Tuesday, 2 Nov 2021

Written Answers Nos. 523-533

School Accommodation

Ceisteanna (523)

Michael Lowry

Ceist:

523. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52622/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application, for additional school accommodation, from the school authority in question.

The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.

At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section, or a new SEN class has been sanctioned by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.

Officials from my Department recently completed a technical assessment of the school. The school authority have been advised to submit a revised Emergency Works Application for funding to remediate the issues identified as opposed to an ASA application. The school authority will be contacted directly with a decision following the receipt and assessment of this revised application.

School Curriculum

Ceisteanna (524)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Ceist:

524. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of second level schools that did not offer higher level tuition in either English, Irish or mathematics in 2017, 2018 or 2019. [52641/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

The figures that the Deputy requested are set out in tabular form in the following table. The information is based on the annual October Returns which were submitted to the Department by Post Primary schools.

2017	2017
Number of Schools	715
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level English	662
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Maths	650
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Irish	652
Number of Schools with no  Students doing Higher Level English	53
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Maths	65
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Irish	63

2018	2018
Number of Schools	722
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level English	660
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Maths	645
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Irish	652
Number of Schools with no  Students doing Higher Level English	62
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Maths	77
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Irish	70

2019	2019
Number of Schools	723
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level English	665
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Maths	650
Number of Schools with Students doing Higher Level Irish	650
Number of Schools with no  Students doing Higher Level English	58
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Maths	73
Number of Schools with no Students doing Higher Level Irish	73

School Curriculum

Ceisteanna (525)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Ceist:

525. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of schools in which no student sat a higher level paper in either English, Irish or mathematics in 2017, 2018 and 2019. [52642/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.

In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.

School Curriculum

Ceisteanna (526)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Ceist:

526. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the number of DEIS second level schools that did not have any student studying higher level English, mathematics or Irish in 2017, 2018 and 2019. [52643/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

The figures that the Deputy requested are set out in tabular form in the following link. The information is based on the annual October Returns which were submitted to the Department by Post Primary schools.

Table

School Staff

Ceisteanna (527)

Robert Troy

Ceist:

527. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education her views on the need for a far greater expansion of the scope of the current supply panel scheme in relation to substitute teachers (details supplied); if her Department examined the statistics for absences; and if it is clear that the current roll-out of a supply panel cannot possibly cater for the number of schools, teachers and potential absences. [52646/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff.

This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply Panel teachers employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500 schools across the country.

My Department has engaged with the education stakeholders on the issues raised about the current difficulty in accessing substitutes for teacher absences.

Among other measures, a review of the supply panels has taken place and approximately 100 additional teachers are being added to existing/new areas where significant challenges have been demonstrated in sourcing substitution. Engagement is taking place with the base schools to make arrangements for the recruitment of additional staff immediately.

Disadvantaged Status

Ceisteanna (528)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

528. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if DEIS status can be given to a school (details supplied); the procedures in place to obtain this status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52671/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 of the programme to further schools.

This package follows an extensive body of work which has been under taken by the DEIS technical group in relation to the development of a model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. The refined model is an objective, statistics based process, based on school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index.

This work involved an initial process of consultation by my Department with the education partners on the technical aspects of the model. Over the coming weeks there will be further consultation with relevant stakeholders to outline the components of the model. The purpose is to ensure that, as far as possible, the refined DEIS identification model can provide an objective and independent means of identifying schools serving high concentrations of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and also to ensure there is a full understanding of the refined model and its potential application.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (529)

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

529. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if part-time work undertaken abroad including in the UK by primary school teachers can be recognised for the purpose of obtaining incremental credits in order to be eligible for the pre-2011 pay scale; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52677/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

The criteria for the award of Incremental Credit, for previous teaching experience, to recognised Primary teachers is outlined in Circular 0010/2001, and was agreed in the first instance, under the auspices of the Teacher Conciliation Council (TCC). This Council is comprised of representatives of the teacher unions, school management bodies, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and the Department of Education chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.

