Written Answers Nos. 1027-1045
1027. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the status of discussions to bring school secretaries pay and conditions put on a par with all other public servants; her views on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19378/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am keenly aware of the vital contribution of secretaries and caretakers within school communities and I recognise the very important work done by these staff, and the other support staff in the running of our schools.
In recognition of their role, I have put special arrangements in place for this school year whereby schools will be funded to employ a replacement secretary or caretaker in the event that staff who are at very high risk of contracting serious illness from COVID-19 cannot work on the school premises. I have also extended the Employee Assistance Service to all school staff including secretaries and caretakers.
The majority of primary and voluntary secondary schools receive assistance to provide for secretarial, caretaking and cleaning services under grant schemes. Where a school employs a staff member to support those functions those staff are employees of individual schools and responsibility for terms of employment rests with the school.
On foot of a Chairman’s Note to the Lansdowne Road Agreement, my Department implemented the 2015 recommendations of an independent arbitrator. The Arbitrator recommended a cumulative pay increase of 10% between 2016 and 2019 and that a minimum hourly pay rate of €13 be phased in over that period. This arbitration agreement covered the period up to 31 December 2019 and has been fully implemented and increased funding was provided by my Department.
The arbitration agreement was designed to be of greatest benefit to lower-paid secretaries and caretakers. For example, a secretary or caretaker who was paid the then minimum wage of €8.65 per hour in 2015 prior to the arbitration has from 1 January 2019 been paid €13 per hour which is a 50% increase in that individual’s hourly pay.
Fórsa trade union has tabled a follow-on claim from the 2015 agreement. Officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and School Management Bodies have been engaging with Fórsa on the claim. On the 27th of October 2020 under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission, an understanding was agreed on a pathway to progress the issues. Several key strands have been identified, and a phased approach is being taken to the development of proposals. The parties are scheduled to return to the WRC this month and I support meaningful engagement on this issue by all parties.
1028. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the actions she is taking to assist a person (details supplied) with autism in Cork city access to a school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19388/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
This year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
The majority of special schools cater for students up to the age of 18. However, in the event that students are transitioning from a special school to a post-primary school, such enrolment applications are a matter for each individual board of management and the NCSE does not hold such records.
The NCSE, through its local network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers), is available to provide advice and support to parents of students that are due to transition to post-primary on the possible placement options available to their child, including mainstream placement with appropriate support, special class placement and special school placement. Post-primary placements are supported with additional resources where required.
The Deputy will be aware of the recent announcement whereby Minister Foley and I have secured a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork through the establishment of a new special school and increased capacity in an existing special school to meet the needs of children in the Cork area.
The new provision will see the establishment of a new special school in Carrigaline which will have the capacity to provide 48 school places. It will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
The provision will also provide for a change to the designation of St. Mary’s Special School, Rochestown to cater for children with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism with 12 new school places becoming available for September 2021.
Priority will now be given to those children who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September.
The provision of 60 additional special school placements is to cater for the immediate requirements. I can assure the Deputy that my Department and the NCSE continue to work towards the development of additional placements in the Cork area to meet ongoing and future demand.
I can also confirm that the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) remains available to support this family regarding a suitable placement.
1029. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school students projected to transition to secondary level in each of the four school planning areas of Cobh, Midleton, Carrigtwohill Fermoy and Youghal respectively in each of the years 2021 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19410/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, 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, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
The anticipation of projected post primary school place requirements is based, in the first instance, on the level of enrolment at each standard (class) in primary schools and the historic transfer patterns between primary and post primary schools.
Based on the information available at the time of the most recent demographic exercise, the projections for first year intake numbers in the Cobh, Midleton_Carrigtwohill, Fermoy and Youghal school planning areas from 2021 to 2025 are as follows:
|
- |
Projections for 2021 |
Projections for 2022 |
Projections for 2023 |
Projections for 2024 |
Projections for 2025 |
|
Cobh |
164 |
182 |
176 |
162 |
147 |
|
Fermoy |
394 |
419 |
409 |
381 |
401 |
|
Midleton_Carrigtwohill |
767 |
771 |
736 |
685 |
669 |
|
Youghal |
198 |
194 |
201 |
154 |
161 |
It should be noted, however, that residential development in an area can contribute to increased school place requirements. For that reason, my Department includes information received from local authorities in respect of current or planned residential developments in its consideration of future school place projections. Of the four school planning areas referenced by the Deputy, Midleton_Carrigtwohill and Cobh have the highest level of residential development activity, as notified by the local authority, and this may result in demand additional to the numbers outlined above. This is informing deliberations in respect of any potential school accommodation requirements. The projections will be updated on a rolling basis and will take account of the additional student numbers which materialise when planned residential development is completed and occupied.
