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Tuesday, 21 Jun 2022

Written Answers Nos. 546-559

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (547)

Réada Cronin

Ceist:

547. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education the number of children with special education needs who have been referred to Tusla for so-called school refusal in each of the past five years and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31910/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) employs Educational Welfare Officers throughout the country to provide support, guidance and advice to all schools and parents with regard to school attendance issues. All referrals to TESS are screened and prioritised for intervention by an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO). While referrals are primarily received from schools, parents and other professionals can also make a referral. The Educational Welfare service provides a service to all children, and does not specifically collate school refusal information for children with special education needs.

TESS Educational Welfare Officers take a supportive welfare-based approach working with families and children in a child-centred way to overcome barriers to their school attendance, participation, and retention. They work closely with schools, educational support services and other agencies to support school attendance, this is done through home visits, educational welfare conferences and collaboratively working with different agencies. The main priority is to identify effective interventions and supports which will promote the engagement, attendance, and retention of the child/young person in school and to ensure their right to an education is protected.

The National Council for Special Education was set up to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. The NCSE performs a number of roles in our educational system and key amongst these are the provision of supports to our schools to promote a continuum of educational provision, so as to ensure that what is delivered is inclusive and meets the needs of students with special educational needs. The NCSE plays a critical role in ensuring that policy and provision develops and evolves, so that students with special educational needs are helped to perform to their potential and achieve good education and life outcome.

In addition, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides a comprehensive, school-based psychological service to all primary and post primary schools through the application of psychological theory and practice to support the wellbeing, academic, social and emotional development of all learners. NEPS provides a casework service to schools through the assigned NEPS psychologist.  NEPS provides support for students at risk of educational disadvantage and those with special educational needs. NEPS supports the promotion of the wellbeing and good mental health for all students in schools.

NEPS engage with reluctant attendance and emotional based school avoidance through their casework service, working with children and young people, parents/guardians and school staff. School refusal is a complex issue that often requires an integrated response from schools, parents, education partners (including TESS), and occasionally from other agencies in the child and family support sphere including the NCSE and the HSE.

NEPS have developed a resource for parents/guardians  and for school staff on Managing Reluctant Attendance & School Avoidance Behaviour which is available on the gov.ie website.

School Facilities

Ceisteanna (548, 549)

Jennifer Whitmore

Ceist:

548. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education when the next call-off contract will be awarded; if a school (details supplied) will be included; the number of schools included in the contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31917/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jennifer Whitmore

Ceist:

549. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will be included in the design and build contractor multi-party framework No. 1; the anticipated timeline for the design and build project to progress to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31923/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 549 together.

The permanent accommodation for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build Programme, which uses a professional external Project Management team to progress the project through the stages of architectural planning, tendering and construction.

It is intended that the project for the school referred to by the Deputy will be included in the next bundle of projects to proceed to tender later this year. It is anticipated that the project will commence on site in early 2023 and will take approximately 70 weeks to complete once construction starts.

My Department will continue to keep the Patron Body and Board of Management updated on the project.

Question No. 549 answered with Question No. 548.

School Enrolments

Ceisteanna (550)

Jennifer Whitmore

Ceist:

550. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the recourse that a school has if an appeal to retain a teaching post is not successful and enrolment figures continue to increase in the meantime; the additional resources that are available to a school which has lost a teacher but will take in a number of Ukrainian refugee children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31926/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.

For the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils which is a historical low ratio, with lower thresholds applying to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools.

The staffing arrangements include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. These posts are approved provisionally pending confirmation of enrolment on 30th September. Details on the application process is available in Circular 25/2022.

The staffing process also contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. Details of the appeal process are available in Circular 25/2022. Where there is a change in circumstance of the appealing school, e.g. additional enrolments, the school may submit a new appeal.  

Language support for Ukrainian pupils is continuing for the 2022/23 school year. Schools have been notified of the application process available for such support.

School Enrolments

Ceisteanna (551)

John McGuinness

Ceist:

551. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education if she will review a case being made by a school (details supplied); and if a positive response will be expedited. [31942/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.

It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

In relation to SNA support the NCSE have confirmed that the school has an allocation of SNA support to provide support for children with primary care needs.

