Written Answers Nos. 593-612
593. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the funding for the reopening of schools drawn down in each county to date; the funding drawn down for primary and secondary schools, respectively to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22198/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, on 27 July last the Government published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, along with details of a significant financial package to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap, following approval by the Government. The package of supports is expected to cost in excess of €437 million in the 2020/2021 school year.
The range of supports being made available to schools includes additional financial supports to provide for additional staffing, management supports, enhanced cleaning, hand hygiene and personal protective equipment costs under the Covid-19 response plans. The Government also approved a package of minor works grants as part of the July Stimulus to support schools to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening.
I can confirm to the Deputy that at the end of August 2020, €137 million of the approved supports have been paid directly to all of the country's State funded primary and post-primary schools. A detailed breakdown of this expenditure on a county by county basis is not readily available, but I can confirm the breakdown between primary and post primary levels with €62m paid at primary level and €75m at post primary level. Furthermore, the payment of €30 million of financial supports for primary schools planned for later in the year has been brought forward.
594. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if a reply will issue to correspondence regarding a school (details supplied) and the concern about large classes for the academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22199/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Roadmap for Full Return to School set outs the plan for the safe and sustainable reopening of our schools. It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives.
My Department is providing capital and current funding of an additional €377 million to support implementation of the roadmap. The supports are comprehensive across a range of areas and involve funding for measures such as PPE, hand sanitisation, enhanced cleaning and hygiene, physical distancing, management supports and substitution provision. It is also recognised that schools may require some reconfiguration works and this is supported by a once off enhanced minor works grant of €75 million to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening including an uplift for schools with SEN pupils.
The public health guidance recognises that the ability to achieve 1m physical distancing for junior infants to 2nd classes is not a prerequisite for facilitating a full return of all pupils. While there is the requirement for 1m physical distancing for the senior classes (3rd class to 6th class), schools also have the flexibility to organise their classes into bubbles and pods. The requirement in the public health guidance is for each pod to be 1m apart as distinct from each pupil in the pods.
My Department has published practical guidance for schools to help achieve physical distancing in line with public health advice and include:
- Reconfiguring classroom accommodation through the removal of unnecessary items of furniture, shelving etc.
- Using the largest classrooms for the senior classes
- Reviewing the size of each class so that there is a more even spread of pupils between each class
- Maximising available space within the footprint of the school
- If necessary, look at opportunities for sourcing any nearby accommodation for a large class e.g. parish hall, sports facilities etc. The Department supports same through the minor works grant and additional funding can be provided where necessary.
The public health advice recognises that the implementation of physical distancing will look different across the various ages and stages of learning and that a balanced and common sense approach should be applied in the implementation of measures, allowing for some flexibility when needed whilst noting that it must be applied in a practical way, recognising that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue.
While my Department has been in contact with a number of schools recently in an advisory capacity, including the school referred to by the Deputy, a reply will issue in the coming days in relation to individual requests received. Schools will be advised that they will have an option of an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board should they continue to experience difficulties, having first taken measures necessary to achieve physical distancing in line with published guidance.
595. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the length of time pupils will be in the temporary accommodation in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22200/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the matters which have impacted the handover of building in advance of the coming school year, my Department is taking appropriate steps to ensure that it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. There is currently an engagement underway between my Department and the Contractor in this regard under the contract. While this process is underway my Department will not be making any further comment.
The immediate focus in recent weeks has been to put in place appropriate contingency arrangements for the start of the 2020 school year for both schools. These arrangements are now in place.
The school referred to by the Deputy opened its doors to 64 first year students on Friday August 28th 2020. In the context of the current accommodation arrangements the school has had to make some modifications to its subject offering for this term. While it was not feasible to make full provision for specialist subjects at the school's current location, Department officials will continue to work closely with KWETB to ensure the needs of the school community continue to be met.
596. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education when a school (details supplied) will be ready for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22201/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the matters which have impacted the handover of the building referred to by the Deputy, my Department is taking appropriate steps to ensure that it is completely satisfied that the building is fit for handover prior to accepting it. There is currently an engagement underway between my Department and the Contractor in this regard under the contract. While this process is underway my Department will not be making any further comment.