1030. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter in relation to school bus transport tickets (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19443/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of the 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 decision taken by the Government not to re-open schools on the 6th January 2021, followed by the subsequent phased re-opening, was taken in the interest of protecting our pupils, their families, teachers and those members of the wider community and is one of the many measures taken to support efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.
The matter of refunds on the cost of school transport tickets for the period of school closures in the 2020/2021 school year will be considered at the end of the current school year.
1031. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education if the wearing of face coverings in classrooms is mandatory or voluntary; if exemptions exist; and if so, the details of same. [19463/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department received advice from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on the use of face coverings in educational settings. Indoors where physical distancing is not possible, face coverings should be worn by teachers, staff, and post primary students.
However Public health advice also provides that cloth face coverings should not be worn by any of the following groups:
- any person with difficulty breathing
- 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 must be provided to the school where an exemptions is sought on the above grounds. There is no capacity for schools to deviate from either the requirement to wear face coverings or the exemptions that apply. Students in these categories can continue to attend school as normal while observing arrangements in place to protect themselves though regular hand hygiene, maintaining physical distancing and the application of respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
1032. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Education the timeframe for the proposed inclusion for the new electric vehicle charging guidance in the second edition of the TGD 033 School Building Projects and Compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19516/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department produces guidance for School Authorities, and their Design Teams, who are involved in providing new or additional Educational Accommodation. Access to this guidance is provided on my Department’s website which details the Design and Technical Guidance together with the procedures which must be followed where funding is being made available from the Department.
The website was updated in 2020 with regard to guidance for the provision of electric vehicle charging in schools.
This direction and guidance is provided in the Energy Conservation and Mechanical and Electrical Building Services Design Note 202001 July 2020 and details how design teams are to provide EV charging in schools.
This design guidance for EV charging in schools will be consolidated into the next edition of TGD 033 which will be progressed once Building Regulations TGD L 2020 has been published.
1033. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the engagements she has had with representative bodies to date regarding the decision not to vaccinate teachers as a priority. [19573/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra1034. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she will make available the scientific advice that she has referred to regarding the decision to not vaccinate teachers as a priority. [19574/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1033 and 1034 together.
The new vaccination roll out schedule, which was recommended to government by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC), and endorsed by the NPHET, is that the remainder of the population after Group 9 will be completed on an age basis from those aged 64 years and younger, and that this decision will replace the previous groupings in the original plan. The recommendations from the NIAC have been published on the RCPI website: https://www.rcpi.ie/policy-and-advocacy/national-immunisation-advisory-committee/
Following the Government decision to accept the NPHET recommendations in relation to the vaccination programme, I, as Minister, together with senior officials of the Department, organised and attended a briefing for education unions and management bodies by Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer and Dr Kevin Kelleher from the HSE, where the medical evidence that informed NIAC in relation to the revised programme was set out. The risk of someone aged 55-64 with COVID-19 is 70 times higher in terms of death, over 20 times higher in terms of ICU admission and 5 times higher in terms of hospitalisation when compared to the risk facing someone aged 20-34 with COVID-19.
The move to an age-based model supports the vaccination programme objectives by protecting those at highest risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and death first regardless of occupation. The move also facilitates the planning and execution of the programme across the entire country and improve transparency and fairness.
This decision has implications for many sectors including school staff and will result in those working in schools being vaccinated with their age cohort. People who are medically vulnerable including school staff will continue to be vaccinated in line with their original grouping.
The vaccine programme has never been about valuing one group or profession over another. The guiding force behind it has always been to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Clear scientific evidence now tells us that older people, regardless of occupation, are more susceptible to the virus. If we truly wish to protect the most vulnerable, we must act proactively on the basis of this scientific evidence.
The Department of Education is strongly committed to regular engagement with the education partners on all matters relating to the safe and sustainable operation of schools in the pandemic and will continue to engage with unions and management bodies of all of these issues. Weekly briefings by public health specialists for the education partners will also continue in the coming term.
