Brendan Griffin
Ceist:171. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education if she will address secondary school place shortages in Milltown, County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45696/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Admissions
Ceisteanna (171)
Freagraí scríofa
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas.
Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school, they are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
The true extent of any capacity issue will only become known following discussion with the relevant school authorities.
Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, including patrons of schools in the mid-Kerry area, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
State Examinations
Ceisteanna (172)
Richard Bruton
Ceist:172. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if she has received proposals from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment on reform of the leaving certificate; if the experience of the assessment of students during the Covid-19 pandemic will allow more radical revisions than originally anticipated be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44810/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Between 2016 and 2020, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) undertook an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, to include Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established.
The review involved a very broad range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders, on all aspects of review and redevelopment over a number of phases over the period of the review. The NCCA also commissioned external expertise to support the process, including the ESRI and the OECD.
The Advisory Report, maps out, in broad terms, an ambitious programme of work, which would enable the development and construction of the components that would make up a Framework for Senior Cycle and will involve further ongoing stakeholder engagement and consultation.
The NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review: Advisory Report has been submitted to my Department for consideration and will be published in the coming weeks.
My department is also aware of the significant impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our education system over the past two years, including its impact on students who were due to take their Leaving Certificate examinations in those years. The systems of Leaving Certificate Calculated Grades and SEC-Accredited Grades which operated for Leaving Certificate 2020 and 2021 respectively were introduced to assist candidates in those years to progress on their journey to further or higher education, to apprenticeships or to the world of work. I expect that the lessons to be learnt from the pandemic will be considered and where appropriate, will assist in informing the redevelopment of Senior Cycle.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (173)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:173. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education if school transport is running at 100% capacity; the steps she is taking to increase the number of seats available on school buses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45691/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 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.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and who have applied and paid on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and are offered seats where capacity exists after all eligible children have been catered for. 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 2021/2022 school year.
Planning for school transport for the 2021/22 school year has proceeded on the basis that the public health measures in place as schools closed at the end of the last school year would remain as term began in this new school year. This includes the recommendations from Public Health that post-primary services would operate at 50% capacity and that masks would be worn. All other measures relating to hygiene, pre-assigned seating, cleaning and the wearing of masks by post-primary students are also in place. However, as the vaccination programme for children on post-primary services is rolled out and as the lifting of restrictions on public transport services proceeds, the capacity limit of 50% on post-primary school transport services will be subject to ongoing review and the Department will be considering the position in this regard over the coming weeks.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that to date 104,324 pupils, including 54,728 post primary eligible pupils and 14,735 post primary concessionary pupils have been issued tickets for the School Transport Scheme. This number is changing as tickets continue to be allocated to pupils.
Should post-primary services resume operating at 100% capacity and where additional vehicles that were provided for social distancing purposes are removed, any spare capacity available will be offered on those services to concessionary pupils or late applicants where such capacity exists.
Question No. 174 answered with Question No. 113.
Covid-19 Tests
Ceisteanna (175)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:175. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of Covid-19 tests administered and the number and proportion of confirmed Covid-19 cases for primary school pupils by week since the return of primary schools in August 2021. [45679/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The most recent weekly schools testing report outlines that from 29 August 2021 to 11 September 2021, 1,261 close contacts within primary schools have been identified and sent for testing and the positivity rate from these test is 58 cases or 4.39%.
This is a very reassuring indicator that transmission in school settings remains at a low level and compares very favourably with community transmission close contact positivity rates, and reflects that infection prevention and control measures are effective in schools.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (176)
John Lahart
Ceist:176. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to a school (details supplied) that has lodged an appeal regarding the inadequate support being supplied for children with very high needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45506/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fair allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the level of need in each school.
Schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile. The allocations to schools include provision to support all pupils in the schools, including where a child receives a diagnosis after the allocation is received by a school, or where there are newly enrolling pupils to the school.
Both the Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) are committed to ensuring that all schools are treated equally and fairly in the manner in which their school profiles have been calculated.
Accordingly, a number of review processes have been put in place to support schools.
A process is in place to address circumstances where the school profile significantly changed following the allocation process e.g. a developing school where the net enrolment numbers significantly increased.