The following arrangements for the allocation of SNA support in respect of students in mainstream classes for 2022/23 will apply:

a) The SNA allocations for mainstream classes in schools on 31st May 2022 will be maintained for 2022/23. This will provide greater certainty for schools.

b) A process for schools, whereby if they consider their SNA allocation is in excess of the required care needs, to engage with the NCSE. Schools should contact their local NCSE Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) to commence the process.

c) The exceptional review process undertaken by NCSE will remain in place throughout the 2022/23 school year, where schools can seek a review of their SNA allocations which will result in one of the following outcomes:

i. No change in the level of care need identified (and no change in the resultant SNA allocation);

ii. Increase in the level of care need identified (which if significant would see an increase in the SNA allocations to the schools); and

iii. Decrease in level of care need identified in the school (which if significant would result in a reduction in SNA allocations as the care need could be managed with less resources than are currently allocated) and the SNA allocation will be adjusted at the end of the relevant school term.

It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014 circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/education/2014/30.pdf. Following such a review and reprioritisation, it is expected that a small number of schools, e.g. developing schools, may not have a sufficient SNA allocation to meet the needs of their students. These schools can apply to the NCSE for an Exceptional Review of their allocation.

Detailed information on the NCSE Exceptional Review process is published on the NCSE website. ncse.ie/application-for-sna-exceptional-review.

The NCSE will endeavour to respond to all applications for Exceptional Review received as expediently as possible and in that regard, it will prioritise applications from schools with no current SNA allocation and developing schools. The Exceptional Review process for mainstream allocations will be available to schools throughout the 2022/23 school year.

The NCSE has developed an appeal mechanism for schools who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Exceptional Review. Local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) will provide information and clarification to schools on the outcome where requested. Where schools wish to appeal the outcome of the review, they must do so using the prescribed form provided by the NCSE at: ncse.ie/ncse-appeals-process.

The NCSE have published the SNA allocations for the 2022/23 school year and they are available at ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations.

All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

My Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations. Accordingly your correspondence has been forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply.

School Management

Ceisteanna (552)

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

552. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Education if schools (details supplied) in Dublin 12 will be compelled to open classes for autistic students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32028/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion.

This 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. 

As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and special school places are at unprecedented levels.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country, including Dublin, where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of special class and special school places.

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

Over the last two years, my Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special education placements ahead of each new school year.

I am satisfied that this approach is delivering.

This intensive intervention has seen over 300 additional special classes already opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school year as well as the establishment of two new special schools.

This targeted approach will continue in identifying and meeting demand for special education placements throughout the country.

In line with the demographics and as part of forward planning, it is envisaged that special classes will be required at most, if not all, post-primary schools.

A range of measures to meet additional SEN capacity demands have already been put in place including the utilisation of spare capacity in existing schools and delivery of additional SEN capacity within the scope of existing building projects.

Additionally, it is general practice to include a SEN Base in the accommodation brief for new school buildings.

I can also confirm that the NCSE is aware of an identified need for additional special education placements for students with autism in the South Dublin area. As previously referenced with the Deputy, work has been underway with stakeholders for a number of years to meet the demand for places in this area, with a focus on additional post-primary provision.

I am grateful to the majority of schools in the area who have opened special classes. The NCSE is continuing to engage with a number of schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes in the shortest possible timeframe. Every support is being made available to these schools, a number of which have building and refurbishment projects underway, with a particular focus on places becoming available in September next.

I can confirm that the schools specifically referenced by the Deputy are part of this ongoing NCSE engagement.

The Deputy will also be aware of increased special school provision generally with two new special schools opened in Carrigaline and Crumlin in the current school-year and further expansion planned in 2022/23 which Minister Foley and I were pleased to announce in March.

We have also secured funding for the opening of 287 new special classes from September next.

My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.

I would like to again assure the Deputy that every support will be made available to progress additional special class and school capacity, in the shortest possible timeframe, with a particular focus in Dublin on the 2022/23 school-year.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (553)

James Lawless

Ceist:

553. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education if she will review the teacher allocation at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32039/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.

For the 2022/23 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 24 pupils which is a historical low ratio, with lower thresholds applying to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools.

The staffing process contains an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board. Details of the appeal process are available in Circular 25/2022.

The school referred to by the Deputy has been informed that its staffing appeal has been successful, pending confirmation of the school's enrolment on 30th September.

