on the tender report and supporting documentation which was assessed by my Department.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that a decision to approve the additional funding has been communicated to the school authority who may now proceed to construction.
14. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the demographic review taking place on the need for additional secondary school places in south County Kildare; the progress being made on planned secondary school extensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14423/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. My Department uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. The GIS uses data from a range of sources, including the Central Statistics Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Department of Social Protection and my Department's own databases. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, depending on the circumstances, be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
It is anticipated that decisions based on the nationwide demographic exercises will be announced in the coming weeks.
Projects are currently been progressed in respect of four schools in the South Kildare area. A building project for St. Conleth’s Community College is currently on site and the project is expected to be completed in time for the commencement of the academic year in September, 2018. Also, a building project for St Paul's Secondary School, Monasterevin is currently at Stage 2(b) of the architectural planning process.
In addition, building projects for Athy Community College and Cross & Passion Secondary School, Kilcullen are included in my Department's Capital Programme. In the context of progressing the building projects, my Department has undertaken site visits to the schools.
The building project for Athy Community College will be devolved to Kildare Wicklow Education Training Board (KWETB) for delivery and it is my Department's intention to engage with KWETB shortly in this regard.
Additional capacity in the region of 1,700 school places will be provided when projects at these four schools are completed. The provision of these additional places through planned post-primary school extensions is taken into account in the Department’s demographic exercises at post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.
15. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Peadar Tóibín den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna an bhfuil sé buartha faoin gcéim siar atá tugtha don Ghaeilge labhartha ar shiollabas na Gaeilge don Teastas Sóisearach; cén tionchar a bheidh aige seo ar chuspóirí na Straitéise 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge a bhaint amach; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [10094/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTá an Roinn fós tiomanta chun úsáid na Gaeilge labhartha a spreagadh. Bainfidh na daltaí an-leas as an taithí foghlama a dtacaítear leis sna sonraíochtaí don tSraith Shóisearach nua don Ghaeilge a ndearna taighde forleathan lena haghaidh. Ina theannta sin, rinne an Comhairle Náisiúnta Curaclaim agus Measúnachta comhordú ar phróiseas leathan comhairliúcháin a chuir an-chuid eolais ar fáil don fhorbairt, lena n-áirítear tuairimí na múinteoirí agus na ndaltaí.
Den chéad uair, tá dhá shonraíocht ann don ábhar - T1 agus T2 (Teanga 1 agus Teanga 2). Tá sonraíocht T1 ann do na daltaí sin a dhéanann staidéar ar a gcuid ábhar uile trí mheán na Gaeilge agus tá sé beartaithe go gcuirfear ar fáil iad i nGaelcholáistí, i scoileanna i gceantair phleanála Gaeltachta agus in Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge. Tá an tsonraíocht T2 beartaithe le húsáid i scoileanna a oibríonn trí mheán an Bhéarla.
Cuireann an dá shonraíocht béim shuntasach ar an nGaeilge mar theanga labhartha. Léirítear é seo sna sraitheanna comhtháite, a chuireann struchtúr ar eispéiris foghlama na ndaltaí le linn na dtrí bliana den tsraith shóisearach - Cumas Cumarsáide, Teanga agus Feasacht Chultúrtha agus Féinfheasacht an Fhoghlaimeora. Roimhe seo bhí an scrúdú cainte roghnach agus rinne níos lú ná aon trian de na daltaí é. Ar an láimh eile, éilíonn na socruithe measúnaithe nua ar gach dalta dul i mbun measúnaithe maidir lena gcuid scileanna cainte féín trí mheasúnú sa seomra ranga. Tugann sé seo deis níos fearr do gach dalta scileanna inniúlachta i labhairt na teanga a fhorbairt agus a fheabhsú agus a gcumas a chothú chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid.
Féachann na sonraíochtaí seo le soláthar oideachais ar ardchaighdeán trí mheán na Gaeilge a chur chun cinn agus úsáid na Gaeilge i measc daoine óga agus i bpobail scoile Gaeltachta a spreagadh, agus cabhróidh sé le go leor cuspóirí a bhaineann le Straitéis 20 Bliain don Ghaeilge 2010-2030.
16. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason no new Gaelscoileanna are due to be opened in September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14271/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn November 2015, 13 new schools were announced to be established in 2017 and 2018; four of these were primary schools. Following completion of patronage processes for all four schools in May 2017, three of the four were established in September 2017, one as a Gaelscoil in Ballincollig under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta. The remaining primary school will be established in 2018.
From 2011 to 2017, 30 new primary schools have been established, 7 of which have been Gaelscoileanna, under the patronage of An Foras Pátrúnachta.