The immediate focus in recent weeks has been to put in place appropriate contingency arrangements for the start of the 2020 school year for both schools. These arrangements are now in place.
597. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if her Department has formally prioritised the purchase of zoned land in a school (details supplied); the additional steps taken to expedite the matter; if she has engaged with the landowners of the zoned land for the school to purchase the site with immediate effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22202/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm a potential site option has been identified and discussions are ongoing with the landowner with a view to acquiring this site.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the site acquisition process can be lengthy and there can be complex issues which need to be addressed during negotiations, technical assessments or conveyancing. At all times the Department strives to obtain best value for the Exchequer.
My Department is committed to delivering a site for the new post primary school for the Greystones and Kilcoole area of County Wicklow and work is ongoing to achieve this as soon as possible.
598. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if school transport will be reinstated for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22209/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education.
In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's 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.
Under the terms of the Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Bus Éireann, which operate school transport on behalf of my Department, has advised that child referred to by the Deputy is not eligible for school transport under the terms of my Department's Post Primary School Transport Scheme.
Concessionary transport may vary from year to year and cannot be guaranteed for the duration of a child’s post primary school education cycle. Where the number of applications for transport on a concessionary basis exceeds the number of seats available, Bus Éireann determines the allocation of the tickets and refunds payments made on behalf of those concessionary applicants for whom no seats remain.
Bus Éireann has advised that all tickets have been allocated on the service is question and that the service is operating to capacity.
599. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education if vacant buildings will be refurbished and retrofitted in order that they can be used by a school (details supplied) to provide extra space and classrooms in order that social distancing can be achieved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22214/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe measures to be put in place in individual schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, to address requirements arising from the COVID-19 pandemic are a matter for the school authorities. The school under reference has access to minor works funding, as part of a new minor works grant totalling €42 million for the post-primary sector to assist with reopening. It is for the school authorities to determine how this funding is deployed.
600. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if late applications for school transport will be accepted from a family (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22223/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's 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.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 20/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. While it is possible to submit a payment, payments made at this time are now late. Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
In addition, payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid-19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
The closing date for receipt of payments for school transport was 4th August 2020, children for whom late payments are received cannot be guaranteed a seat on a school transport service.
601. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if a late application for school transport will be accepted from a student (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22224/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's 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.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 20/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. While it is possible to submit a payment, payments made at this time are now late. Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
In addition, payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid-19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
Bus Éireann has advised that neither an application nor payment was made for the child referred to by the Deputy for the 2020/21 school year.
The closing date for receipt of payments for school transport was 4th August 2020, children for whom late payments are received cannot be guaranteed a seat on a school transport service.
602. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding a school bus ticket for a person (details supplied). [22227/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's 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.
The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. All children who are eligible for school transport and who applied and paid by the deadline have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 20/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. While it is possible to submit a payment, payments made at this time are now late. Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year.
In addition, payments for Post-Primary seats completed or made after 4th August 2020 will be only considered when 50% capacity, required by new Covid-19 public health guidelines, is achieved on each route. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route and may take a number of weeks to complete.
In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued.
Bus Éireann has advised that they have not received an application from the new address of the family, and no payment/medical card details have been received for the child referred to by the Deputy for the 2020/21 school year.
603. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education the status of preparations to reopen a school (details supplied); the status of preparations for permanent facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22237/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe permanent school building project for this school is being delivered under the Department's Design and Build programme. A preplanning meeting was held with Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council earlier in the year and this is informing the design for the project. Lodgement of the Planning Application will be the next key milestone in the progression of the project.
The Department has approved the provision of funding, under the Additional Accommodation Scheme, to provide for prefabricated accommodation for Dun Laoghaire Educate Together (and Red Door Special School) to meet the short to medium term accommodation needs of both schools and the pupils concerned at their current location. Some issues during the tendering process led to delays in the delivery of this project to the extent that it will not be completed for September.
