Written Answers Nos. 161-180
161. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of SNAs, teachers and schools that have expressed an interest in taking part in the July provision scheme to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11974/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has published details of a summer programme for children with special educational needs enrolled in special schools, special classes and mainstream classes. The programme incorporates some aspects of the July Provision of previous years.
Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education, is a significantly expanded programme for children with complex special educational needs which aims to re-establish the child’s relationships and connection with school and their peers as a basis for learning and participation and to help the child to re-engage in learning and social activities and help them adapt to new routines and changes. The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that the child can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers. In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with special needs.
The eligibility criteria has been widened to include the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in a special class or special school
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
- Children with Down syndrome
- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
- Children who have a moderate general learning disability
- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students. This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.
Registration remains ongoing and details of the number of schools registered will be confirmed shortly.
Information on the number of teachers and SNAs who schools expect to employ to deliver the programme is not available.
Home-based provision will be available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year. In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher / SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.
The programme will be reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.
A dedicated online registration system for families of children with special needs to access Summer Provision is now available on Gov.ie/summerprovision.
Parents are asked to register their participation online, providing some outline information of the extent of their participation in the programme e.g. number of weeks.
Once registered, the parent is then free to plan and organise the programme for their child by consulting with the child’s school and securing the services of a teacher or SNA.
I also announced a programme for DEIS schools for this Summer.
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.
162. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students that have not applied for a calculated grade online due to take the leaving certificate in 2020; if his officials have examined the reasons for these students not applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11977/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Calculated Grades Student Portal opened for registration to Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students on Tuesday 26 May. All Leaving Certificate and Leaving Certificate Applied students were required to register on the portal between 10am Tuesday 26 May and 10pm Thursday 28 May. The deadline for registration was subsequently extended to 12pm on Friday 29 May.
In each of the last three years (2017-19), around 800 students have been entered for Leaving Certificate examinations but have not sat the examinations. As of Thursday 18 June, a further 195 students due to take their Leaving Certificate in 2020 had registered via the Calculated Grades Student Portal, leaving a total of 683 yet to complete the registration process.
The Calculated Grades Student Portal will reopen in the coming weeks at which point students will be asked to opt in to receive calculated grades.
I want to thank the almost 99% of students who have registered to date and assure the Deputy that the Calculated Grades Executive Office continues to attempt to engage with those students yet to register. This includes either direct contact with the students themselves, if they are external students, or with the school which had entered these students for their examinations.
163. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the funding provided through the National Training Fund for the human capital initiative was included in the overall annual expenditure ceiling of his Department. [11978/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the funding provided through the National Training Fund (NTF) for the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) is included in the overall annual expenditure ceiling of my Department.
The NTF forms part of the expenditure ceiling for the Department of Education and Skills. On that basis NTF spending is subject to EU expenditure rules which as the Deputy will be aware are designed to ensure that growth in public expenditure is sustainable and supports the achievement of key fiscal targets. The additional funding required for the HCI was added to my Department's expenditure ceiling in 2020.
€623m is being invested from the NTF in programmes in 2020 which meet skills needs in the economy, support unemployed people in their journey back to work and assist those in employment to acquire new skills.
This includes investment in the HCI. The HCI is a 5-year programme of increased investment in priority skills in higher education amounting to €300m over the period 2020 - 2024.
164. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on the consultations to date with English language schools on plans to reopen. [11979/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on its students, teachers and providers.
My Department has been engaging with representatives of English language education providers across a range of issues over the course of the Covid-19 outbreak to date. These engagements have included preliminary discussions and information exchanges surrounding the reopening of this sector.
The timeline and arrangements for the safe re-opening of English language education providers will be guided by public health advice applicable at a given time. The Government's roadmap for the gradual lifting of the current Covid-19 restrictions has set out a number of phases with the re-opening of the wider education system contained in the later phases to coincide broadly with the beginning of the new academic year.
While my Department will not be issuing guidelines specifically for the re-opening of the English language education sector, guidance to assist the tertiary education sector more generally in planning for reopening is being prepared at present and will be available shortly. My Department will further engage with provider representatives within the English language education sector as they develop more detailed plans for the re-opening of their premises. It is to be expected that ensuring the health and safety of staff and students will be central to the provider's plans and that necessary consultations will be undertaken as part of their development. It is anticipated that the "Return to Work Safely Protocol" recently published jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise, Business & Innovation, and designed to support measures being put in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace will be used to inform these plans, supplemented by any guidance issued by the Department for the tertiary education sector. This protocol envisions close engagement between staff and their employers during the planning, development and implementation of these new workplace measures. The experience of the re-opening of educational facilities in other areas and jurisdictions will also be relevant as part of this process.
165. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the national co-ordination group for tertiary education has identified additional places for CAO applications for the 2020 year in its consultation with higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11980/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that this is a time of uncertainty for students hoping to progress to third level and work is ongoing in ensuring that the third level entry process can progress as smoothly and equitably as possible. The National Co-ordination group for tertiary education is meeting on a regular basis, and is closely monitoring the impact that Covid-19 is having on third level institutions and their current and prospective students.