- 2017 Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin, Ballincollig, Co. Cork
- 2016 Gaelscoil na Fuinseoige, Goatstown/Stillorgan, Dublin
- 2013 Gaelscoil Mhic Aodha, Kildare Town
- 2013 Gaelscoil Shliabh Rua, Ballinteer/Stepaside, Dublin
- 2013 Gaelscoil Teach Giúise, Firhouse/Oldbawn, Dublin
- 2012 Gaelscoil an Chuillin, Mulhuddart/Tyrrelstown, Dublin
- 2011 Gaelscoil na Mí, Ashbourne, Co. Meath
A patronage process is run after it has been decided, based on demographic analysis, that a new school is required. It is open to all prospective patron applicants to propose provision of Irish-medium education in their application. Parental preferences for each patron from parents of children who reside in the school planning area, together with the extent of diversity currently available in the area, are key to decisions in relation to the outcome of this process. Parental preference for the medium of instruction of the new school is a specific part of the assessment process and informs decisions concerning the school’s medium of instruction. In this regard, prospective patrons were requested to submit completed parental preferences indicating the language through which parents would prefer their children to be educated.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, incorporating data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. With this information, my Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises at primary and post-primary level to determine where additional school accommodation is needed.
It is anticipated that decisions based on current nationwide demographic exercises will be announced in the coming weeks, after which patronage processes will be run to decide both who will operate each school and the medium of instruction of these schools.
17. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new and additional school places provided in County Offaly since 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14283/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraDuring the period 2010-2017, the number of additional permanent school places provided in Co Offaly was 1,765 and the number of replacement places provided was 2,149, giving a total of 3,914 permanent places provided in that county.
20. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to difficulties caused by the five day rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14296/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the policy of my Department that only qualified personnel should be employed by schools as teachers. Unqualified personnel should not be appointed except in exceptional circumstances and only when all avenues for recruiting qualified personnel have been exhausted and only for quite limited time periods. Circular 0031/2011 issued by my Department details a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers by schools, prioritising registered teachers over retired registered teachers and unregistered people.
Other than the limited exceptions under Ministerial Regulations, Section 30 of the Teaching Council Act 2001, prohibits payment from Oireachtas funds to people employed as teachers in recognised schools unless they are registered with the teaching Council. The limited exceptions provided for in the regulations allow for an unregistered person to be appointed where an employer has made all reasonable efforts to appoint a registered teacher and no registered teacher is available to take up the position in question. An unregistered person, so appointed, may not be paid from public funds for a continuous period of more than 5 consecutive school days. The employer must be satisfied that any such person appointed is competent and capable of acting in the place of a registered teacher in the school. The employer must also continue to make all reasonable efforts to employ a registered teacher.
In relation to the supply of qualified registered teachers I have recently convened the first meeting of the Teacher Supply Steering Group, a specialist group of stakeholders, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department. This group has been established to ensure that there is an adequate supply of quality teachers to meet the needs of primary and post primary schools and to ensure we can deliver on the Government’s ambition to make Ireland’s Education and Training Service the best in Europe by 2026.
The terms of reference of the steering group include to evaluate policy initiatives both for short-term and longer term implementation to respond to constraints in the system which have been already identified, and others which it identifies in the course of its work on teacher supply and demand. Any extension to the 5 day rule should therefore be considered by the steering group in the first instance.
22. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps his Department is taking to provide sufficient autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units and class places in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14263/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools with students with special educational needs, to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
The National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers, for the development and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with Special Educational Needs, including the establishment of special classes.
The number of ASD special classes in Co. Wexford has more than doubled from 17 in 2011 to 41 in 2017/18 school year.
The NCSE, in planning for special classes, will consider present and future need for such classes, to support the educational needs of the children concerned.
The NCSE has informed my Department that, in general, they are satisfied that there will be sufficient ASD special class placements to meet identified need in the Wexford area for the forthcoming school year.
Parents/guardians of children with special needs who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO).
23. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Skills when additional schools will be approved for support under DEIS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14417/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTackling educational disadvantage and helping children to achieve their potential is a key priority of the Action Plan for Education. For the first time since 2009, my Department has brought 79 new schools into DEIS, and upgraded the level of support for another 30 schools.
As I have recently advised the Deputy, a further assessment of all schools is currently underway in the context of the DEIS Programme. This assessment takes account of school data for the current school year combined with the updated Pobal HP Index of Deprivation, which is based on Small Area Population statistics derived from the 2016 National Census.
It is anticipated that the assessment process will be completed shortly. This will be followed by the necessary quality assurance after which the data will be available to my Department to inform policy decisions in terms of future provision in the DEIS programme, including decisions with regard to additional schools identified as requiring supports.
