Written Answers Nos. 235-254
235. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number of training courses available throughout out the year to members of the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56802/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra236. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number of training courses available throughout out the year to members of the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56803/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number of training courses available throughout out the year to members of the Army; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56804/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 235, 236 and 237 together.
I am advised that the number of training courses currently available throughout the year to members of each service within the Defence Forces is as follows:
|
Defence Forces |
Number |
|
Army |
1,274 |
|
Naval Service |
331 |
|
Air Corps |
209 |
The training of Defence Forces personnel is underpinned by an analysis of training required to meet operational output and capability development requirements. The Defence Forces seek to constantly benchmark training across all three arms of the organisation against best military and academic practice. I remain committed to ensuring that all personnel continue to be trained to appropriate standards.
240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent of audits done to ascertain the extent to which all equipment, navigation and otherwise used by the Army whether on a regular or occasional basis is up to specific standards of an international level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56807/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which he remains satisfied that the standard and quality of equipment used by the Army and available for regular use is kept at the highest standard in order to ensure reliability and safety during operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56810/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 243 together.
My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, is maintained and developed to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government, including overseas deployments.
The Equipment Development Plan (EDP) published in June 2020 provides a comprehensive list of planned equipment projects, which will be progressed over five years. This plan builds on the intentions set out in the White Paper in relation to equipment acquisition, modernisation and upgrade and has been developed to ensure that our Defence Forces have the major equipment platforms, ancillary equipment and force protection equipment to carry out their important roles both at home and overseas. The equipment planning process recognises the need to maintain and upgrade military capabilities having regard to emerging operational requirements and changes in technology, including communications equipment and technology and this is an ongoing process. When procuring all Defence Forces equipment, the process involves appropriately qualified Defence Forces personnel who ensure the relevant national and international standards for military equipment are taken into account and met, where applicable.
I am advised by the military authorities that General Routine Order (GRO) 05/2015 ‘Health and Safety Management in the Defence Forces’ sets out the Defence Forces health and safety risk management system, which is designed to control risk and continually improve health and safety risk performance through proactive and effective health and safety risk management. The Defence Forces Policy on Work Equipment is one such policy, outlined in part 6 of the GRO. This policy itself describes the Defence Forces methodology for the assessment of risk arising from work equipment. It provides guidance for military personnel, civilian employees and other relevant persons on the risk assessment process and control measures to be implemented to reduce the risk of injury from work equipment to a level that is as low as is reasonably practicable. Periodic equipment inspections are an intrinsic element of routine military unit activities; this includes user level, health and safety type checks and Ordnance technical type inspections to ensure that equipment is maintained to an operational state at all times.
I am advised by the Military Authorities that the Defence Forces have the necessary policies and procedures in place in line with best international practice in order to ensure the highest standards of health and safety in respect of the use of equipment to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government, and that such policies and procedures are kept under review.
244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number of women currently serving in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; the extent to which this number has varied over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56811/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra245. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the number of women currently holding senior positions in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; the number of promotional posts likely to arise in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56812/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.
I am advised by the military authorities that, as at 31st October 2021, the whole time equivalent strength of female personnel in the Permanent Defence Force was 601 comprised of 487 Army personnel, 40 Air Corps personnel and 74 Naval Service personnel.
The strength of female personnel in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service for each of the years 2011-2020 is provided in Table 1 (attached) while the current strength is provided, in the requested breakdown, in Table 2 (attached).
In line with current policies and commitments a number of initiatives have been implemented to increase the level of female participation in the Permanent Defence Force. These include:
- Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework.
- A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer has been appointed to promote gender equality policies and training within the Defence Forces. The Defence Forces are committed to gender equality and employ a gender perspective in the planning and execution of operations both at home and overseas and in all policies and regulations. Gender Advisors are available to all Brigades and Services and trained Gender Focal Points are deployed with all overseas units and ships in order to promote a gender perspective in operations.