1035. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the reason a distinction is being drawn in terms of risk and need for vaccinations with SNAs and others who carry out the same roles but in a different setting given the level of one to one and personal care provided by SNAs in special needs schools and the inability to social distance. [19583/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new vaccination roll out schedule, which was recommended to government by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and endorsed by the NPHET, is that the remainder of the population after Group 9 will be completed on an age basis from those aged 64 years and younger, and that this decision will replace the previous groupings in the original plan. The evidence is clear that hospitalisation and death risk increases with age, while a review conducted by NIAC did not see any occupational group emerge as being at higher risk of morbidity or mortality. The risk of someone aged 55-64 with COVID-19 is 70 times higher in terms of death, over 20 times higher in terms of ICU admission and 5 times higher in terms of hospitalisation when compared to the risk facing someone aged 20-34 with COVID-19. I appreciate this change in schedule has been a cause of upset and disappointment for many in the education sector, and also in other sectors.
The move to an age-based model supports the vaccination programme objectives by protecting those at highest risk of serious illness, hospitalisation and death first regardless of occupation.
The Department remains committed to regular engagement with the education partners and will continue to engage with unions and management bodies on all issues concerning Covid-19.
1036. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in providing new permanent joint accommodation to two schools on the one site (details supplied) which are in very poor standard accommodation at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19599/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a building project to provide improved accommodation for the schools in question is included on the Department's school building programme to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP).
The accommodation brief for the project is being developed and my Department will continue to liaise with the schools in this regard.
1037. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Education if a funding application review will be carried on the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19622/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including applications for assistive technology.
SENOs then make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in making recommendations for support, as set out in Circular 0010/2013 which is published on my Department’s website. https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0010_2013.pdf
In order to qualify for equipment under the assistive technology scheme, a child must have been diagnosed with a physical or communicative disability and must also have a recommendation in a professional assessment that the equipment is essential in order to allow the child to access the curriculum. It must also be clear that the existing I.T. equipment in the school is insufficient to meet the child's needs.
The appeal referred to by the Deputy is currently being considered by my Department and the decision will be communicated to the applicant as soon as it is available.
1038. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education if a payment will be issued to a person (details supplied). [19700/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Caranua was established in 2013 with the purpose of disbursing the contributions of €110m (€111.38m including interest) provided by the religious congregations following the publication of the Ryan Report in 2009, by funding approved services to support the needs of former residents who as children suffered abuse in relevant institutions.
The contributions received from the congregations were, in accordance with the Act, held in an account managed by the National Treasury Management Agency. All of Caranua’s costs, including both the costs of providing services for survivors and the administrative costs associated with Caranua’s operations, were, in accordance with the 2012 Act, required to be met from the funding available in the Statutory Fund. The Act did not provide for the funding available to Caranua to be supplemented by the Exchequer.
As the Statutory Fund was finite in nature, Caranua announced in May 2018 that it would cease to accept applications from 1 August 2018. Following that deadline, it mainly focussed on processing applications on hand, although it also undertook targeted outreach to certain groups, including survivors who are in prison. Caranua made all final payments in early-December 2020, with the exception of a very limited number of cases where applications were reverted to Caranua upon appeal, or where Caranua had agreed to make staggered payments for services beyond the 12 December deadline.
Caranua implemented a planned wind-down of operations over its final year of operations, in accordance with a detailed plan and under the supervision of a sub-committee of its Board.
In general terms, it is important to note that the approval of an application by Caranua does not necessarily mean that a payment was ultimately made. Where a decision was made that a particular service could be funded, Caranua would “pre-approve” the service, but this would be subject to the provision of additional paperwork and information from the applicant, such as quotes from service providers. This “pre-approval” would therefore give the applicant assurance that if they followed up with the required paperwork, that the service would be funded. Where this paperwork was not forthcoming, Caranua could not proceed with making the related payment. In some cases, applications remained open for a number of years for this reason, despite Caranua’s ongoing engagement with the applicants concerned.
Throughout the course of 2020, Caranua engaged intensively with all remaining applicants, and set out clear and person-centred timelines for the provision of all of the required information, in an effort to ensure that all outstanding applications could be closed. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, a number of applicants did not provide the required information by the deadline set.
The Department is not in a position nor has any basis to re-open any applications which were concluded by Caranua.
1039. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the reason for the differentiation in incremental credit on the teaching salary scale between those working in primary and post-primary private schools outside of the EU (details supplied); and if she will consider amending same in order that the experience of both cohorts is recognised. [19722/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Education and is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.
The criteria for the award of incremental credit is set out in my Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. There is currently no provision for the award of incremental credit under the scheme in Circular 29/2007 to post primary private schools outside of the European Union.