Higher education institutions are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including admissions procedures. The CAO processes applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on behalf of the HEIs. Decisions on admissions, including the number of places offered, are made by the HEIs which then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the operation of the CAO.
166. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of laptops provided to schools to date through a procurement process undertaken for information communications technology equipment. [11981/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo support schools in prioritising the continuity of teaching and learning during the period of school closure due to public health restrictions following the issue of €50m in ICT grant funding, my Department advised schools of the direct drawdown mechanisms for the purchase of laptops. Schools were informed that HEAnet would operate an aggregated order process on its Single Provider Framework with Dell, while Datapac would also do so through a Single Provider Framework with HP. Both of these Frameworks have been established from the OGP Framework of Providers of Laptops.
This was intended to enable laptop orders from schools to be prioritised, given current supply chain issues in the market. Schools are not obliged to use these mechanisms, they are intended to support those schools who determine laptops are required for their circumstances at this time.
These mechanisms are managed and operated by HEAnet and Datapac respectively, and as such, my Department does not have access to or responsibility for the data requested.
167. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a decision has been made regarding a review of an ex gratia scheme announced in December 2019. [11982/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ex-gratia scheme was introduced in response to a particular set of circumstances where people had discontinued their case against the State prior to the European Court of Human Rights Judgement in the Louise O’Keeffe case. We undertook a review of the scheme in response to a determination by the Independent Assessor, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill that one of the criteria for eligibility is incompatible with the ECtHR judgement. The Independent Assessor’s decision can be accessed in full at the Department's website.
The review of the ex-gratia scheme has yet to be concluded.
168. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if issues related to Covid-19 have resulted in delays to works to be carried out under the summer works scheme; if so, the schools impacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11983/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that projects for which funding is provided under my Department's Summer Works Scheme are devolved to school authorities for delivery. It is a matter for the schools to progress these projects in that context.
However, I can inform the Deputy that the Department is aware that some projects funded under my Department's Summer Works Scheme have been impacted by issues related to Covid-19. Some of these issues have led to delays in projects being progressed.
170. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of a new DEIS identification model. [11985/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 using the HP Deprivation Index.
A consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspects of the refined DEIS ID model has commenced. As the Deputy is aware, it is envisaged that this model will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need and I am confident the culmination of this work will allow us to target extra resources at those schools most in need. Until this work is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.
171. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if mechanisms are in place to encourage minorities to consider a career in education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11986/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) fund was established to support innovative measures to deliver goals, objectives and targets in the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education 2015-2021 (NAP). Strand 1 supports the objective to increase access to initial teacher education for students from the target groups identified in NAP including students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, members of the Irish Traveller Community, students entering on the basis of a further education award, students with a disability and mature students. NAP sub-groups include lone parents and ethnic minorities. Funding of €2.7m over three years was initially announced in 2016 . The Fund supports new initiatives to support entry into initial teaching for NAP target groups. This Fund was allocated on a competitive basis to the Centres for Teaching Excellence.
Following a report by the Higher Education Authority on the assessment of the Early Stage Implementation, an announcement was made in April 2020, that PATH 1 funding will continue for a further three years into 2022/2023 academic year bringing the total funding for this initiative to €5.4m over a six year period.
In addition to PATH 1 the Migrant Teacher Project (MTP), based in Marino Institute of Education, was established in 2017 to support the participation of immigrant internationally educated teachers in the Irish primary and post-primary education sectors. The MTP is co-funded by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality through the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration's National Funding Programme 2022.
The project provides information, advice and training to teachers who have qualified outside of Ireland, to help them to continue their profession in Irish primary and post-primary schools. It aims to work with immigrant teachers to support them through the process of registration with the Teaching Council and seeking employment.
The MTP’s bridging programme ran for the first time from January until May 2019 with approx. forty primary and post-primary teachers from 18 different countries participating free of charge. The second cohort of 40 participants are expected to graduate in July of this year. Over 900 teachers from 70 countries have registered their interest with the project.
As part of my Department’s ongoing promotion of the teaching profession to support teacher supply, consideration is being given as to how to promote teaching as a career amongst those who are underrepresented in the sector, including the target groups identified under PATH 1 as well as migrant communities.
172. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review the application for funding for a new wastewater treatment plant submitted by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11994/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to the school under my Department's Additional Accommodation Scheme.
I wish to confirm that my Department has agreed to provide the additional funding referred to by the Deputy and the school has been informed accordingly. A Stage 2b report is now required to be submitted to my Department.
173. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to a proposal by a person (details supplied). [12000/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, the third National Access Plan (NAP) for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2015 – 2019)was launched in December 2015, which following a review has been extended to 2021, to ensure that the student body entering into, participating in and completing higher education at all levels reflects the diversity and social mix of Ireland's population.