These criteria include, for example, being a fully qualified teacher registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland. A teacher must be registered in the sector they are working in and must be currently working in a recognised school. Part time service does not reckon for incremental credit as the prior service must have been full-time.

Circular 0027/2016 allows for the recognition of previous service in an analogous teaching position in the public service of another EU Member State when determining whether an individual is a new appointee to teaching and the appropriate salary scale on which to place him/her. Post Brexit, service in an analogous teaching position in the public service of the UK continues to be recognised as if it was given in another EU Member State.

This circular recognises this service on the same basis as if such service was given in Ireland when determining the appropriate salary scale (and allowances where applicable) payable to the teacher.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (530)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

530. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education the way an underpayment to a person (details supplied) arose in view of the fact that a class A contribution is greater than a class D contribution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52683/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

I wish to advise the Deputy that in 1995, a coordinated pension scheme came into effect for public servants, and those who were newly appointed as teachers were automatically included in the Class A Social Welfare Scheme.

Prior to this, only part-time teachers and teachers who had opted out of the pension scheme, or were unable to become a member of the scheme, were Class A contributors. They continued to be Class A contributors when they received appointments as Regular Part Time (RPT), Permanent or Contracts of Indefinite duration.

Changes to employment terms under the Protection of Employees (Part Time Work) Act 2001 and the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2006, changed the definition of Eligible Part Time (EPT), with a minimum number of hours per week contract, to Regular Part Time (RPT) with no specified minimum hourly contract. This had the effect of changing the eligibility criteria for admission into the pre 1995 pension scheme and modified social welfare for part time teachers, who has less than 9 hour contracts, and who were serving prior to 1995 and continued in service after 1995.

In some instances, an adjustment was required to take place in order to offset an overpayment of Social Welfare contributions, versus an underpayment of pension contributions.

As the circumstances in relation to individual cases can vary, depending on service, I can advise the Deputy that a member of staff from the Post Primary Payroll Section of my Department has been in contact with the teacher concerned, in order to review past service, and to advise her of the position in relation to this matter.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (531)

Martin Browne

Ceist:

531. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to an application by a school (details supplied); and her views on whether there is a need for more ASD units in rural areas which necessitates units in smaller schools. [52704/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Deputy Josepha Madigan)

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.

Next year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.

The NCSE through their network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers) are currently engaged in a process of establishing new classes for the 2022/2023 school year and beyond. They are looking at local information in relation to projected demand for future special class places.

The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: https://ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (532)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

532. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 20 October 2021, if the matters raised by a school principal (details supplied) in County Louth in respect of substitute teaching panels will receive a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52706/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education

My Department continues to engage with the education stakeholders on the issues raised about the current difficulty in accessing substitutes for teacher absences.

As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff.

This funding allowed for the expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute Teacher Supply Panels from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 substitute teacher supply panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed supply panel teachers employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500 schools across the country.

A review of the supply panels has taken place and approximately 100 additional teachers are being added to existing/new areas where significant challenges have been demonstrated in sourcing substitution. Engagement is taking place with the base schools to make arrangements for the recruitment of additional staff immediately.

In addition to the supply panel review outlined above, my Department continues to put in place a number of measures to address the difficulties accessing substitute teachers. The supply panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as the national substitution portal service Sub Seeker which matches available teachers with short term substitute vacancies in primary and post-primary schools. Schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on, if needed.

My Department has suspended the restrictions on the number of days that teachers on career break may be employed as substitutes and are also allowing job-sharing teachers to work additional hours if available.

The Teaching Council and my Department are also engaging with the higher education institutions (HEIs) providing Professional Master of Education (PME) of both primary and post-primary programmes to ensure that the HEIs introduce as much flexibility as possible in their course delivery to facilitate an increase in the amount of time which student teachers on school placement can provide for supervision and substitution, outside of their placement hours.

The Teaching Council has also contacted all registered teachers requesting those not currently working, or those who otherwise have capacity to be available for substitute posts, to make themselves available through Sub Seeker.

Question No. 533 answered with Question No. 508.