The teachers unions have lodged a number of claims at TCC in relation to incremental credit, including one in relation to recognising private teaching service, given by post-primary teachers, outside the EU. TCC agreed to establish a sub-Committee to consider the claims. The claims are still under consideration.
1040. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education her views on whether it is reasonable for her Department to deny a school (details supplied) additional special education hours given the school has demonstrated a need for an additional 50 hours to keep up with the needs of students; her further views on whether it appropriate that her Department in spite of the refusal of additional hours is requesting that the school open a class for students with ASD; and if she will consider revising this refusal in order that students such as a person will not go without the educational support they need to fully access education on a par with their peers. [19747/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA new model for allocating Special Education Teachers to mainstream schools was introduced from September 2017, based on the profiled needs of schools.
The allocation model, which was recommended by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), is designed to distribute the total available level of special educational needs teachers across the school system, based on the relative need of each school, as evidenced by a number of key indicators. This includes:
- a baseline allocation for each school, based on school enrolments
- the number of pupils with complex needs enrolled to the school (number of pupils accessing HSE disability services)
- the extent of learning needs a school has, as evidenced by standardised test data,
- an allocation to take account of the social context of the school, including disadvantage and gender.
The allocations were updated for schools with effect from September 2019, with limited readjustments being applied for at that time.
The allocations have remained in place for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 school years, with some adjustments made over the course of the model for schools which achieved developing status, or successfully appealed on the grounds of exceptional circumstances arising in their schools
Allocations are also provided for new schools which open each year.
As the model is designed to distribute the total available resources across the school system based on profiled need, some schools are intended to gain under this distribution, with these gains counterbalanced by equivalent reductions in schools where the model indicates less need at each review stage.
When the model was updated with effect from September 2019, a graduated adjustment was applied which meant that a portion of the total adjustments which the re-profiled model would have provided for, was applied to schools. Gains and losses which would have occurred were capped.
For schools which would have gained or lost over 10 special education teaching hours, these gains and losses were capped at 20% of the adjustment which would otherwise have occurred.
The allocation for the school referred to by the Deputy was made on this basis, with additional allocation being made in accordance with the reallocation criteria which was applicable at that time. The school has therefore received its correct allocation, based on this criteria.
There are now over 13,600 Special Education Teachers allocated to mainstream primary and post primary schools.
This represents an increase of 40% in the total number of special education teachers allocated to schools since 2011, at which time 9740 teachers were allocated.
The allocations are based on the profiled needs of schools, and are designed to be updated, based on new school profile data, every 2-3 years.
For the coming school year, in order to minimise disruption and upheaval for schools as much as possible in light of Covid-19, and to provide for continuity of allocations, the existing Special Education Teacher Allocations for schools will be maintained for the 2021/22 school year, with re-profiled allocations now due to be made from September 2022.
This means that schools will not have to engage in an extensive redeployment of posts, or re-clustering, this year.
It also means that schools will have greater levels of certainty as to the staff that they will have in place for September.
It is therefore important to note that no school will see a cut, or reduction, to their special education teaching support next year.
Where schools have growing enrolments year on year, they will receive an increased allocation, pending the next re-profiling.
No school will receive a reduction to their current allocation.
Importantly, additional allocations will also continue to be made for new schools, schools which achieve developing status, and for exceptional circumstances. Schools that qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts also qualify for additional special education teaching allocations to take account of this developing status.If a school considers that exceptional circumstances have arisen in their school, which means that they cannot provide for the special educational teaching needs of pupils due to very significant changes to the school profile occurring, a school may seek a review of their allocations by the NCSE. Details of this review process are available at https://ncse.ie/review-of-special-education-teacher-supports-where-there-are-exceptional-circumstances-or-needs-arising-in-a-school-2
1041. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the current section 29 appeals process; if changes have occurred to this process in the past 12 months; if so, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19748/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 provided for the replacement of section 29 of the Education Act 1998 with sections 29A to 29F. The purpose of this change is to make the appeals process fit for purpose and less cumbersome for parents and schools. The changes came into effect for all appeals received from 12th November 2020.
The above changes are part of the legislative changes to the school admissions process which aim to give parents greater confidence that school admissions process are fair and transparent and provides that schools are legally required to accept all applicants where they have places.