In the meantime, officials in the Department have been working closely with the school authority in Dun Laoghaire Educate Together with a view to providing interim solutions to meet the needs of the school pending completion of this project. Having worked closely together in that respect, it was agreed that an existing building – a Dublin Dun Laoghaire ETB building on Eblana Avenue – would be refurbished with a view to facilitating its use for that purpose. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this work was completed yesterday other than a few snagging items which will be completed today. I understand that the school authority will start moving into the building today with a view to relocating there no later than next Monday, 14th September as previously outlined.
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that the Blackrock Education Centre kindly agreed to facilitate the opening of the school on 1st September at its premises for the few extra days that the works on the Eblana building took.
604. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education her views on a matter regarding teachers wearing face masks in the classroom (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22255/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings on the 6th August 2020. The advice from the HPSC to the Department has recommended that face coverings should be worn by teachers, staff and students attending post primary schools when a physical distance of 2 meters from other staff or students cannot be maintained. The advice also provides that in certain situations, the use of clear visors should be considered for staff interacting with students with hearing difficulties or learning difficulties.
The only exemptions provided for in the advice, provides that cloth face coverings should not be worn by any of the following groups:
- any person with difficulty breathing
- any person who is unconscious or incapacitated
- any person who is unable to remove the face-covering without assistance
- any person who has special needs and who may feel upset or very uncomfortable wearing the face covering, for example persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory concerns or tactile sensitivity. A medical certificate should be provided to the school where an exemptions is sought on the above grounds.
Advice for schools on the use of face coverings is available in the COVID-19 Response Plans for schools published on the www.gov.ie/backtoschool.
605. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education the progress for the new schools in Carrigtohill campus, County Cork. [22259/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe building project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that planning permission has been secured for the project and the Departments Project Management team are currently working on the preparation of the tender documents for the tender and appointment of a Contractor.
The Department and it's PM team are also engaging with a third party contractor regarding the road network which will have to be constructed by that party in parallel with the schools building project and both parties will jointly be engaging further with Cork County Council regarding a joint construction programme as is required under the conditions of the grant of planning permission.
The intention is to commence work on the planning compliance items in the coming weeks to start the process with Cork Co. Co.
606. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the provisions being made for families nationwide who have not found a place for their child on a school bus in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22296/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra622. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if an overview will be provided of the arrangements she plans to put in place to deal with primary and secondary students who have been refused concessionary bus tickets in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22437/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 622 together.
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
In the 2019/20 school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, were transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.
The purpose of my Department's 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.
Under the terms of the scheme, children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria (3.2km at primary and 4.8km at post-primary) and are attending their nearest school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language. Distance eligibility is determined by Bus Éireann by measuring the shortest traversable route from the child’s home to the relevant school.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time for the 2020/2021 school year have been accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who complete the application process on time, are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats. The provision of a seat on a concessionary basis in a given year does not confer any continuing entitlement for that user in following years as concessionary places are entirely contingent on there being spare seats once eligible users are provided for.
607. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made in respect of an application by a school (details supplied) in County Mayo for additional accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22299/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that my Department gave grant approval for the school to build a classroom and an Assisted-User WC under the Additional Schools' Accommodation Scheme 2016. Delivery of this project has been devolved to the school authority.
The current position with respect to this project is that the school has been required to retender same as there were a number of issues with the previous tendering process. My Department is awaiting a revised tender report in that context.
608. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been made in respect of an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22300/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department, for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed.
609. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the status of progress of a building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22313/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP) and a site has been acquired for this purpose.
My Department is engaging directly with the school in the context of the planning work associated with the project. Information has been requested from the school relating to this planning work and once this is received, further progress can be made.
610. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if the proposal to provide additional permanent accommodation at a school (details supplied) will be advanced to the next stage at an early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22346/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department, for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed.
611. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if the proposal to provide additional permanent accommodation at a school (details supplied) will be advanced to the next stage at an early date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22347/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme, from the school referred to by the Deputy.
The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed.
612. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education if a long-standing proposal to upgrade existing accommodation and provide additional permanent accommodation at a school (details supplied) will be progressed without further delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22348/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the school referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application to my Department, for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation scheme.
The application is currently under consideration and a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authority as soon as the assessment process is completed.