The criteria for qualification for mainstream school developing school posts are set out in the Primary and Post Primary School Staffing Schedule for the 2021/22 school year.
Schools who qualify for additional mainstream developing school posts in accordance with these criteria also qualify for additional Special Education Teaching Allocations to take account of this developing status.
I can confirm that under the developing schools process this school have received a provisional allocation of 8 hours for the 2021/2022 school year, which brings the total provisional SET allocation for this school to 48 hours. The allocation of these additional hours will be confirmed once the increased enrolments are confirmed.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (177)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Ceist:177. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education if an update will be provided in relation to the issues surrounding the school transport scheme; the status of the review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45566/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on time for the 2021/22 school year will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. In addition all post-primary pupils who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and who have applied and paid on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. This arrangement is in place for current school year pending completion of the full review of the School Transport Scheme.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and are offered seats where capacity exists after all eligible children have been catered for.
My Department commenced a review of the School Transport Scheme in Februrary 2021. The review is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that the it serves students and their families adequately.
Following commencement of this review the Steering Group recently presented me with an initial interim report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next nearest school. Following consideration of this report, I approved the extension of temporary alleviation measures for transport for post-primary students who are otherwise eligible for school transport but are attending their second nearest school and have applied and paid on time.
Wider considerations relating to operation of the scheme will take place in the next phase of the review which is now underway. The Steering Group will continue to report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (178)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:178. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to deliver on her capital building programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45176/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department has a strong and ambitious rollout of projects under the school building programme to support the operation of the school system particularly in terms of additional capacity requirements.
During the NDP period 2018-2020, there were 526 completed building projects under the Large Scale Capital Programme and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. These projects delivered in excess of 48,000 school places, including permanent accommodation for 229 special classes and additional capacity for 67 classrooms in 14 special schools throughout the country.
There are also currently some 250 school building projects on site many of which will be completed in 2022.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics.
While at a national level, enrolment trends indicate that primary enrolments have passed their peak and that post primary enrolments will peak in the 2024/25 academic year, my Department is very much aware that there are variations to this trend at regional and local level. For that reason, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographic Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity in order to anticipate school place demand and identify capacity requirement priorities which will necessitate action. This is important in the context of ensuring alignment with the Government’s Housing for All Plan.
While much progress has been made to date, the continued modernisation of school facilities will be a priority for my Department under the forthcoming revised NDP to 2030. This increased focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock will be further to the continued increase of school capacity to keep pace with demographic demand including provision for Special Education Needs.
Covid-19 Pandemic
Ceisteanna (179)
Mick Barry
Ceist:179. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education the consultation she has had with education workers and their trade unions in relation to the safe reopening of education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45605/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department has had weekly engagements with stakeholders in relation to public health advice and the implementation of important infection prevention and control measures in schools so that they can continue to operate safely.
Throughout the pandemic detailed stakeholder engagement has been a critical factor in identifying the complex challenges that arise for schools and school leaders across a number of areas, including logistical challenges in meeting cleaning and physical distancing requirements, curriculum and assessment matters, and the wellbeing and welfare of the school community on reopening.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Ceisteanna (180)
Martin Browne
Ceist:180. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education her views on the reason that Ireland failed to provide data on class sizes to inform the OECD Education at a Glance report 2020; her views on comments by an organisation (details supplied) that having 20% of pupils in classes of 30 or more is a national embarrassment; her plans to address the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45604/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
We have provided data for the most recent OECD Education at a Glance report 2020. In table D2.1 page 354 refers, you will find the average class size for Ireland which is 24 for the reporting year 2018-2019. The data published in the OECD report is average class size by country, class size band data is not published.
The most recently published detailed class size information can be found in our Statistical Bulletin - July 2021.
For the 2020-2021 academic year 14.3% of pupils were in a class of 30 or more pupils, figure 5 in the bulletin refers.
assets.gov.ie/139883/8cc02789-a453-4abd-8940-b6195377909f.pdf
Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools.
For the 2021/22 school year, an improvement of one point in the appointment threshold in primary schools has been introduced and schools have been provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 25 pupils which is a historical low ratio. Lower thresholds are in place for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. In addition, a three point reduction in the retention scale has also been introduced. These measures will help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.