- A Defence Forces Women's Network was established with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel at all levels of the organisation.
Vacancies, where current strength is less than the establishment strength, are filled on an ongoing, gender neutral basis. They are filled in line with promotional arrangements and, in certain cases, direct entry competitions and re-entry of ex PDF personnel. Vacancies at Private Rank are filled by general service recruitment and direct entry competition. Table 3 shows all vacancies (negative figures in Column D) as at 31st October 2021.
The Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities.
246. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Defence the policy position adopted by his Department with respect to the repurposing of decommissioned Army barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56771/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with Government Policy, any property that is identified as being surplus to military requirements is disposed of. In disposing of such property, the Department of Defence is required to determine if the Land Development Agency, Government Departments or Local Authorities are interested in acquiring same.
Should no such interest be declared, the Department of Defence proceeds with disposal of the property by way of unrestricted competition via public auction for the best obtainable consideration having regard to the market value of the property.
247. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education if the option of accredited grades will be offered to those due to sit the leaving certificate in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56584/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
248. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education the status of a special transport grant application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56600/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2020/21 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 the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
Under the terms of the Department’s School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, children are eligible for school transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised school/class that is resourced to meet their special educational needs. Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers.
In certain cases, the Department also provides funding to schools for the employment of escorts to accompany children whose care and safety needs require this level of support while they travel to and from school.
The pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs and has been accommodated on a service since the 2018/19 school year. This service is still in operation for the current year and there is also an escort on board. As there is a reasonable level of service in place, the Special Transport Grant would not be offered to the family. However, if the family wish to provide further information to outline reasons why this pupil cannot avail of the service, they may submit same to School Transport Section for consideration.
249. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education if supports can be provided to a student (details supplied) with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56601/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with Specific Learning Disability (SLD); of which Dyslexia is one such SLD, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of special educational needs supports to schools. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support
All Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with dyslexia. In September 2017 the Department introduced a new model to support pupils with special educational needs in our schools. It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with the Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on the Department’s website, at www.education.ie/en/The-Education-System/Special-Education/Guidelines-for-Primary-Schools-Supporting-Pupils-with-Special-Educational-Needs-in-Mainstream-Schools.pdf Schools are supported in this regard by the National Educational Psychological Services.
Educational Psychologists from the Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) work with schools using a problem solving model to help schools identify need and interventions to support those needs. Under the new model, NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they wish to for advice.
NEPS understands dyslexia in the context the severity and persistence of an individual’s needs over time and their response to intervention. This approach aligns with the new Special Educational model in schools which focuses on the identification of need and the matching of specific interventions to that need. Specific interventions are therefore tailored, by the school, to the individual’s observed needs by the school, rather than being generic to a specific difficulty or disability.
The Department also provides for special schools and special class placements where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided. Special classes attached to mainstream primary schools also support the needs of pupils with dyslexia. Such classes have a reduced pupil/teacher ratio of 9:1 and an increased level of capitation grant.
Funding is available to schools under the assistive technology scheme for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia.
Schools apply to the NCSE, through their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) for such support. SENOs make recommendations to the Department where assistive technology is required, in accordance with the criteria set out in the Department's Circular 0010/2013.
The Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally regarding pupils' education. Should a parent be dissatisfied with the manner in which supports have been provided to support their child's education they should raise this matter directly with their school Principal or the Board of Management of the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's present or future educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
250. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary level teachers who graduated in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56671/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are 5 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) providing primary Initial Teaching Education (ITE) in Ireland, four State-funded and one private provider.
Each of the State-funded providers has both concurrent (undergraduate) and consecutive (postgraduate) programmes:
- DCU Institute of Education.
- Marino Institute of Education.
- Maynooth University (Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education)
- Mary Immaculate College.
The number of students admitted to primary concurrent and consecutive programmes in State-funded HEIs is determined by the Minister, having regard to teacher supply and demand issues, and available resources. The intake has remained broadly stable, over the past number of years. Hibernia College is a privately owned institution which provides a primary consecutive (postgraduate) ITE programme.