The Plan identifies the target groups that are currently being under-represented in Higher Education, which includes entrants from socio-economic groups that have low participation in higher education, Irish Travellers, Students with disabilities, first time, mature student entrants, Part-time/flexible learners and further education award holders.
The impact of the Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH) will be long-lasting and will ensure better targeting of initiatives to support the most disadvantaged in our NAP target groups.
As part of my Department’s ongoing promotion of the teaching profession to support teacher supply, consideration is being given as to how to promote teaching as a career amongst those who are underrepresented in the sector, including the target groups identified under PATH as well as migrant communities.
In addition, the Migrant Teacher Project (MTP), based in Marino Institute of Education, was established in 2017 to support the participation of immigrant internationally educated teachers in the Irish primary and post-primary education sectors. The MTP is co-funded by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality through the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration's National Funding Programme 2022.
The project provides information, advice and training to teachers who have qualified outside of Ireland, to help them to continue their profession in Irish primary and post-primary schools. It aims to work with immigrant teachers to support them through the process of registration with the Teaching Council and seeking employment.
The MTP’s bridging programme ran for the first time from January until May 2019 with approx. forty primary and post-primary teachers from 18 different countries participating free of charge. The second cohort of 40 participants are expected to graduate in July of this year. Over 900 teachers from 70 countries have registered their interest with the project.
174. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken to ensure a school (details supplied) can safely accommodate the full pupil cohort commencing at the end of August 2020; the contacts made with the school; the plans that have been discussed to facilitate the pupils in the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12004/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra237. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to facilitate a school (details supplied) to open its prefabricated building to students in September 2020. [12450/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 237 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, a major building project to provide permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP).
The school will be delivered under the Department's Design and Build programme. The position relating to the school's permanent accommodation is that the tender documents are being finalised and tenders are due to issue shortly. Construction of the new school is expected to commence in Quarter 4 this year. The project, when completed, will replace the school's existing prefabricated accommodation.
175. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the July provision will be offered to a student (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12007/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has published details of a summer programme for children with special educational needs enrolled in special schools, special classes and mainstream classes. The programme incorporates some aspects of the July Provision of previous years.
Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education, is a significantly expanded programme for children with complex special educational needs which aims to re-establish the child’s relationships and connection with school and their peers as a basis for learning and participation and to help the child to re-engage in learning and social activities and help them adapt to new routines and changes. The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that the child can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers. In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with special needs.
The eligibility criteria has been widened to include the following categories of children:
1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism
2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties
3. Any child in a special class or special school
4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings
5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:
- Children with Down syndrome
- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing
- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment
- Children who have a moderate general learning disability
- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties
All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students. This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.
Home-based provision will be available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year. In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher/SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.
The programme will be reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.
A dedicated online registration system for families of children with special needs to access Summer Provision is now available on Gov.ie/summerprovision.
Parents are asked to register their participation online, providing some outline information of the extent of their participation in the programme e.g. number of weeks.
Once registered, the parent is then free to plan and organise the programme for their child by consulting with the child’s school and securing the services of a teacher or SNA.
As the child referenced by the Deputy qualifies for the scheme the parent should now contact the school to establish if the school is running a school based programme. Where the school is not running a programme it is open to the parent to avail of the home based provision. To do this the parent must register online and complete the Grant Claim Form as outlined at the links given when delivery of the programme has been completed.
I also announced a programme for DEIS schools for this Summer.
Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.
176. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to a school will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12023/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The Department has received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy which will be considered by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school will be notified of the decision shortly.
177. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if approval will be given by for the installation of six Portakabins for a school (details supplied) due to there being no room for 52 children to commence school in September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12035/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received an application, for capital funding, from the school in question.
The application is currently being assessed, on completion of this process a decision will be relayed to the school authority directly.
178. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) regarding an outstanding July provision payment will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12041/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's July Provision Scheme provides funding for an extended school year for students with a severe/profound general learning disability and/or students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The scheme was developed to reduce potential regression in learning associated with these specific categories of special education needs over the summer holidays.
The terms and conditions relating to the operation of the scheme are made available to Parents and Tutors in advance of commencement of the tuition in a variety of documents and are also published on my Departments website.
In some cases, it may be evident that tuition was not delivered in line with the terms and conditions of the scheme. Where this occurs payment is withheld and the parent or tutor has the right to appeal the decision. In this particular case the decision was made to release the payment that had been withheld. However, due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the working arrangements currently in place, some payments have been delayed. The relevant section is now dealing with this and the payment will be issued as soon as possible.
179. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider providing a teaching post for a school (details supplied) to avoid the split class arrangement proposed and the potential effect on the educational attainment of the children concerned and also in view of Covid-19; and the way in which his Department will ensure that class groups of this size can return to the classroom safely. [12047/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. Details of the staffing appeal process are set out in Circular 18/2020, available on the Department website.
180. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an appeal by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12049/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board. The Department has received a staffing appeal from the school referred to by the Deputy which will be considered by the Primary Staffing Appeals Board. The school will be notified of the decision shortly.