We are currently unable to calculate class size at post primary due to the difficulty of recording discrete class sizes where pupils have different subject choices and subject levels available to them.
Education Costs
Ceisteanna (181)
Gary Gannon
Ceist:181. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the increased financial burden placed on families for back-to-school costs detailed in an annual back to school survey (details supplied) and the back to school survey by an organisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45718/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department issued Circular 32/2017 which sets out principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of school uniforms and other costs. These include that all elements of a school uniform should be purchasable from various stores, that wherever possible generic rather than branded items should be specified and the provision to parents of a list of all required items indicating the likely costs of these required items at best value stores.
Budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019. The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration has now been achieved.
All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date. It is the intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets. However I must be prudent in the context of ongoing budgetary pressures giving the current economic circumstances.
Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils enrolled in recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.
My Department is also continuing to progress the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Bill has been passed by the Seanad and last July passed second stage in the Dáil. The overall aim of the Bill is to improve the level of engagement between the school community by inviting feedback, comment and observation from students and parents and by further developing a listening culture in schools. One of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with the school community on individual school plans, policies and activities.
This approach will help ensure that the various views of staff, students and parents will be heard and responded to by schools on policies and issues including back to school costs. The Bill also provides for schools to provide financial information to students and parents, including information regarding voluntary contributions and how they are spent.
School Funding
Ceisteanna (182)
Kathleen Funchion
Ceist:182. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education if a school principal can refuse to sign a children’s allowance claim form until the payment of the schools voluntary contribution has been made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45576/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Voluntary contributions by parents of pupils enrolled in recognised schools are permissible provided it is made absolutely clear to parents that there is no question of compulsion to pay and that, in making a contribution, they are doing so of their own volition.
The manner in which voluntary contributions are collected is a matter for school management, however their collection should be such as not to create a situation where either parents or pupils could reasonably infer that the contributions take on a compulsory character. In no circumstance should non-payment of a voluntary contribution impact on parents in the manner referred to by the Deputy.
Should the Deputy have relevant details of a school and parents involved my Department will follow up with the school concerned.
State Examinations
Ceisteanna (183)
Mick Barry
Ceist:183. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Education the reforms that will be made to the leaving certificate examinations to take into account the pressure on students from the pandemic and remote learning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45606/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am conscious that students who are due to take their Leaving Certificate examinations in 2022 have experienced a degree of disruption to their learning.
My Department co-chairs an Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations in conjunction with the State Examinations Commission. The group was originally established to consider contingency arrangements for the 2020 Leaving Certificate and was reconstituted for the purposes of planning for the 2021 Leaving Certificate. The group includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission (SEC), the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Education, including the National Educational Psychological Service.
In meetings held in April and May of this year, this group discussed the Leaving Certificate 2022 examinations.
On 30 June, the Advisory Group on Planning for State Examinations received an update in relation to the 2022 Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle examinations.
Following this meeting, I announced that adjustments would be made to the 2022 examinations which are similar to those published in December 2020 in respect of Leaving Certificate 2021.
The adjustments are outlined in the document ’Assessment Arrangements for Junior and Leaving Certificate 2022’, which is available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate.
These adjustments will leave intact the familiar overall structure of the examinations, while incorporating additional choice for students in the examinations.
The adjustments provide greater choice for candidates across a wide range of subjects.
A summary advice note setting out the key curriculum and assessment arrangements for the Leaving Certificate Applied programme for Year 1 and Year 2 students in the 2021/22 school year has also been published and is also available on www.gov.ie/leavingcertificate.
The system of Calculated Grades which operated for Leaving Certificate 2020 was intended to be a once-off event in 2020 given the sudden and very challenging position at that time and the impossibility of running examinations in their traditional form safely.
A decision was made by Government in February 2021 to offer a system of Accredited Grades to this year’s Leaving Certificate students. The rationale for this was that, given the levels of disruption to learning experienced by current Leaving Certificate students during two significant and prolonged periods during their Senior Cycle education, it would have been unfair and unjust to require such students to sit traditional Leaving Certificate Examinations without offering an alternative or parallel process.