We have, for the first time, introduced an objective, statistics based model for deciding which schools merit inclusion in the DEIS Programme and it is applied uniformly across all the schools in the country. As you are aware, the identification of levels of disadvantage in schools is based on the data provided by schools themselves, combines with publically available Small Area of Population Census data, as represented by the Pobal HP Index. This approach was informed by the Review of the DEIS Programme and a detailed account of the methodology adopted is available on my Department’s website.
24. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that 327 children who applied on time for his Department's school transport scheme were not allocated seats; if all 327 children were facilitated by private transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14455/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
Currently over 116,000 children, including almost 12,000 children with special educational needs, are being transported in over 4,500 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres annually at a total cost of almost €190 million in 2017.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In general, children are eligible for school transport if they meet the distance criteria and are attending their nearest school.
Under the terms of the scheme a minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits having regard to the available resources for the overall scheme.
For school bus operating purposes a “distinct locality” is a cluster of eligible children who reside in the same general area, in the same general direction from the school attended, as determined by Bus Éireann taking cognisance of the local road network. A service to convey a group of children whose homes are at scattered points in a school district would not be considered feasible for logistical and cost reasons.
However, such eligible children, following an application for transport within the prescribed time limits, receive a Remote Area Grant towards the cost of private transport arrangements. I understand that for the 2017/18 school year, nationally 327 children for whom an application was made within the time limits, are to receive this grant.
The terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied equitably on a national basis.
25. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the school building programme already announced is proceeding in line with expectations nationally and throughout County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14457/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Capital Programme (2016-2021) continues to address the challenges posed by the significant bulge in pupil enrolments going through our schools. This has seen a significant expansion in the rate of provision of new school places. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed through the architectural planning process, including those schools in County Kildare.
We are building more schools and providing more additional school places than ever before. This reflects the priority which this Government is putting on Education. We have doubled the number of school places being provided from 8,900 in 2010 to 18,000 in 2017. We have also increased the number of large scale project completions from 25 in 2010 to 50 in 2016 and 46 in 2017. Since 2011, some 340 major school projects and over 120,000 new and replacement places have been provided.
In addition, there are currently a total of 52 large scale projects under construction while a further 11 major projects with approval to advance to tender and construction are expected to commence on site shortly. A further 22 large scale projects are due to commence tendering over the coming months and are expected to start on site during 2018. That represents a total of 85 projects either under construction or progressing to commence construction in 2018. Over 80% of our school capital allocation has to be expended on the delivery of large scale projects and the additional accommodation scheme.
The Department is managing the school building programme in a manner that ensures that school projects in the architectural process are delivered as quickly as possible. There are a number of factors however such as difficulties with acquiring sites and issues arising in the planning process that have impacted on the pace of progress of projects announced. These issues are in the majority of cases outside the Department's control. The Department is in ongoing liaison directly with each of these schools in relation to the ongoing progression of their projects in the architectural and planning process.
My Department is satisfied that the €8.4 billion investment in the National Development Plan (2018-2027) is sufficient to deliver the necessary school infrastructure over the next decade.
26. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to restore the capitation grant to primary schools to €200 per pupil; his views on whether choosing not to do so will result in schools continuing to have to fundraise and to seek donations from parents and other sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14274/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI recognise the need to improve capitation funding for schools having regard to the reductions that were necessary over recent years. The first cuts to capitaion were announced in October 2010 by the then Minister for Finance. 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 underway 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.
The level of fundraising activities is a matter for each Board of Management.
27. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the issue of the calculation via the shortest distance which involves using rural roads in poor repair in the matter of the calculation of adjacent and non-adjacent third level grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14427/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMaintenance grants under the Student Grant Scheme are awarded either at the non-adjacent rate or the adjacent rate, depending on the distance between the applicant’s normal residence and the college attended. To qualify for the higher non-adjacent rate, a student has to be living more than 45kms from college.
The current qualifying distance of 45km for the higher non-adjacent rate of student grant takes into account a reasonable radius within which students may commute on a daily basis.
The measurement of the distances relating to the award of adjacent or non-adjacent rates of student grant is a matter for the relevant grant awarding authority. The distance measurement for student grant rates is governed by Article 27(3)(a) and (b) of the Student Grant Scheme 2017. This provides that the relevant distance will be measured in line with agreed guidelines.
The guidelines require that the shortest most direct route between the applicant's normal residence and the institution being attended should apply. In determining the shortest most direct route, the relevant awarding authority shall establish:
- the method for measuring a route; and
- the factors to be taken into account in establishing and measuring a route.
28. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application for funding by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14270/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received an application from the school in question for additional accommodation.
The application will be assessed and a decision will be conveyed to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed
29. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of a new school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14388/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of the tender process. The school was recently authorized to issue the Letter of Intent to the preferred tenderer. Subject to no issues arising it is anticipated that construction will commence in the second quarter of 2018.