The number of graduates per year, from 2017 - 2021 across the various institutions, is set out in the following table:
|
|
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
Estimated 2021* |
|
State Funded HEIs |
Concurrent programmes |
1005 |
975 |
974 |
971 |
1000 |
|
|
Consecutive programmes |
214 |
217 |
225 |
231 |
200 |
|
|
Total |
1219 |
1192 |
1199 |
1202 |
1200 |
|
Non-state Funded HEIs |
Total (Consecutive programmes only) |
680 |
632 |
598 |
683 |
683 |
|
|
Total Graduates |
1899 |
1824 |
1797 |
1885 |
1883 |
*Note that estimate figures only are available for 2021 at this point.
I am aware that in recent years, school management bodies, school leaders and teacher unions have reported that some schools are experiencing difficulties in recruiting teachers, particularly teachers of certain subjects at post-primary level and substitute teachers at post-primary and primary levels.
In response to these difficulties, in March 2018, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established. The Steering Group is overseeing the implementation of the Teacher Supply Action Plan, published in November 2018, which includes a range of actions under four policy headings: data/research to support teacher supply planning; higher education; policies and arrangements impacting on teacher supply; and communications / promotion of the teaching profession.
In November 2019, my Department published a technical report “Developing a Teacher Demand and Supply Model for Ireland 2020-2036”. The report was updated in May 2021 with projections of teacher demand and supply to 2038 at primary and post primary levels. Ultimately, the intention is to establish a robust data based model for the effective projection of future teacher demand and supply across the school system.
My Department is aware of the challenges currently being experienced by some primary schools in recruiting substitute teachers and has engaged with the education stakeholders on the these issues.
A range of measures are in place to provide enhanced substitute cover in the context of the current challenges. These include a major expansion of the Primary Schools Substitute Teacher Supply Panels, which now employ almost 380 teachers and provide substitute cover to over 2,500 primary 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. Posts have been allocated to the base schools to allow arrangements for the recruitment of additional staff immediately.
The Supply Panels work alongside the existing methods of sourcing substitute teachers, such as the national substitution portal service Sub Seeker, operated by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network and developed in accordance with my Department's Teacher Supply Action Plan. Schools can also make local arrangements to have their own regular substitutes to call on if needed.
In addition to the expansion of the supply panels, schools have been asked to combine their allocation of principal release days into clusters so as to form a full-time fixed-term post to cover each school's principal release days
For the current school year, changes have been made to the career break scheme to permit teachers on career break to carry out unlimited substitute work. Changes have also been made to the Job Sharing Scheme to permit job sharing teachers carry out substitute work on the days they are rostered off in their own or in other schools.
The Teaching Council have undertaken a communications campaign to contact the 111,700 teachers on its register to raise awareness to the current teacher substitute challenges and to ask those teachers where possible to make themselves available for substitution in schools and to register on SubSeeker.ie so that schools are aware of their availability when seeking to fill substitute vacancies.
The Council and my Department have also engaged with higher education institutions, who have been requested to be flexible in programme delivery to enhance the availability of PME student teachers to undertake substitution work. PME students have also been advised to register with the Teaching Council and to register with Sub Seeker.
My Department will continue to engage with the education stakeholders on the issues raised about the current difficulty in accessing substitutes for teacher absences.
251. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary level teachers in schools in County Meath employed on full-time contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [56672/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra252. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary level teachers in schools in County Meath employed on part-time or temporary contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [56673/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra253. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary level teachers in schools in County Westmeath employed on full-time contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [56674/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra254. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education the number of primary level teachers in schools in County Westmeath employed on part-time or temporary contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [56675/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 251, 252 and 253 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. Clarification is being sought from the Deputy on the detail required. The information will then be compiled and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