Under the new provisions, oral hearings are provided for appeals in respect of expulsion and suspension and where refusal to admit is for reasons other than oversubscription. A preliminary decision issues for all oral hearings and both parties to the appeal are provided with an opportunity to submit their observations on this preliminary decision before the final decision issues. The outcome of these appeals is to allow or disallow the appeal. For expulsion and suspension appeals that are allowed the committee directs that the expulsion or suspension be removed from the record of the student. For refusal to admit appeals for reasons other than oversubscription, the outcome is to allow or disallow the appeal, where the committee allows such appeals the direction to the school is to admit the student.
For appeals taken in respect of refusal to admit due to the school being oversubscribed, the appeals committee conduct a paper based consideration of all such appeals. Prior to these appeals being lodged the appellant must first seek a review by the schools board of management of their application for enrolment, which allows the school to consider if any error occurred in the schools processing of the enrolment application. When the appeals committee has considered these paper based appeals the outcome is to allow or disallow the appeal. Where appeals under this category are allowed a direction is given to the school to admit the student or adjust the ranking of the student on the waiting list.
Further information on the section 29 appeals process can be found at Appeal against Permanent Exclusion, Suspension or Refusal to Enrol - Department of Education and Skills
1042. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the status of special school education facilities in east County Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19759/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
This year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
The majority of special schools cater for students up to the age of 18. However, in the event that students are transitioning from a special school to a post-primary school, such enrolment applications are a matter for each individual board of management and the NCSE does not hold such records.
The NCSE, through its local network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers), is available to provide advice and support to parents of students that are due to transition to post-primary on the possible placement options available to their child, including mainstream placement with appropriate support, special class placement and special school placement. Post-primary placements are supported with additional resources where required.
The Deputy will be aware of the recent announcement whereby Minister Foley and I have secured a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork through the establishment of a new special school and increased capacity in an existing special school to meet the needs of children in the Cork area.
The new provision will see the establishment of a new special school in Carrigaline which will have the capacity to provide 48 school places. It will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
The provision will also provide for a change to the designation of St. Mary’s Special School, Rochestown to cater for children with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism with 12 new school places becoming available for September 2021.
Priority will now be given to those children who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September.
The provision of 60 additional special school placements is to cater for the immediate requirements. I can assure the Deputy that my Department and the NCSE continue to work towards the development of additional placements in the Cork area to meet ongoing and future demand.
I can also confirm that the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) remain available to support these families regarding a suitable placement.
1043. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if all vacancies (details supplied) are advertised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19811/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra1046. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if any person can apply for a position (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19866/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1043 and 1046 together.
The Deputy should note that Board appointments, while made by me as Minister, are not in all cases made at my discretion. Individuals may be nominated for appointment by various organisations arising from the terms in the relevant statutes of the Body concerned.
The guidelines for appointments to State Boards can be viewed on the State Boards website at https://www.publicjobs.ie/restapi/documents/Guidelines_on_Appointments_to_State_Boards_Jan2015.pdf
These guidelines codify the process for filling vacancies on State Boards, for bodies under the aegis of my Department. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) manage this process which is normally used for new appointments to boards. Applications are made through the dedicated website www. Stateboards.ie with this website being the channel used by PAS to both inform the public of vacancies and to collate expressions of interest in vacancies.
Members of the public interested in service on a state board may register with PAS via www.publicjobs.ie and receive alerts when state board vacancies are advertised.
An assessment process is undertaken by PAS leading to the creation of a list of candidates suitable for appointments to Boards.
1044. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education if concerns raised by a person (details supplied) in respect of the five-day rule for final year teaching students will receive a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19827/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
In accordance with Department Circular 44/2019 and the Terms & Conditions of Employment for Registered Teachers in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools web book which are available on the Department’s website under www.education.ie, schools are required to employ appropriately qualified and registered teachers. These also detail a cascade of measures for the recruitment of teachers, prioritising registered teachers over unregistered people.
Other than the limited exceptions under Ministerial Regulations, (S.I. No.32/2014, Education Act 1998 (Unregistered Persons) Regulations 2014), prohibits payment from Oireachtas funds to people employed as teachers in recognised schools unless they are registered with the Teaching Council.
1045. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education her views on a matter regarding the urgent need for temporary accommodation for a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; her plans to ensure that places are available for students in the area in September for the coming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19857/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to inform the Deputy that the patron of the school referred to will progress the delivery of temporary modular accommodation to address the school’s accommodation requirement for the 2021/22 academic year.
It is fully expected that the necessary accommodation will be in place for this September.