While schools were closed as a result of Covid-19 from January 2021, a programme of remote learning was provided to all students. Students who were in fifth year were also prioritised for a return to school following the return of sixth year students.
It is hoped that incoming sixth year students will be able to complete a full year of in-school tuition when they return to school at the start of the 2021/22 school year, and will experience no further disruption to their learning as a result of Covid-19
It was also announced, on 30 June that the State Examinations Commission (SEC) will run an alternative set of Leaving Certificate Examinations in 2022, shortly following the main set of examinations. The SEC will set out the eligibility conditions for these examinations, which will be limited to certain students who are unable to sit the main set of examinations due to close family bereavement, COVID-19 illness during those examinations, and certain other categories of serious illness, to be clearly and strictly delineated. The SEC will issue further details regarding these examinations, with all arrangements developed in consultation with public health specialists. There will also be further engagement with stakeholders in this matter.
While the above adjustments relate to the 2022 State examinations, the Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) has undertaken an extensive review of senior cycle programmes and vocational pathways, including Transition Year, the Leaving Certificate Applied, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme and the Leaving Certificate Established.
The review involved a very extensive range of research, consultations and communications with a wide range of stakeholders on all aspects of review and redevelopment over a number of phases over the period of the review. The NCCA also commissioned external expertise to support the process, including the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review: Advisory Report was submitted to my Department on 27 May for consideration and will be published shortly.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (184)
Holly Cairns
Ceist:184. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to provide special needs assistants and resource teaching hours to all students who qualify for these supports. [45590/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for Government. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and Special Needs Assistants are at unprecedented levels.
The Department will spend approximately €2 Billion, or over 20% of its total educational budget on making additional provision for children with special educational needs in 2021.
This represents an increase of over 50% in total expenditure since 2011, at which point €1.247 Billion per annum was provided.
For the 2021/22 school year 2,118 special classes have been provided. This is an increase of 269 classes from the previous school year and will ensure that approximately 12,700 special class places will be available this year, including 1,600 new special class places.
Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased by almost 386% from 548 to 2,118 for the 2021/2022 school year.
Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional SNAs for allocation to schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by December 2021.
This allocation of SNAs is to meet the care needs of pupils in 2021 and will enable the establishment of new special classes, creation of new places in special schools, support children in mainstream classes for the 2021/22 school year.
This will represent an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
The NCSE have published the SNA allocations on their website www.ncse.ie.
Where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/for-schools.
The NCSE manages the exceptional review process and handles each case individually. Some review requests can be concluded as an office based exercise, whilst others require a school to be visited. The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.
Under the allocation model, schools have been provided with a total allocation for special education needs support based on their school profile.
The provision of a profiled allocation is designed to give a fair allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the level of need in each school.
Schools are frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile. The allocations to schools include provision to support all pupils in the schools, including where a child receives a diagnosis after the allocation is received by a school, or where there are newly enrolling pupils to the school.
There are review processes in place overseen by the NCSE which allow schools seek additional special education teachers and SNAs should their circumstances merit.
If a school wishes to make an exceptional needs review appeal they may do so at the following link: ncse.ie/for-schools.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (185)
Colm Burke
Ceist:185. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if the school bus route for a school (details supplied) will be reviewed in order that it may include Ballyknockane Road; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45572/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the 2020/2021 school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, were 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 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 Primary School Transport Scheme children are eligible for school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest primary school as determined by my Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
All children who are eligible for school transport and who completed the application and payment process on will be accommodated on school transport services for the 2021/22 school year where such services are in operation.
Bus Eireann has confirmed that families who reside in Ballyknockane Road area are not eligible to the school referred by the Deputy as they do not meet the distance eligibility criteria.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only. Concessionary transport is subject to a number of terms and conditions including the availability of spare seats on an existing service and payment of the annual charge. Routes will not be extended or altered, additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis.
Question No. 186 answered with Question No. 127.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (187)
David Stanton
Ceist:187. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 401 of 15 September 2021, when she expects the contractor to be appointed for the construction of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45502/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school building projects referred to by the Deputy are being delivered under my Department’s Design and Build Programme.
On June 14th 2021, the school building projects referred to by the Deputy proceeded to tender.
It is anticipated that a contractor will be appointed in Quarter 1 2022.