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna (554)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Ceist:

554. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the status of the proposed special needs unit at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32040/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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

This 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:

ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.

As the query refers to an individual school, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

School Transport

Ceisteanna (555)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Ceist:

555. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider amending the bus route to a school (details supplied) for a family in advance of the usual concessionary timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32041/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

The pupils referred to by the Deputy reside 2.6 km from home to their school of attendance and closest school.  As they do not meet the distance criteria to their closest school they are deemed as concessionary.

The transport application for the family in question for the 2021/22 school year was made on 25/08/2021 and as such was a late application. Their nearest service route was full by the time the application was made and the children were then accommodated on an alternative service.

As the pupils remain concessionary applicants, seats on transport are not guaranteed every year and the pupils will be facilitated under the terms of the scheme for concessionary applicants.

School Staff

Ceisteanna (556)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

556. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education the efforts that are currently in hand to replace current vacant education welfare officer positions in County Kildare, the effect of which is detrimental to children who actively engage with the canals cluster school completion programme; when the positions will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32046/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a key component of Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). The programme is targeted to support for primary and post primary children and young people who have been identified as potentially at risk of early school leaving or who are out of school and have not successfully transferred to education outside of the school system or into employment. The Canals Cluster SCP in Co Kildare comprises 4 post-primary schools.

The Educational Welfare Service (EWS) is also part of TESS and operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, which emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. The EWS deal with children and families who have difficulties in relation to school attendance, participation, retention. This is a statutory service and its primary role is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education, to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education.

In general when there is an EWO vacancy and a national panel in place, vacant positions are generally offered to those on the panel in the first instance. In the case of the post referred to by the Deputy, the established Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) national panel has now been exhausted with no candidate taking up this vacant EWO post in Co Kildare. The recruitment campaign to establish a new national EWO panel is underway and will be in place by August 2022.

In the interim,  TESS management are meeting with the local school Principals and frontline staff to ensure that collaboratively all Home School Community Liaison (HSCL), SCP and EWS capacity is prioritised to provide interventions for children and young people in relation to school attendance concerns.

School Admissions

Ceisteanna (557)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

557. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will review the case of a student (details supplied) who was not offered a place in first year at a local secondary school in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32099/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Where a board of management make a decision to refuse admission, a parent/guardian can appeal that decision under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998, and an independent appeals committee will be appointed to consider the appeal. The role of the section 29 hearing committee is to examine the application for enrolment and consider if it was correctly processed by the school, in accordance with the school’s Enrolment Policy. The section 29 appeals committee cannot consider matters that are not provided for within the school’s Enrolment Policy.

A section 29 appeal committee can examine how an  application was processed by the school and identify if the school did not follow its Enrolment policy. In cases where an error occurred the section 29 appeal committee will consider if the error had a material effect on the application. Where an error had a material effect on the  enrolment application, the section 29 appeal committee can direct the school to enrol the student or adjust the students ranking on the waiting list.

A section 29 appeal was received in my Department in respect of a refusal to enrol decision due to oversubscription for this pupil. In accordance with the procedures for processing such appeals, the section 29 appeal committee conducted a paper based appeal in respect of this appeal.

As you are aware the outcome of this appeal has been issued to both parties to the appeal, and this concludes the appeals process. You will appreciate that my Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a student, except in circumstances where an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 has been allowed and the appeals committee directs that the school admit the child concerned.

An appeals committee's final decision is binding on the parties and can only be challenged by either party to the appeal, by way of Judicial Review through the Courts.

Tusla Education Support Services (TESS) the Educational Welfare Service  is the legal body which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child. Contact details for TESS are available at the following link www.tusla.ie/tess/get-in-touch/ or by email at tessinfo@tusla.ie

State Examinations

Ceisteanna (558)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Ceist:

558. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education when the State certificates promised to students whose junior certificate exams were cancelled in 2020 will be issued; the reason for the two-year delay in issuing them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32100/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My predecessor as Minister for Education announced revised arrangements for the Junior Cycle 2020 on 29 April 2020.

Under these revised arrangements and in light of the exceptional circumstances presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, schools were asked as soon as possible after the end of the 2019/20 school year, to furnish students with a written school report on their learning achievements in each subject, short course and/or priority learning unit as appropriate.

The work and achievement of students who were in third year of Junior Cycle in the academic year 2019/20 would also be recognised with a State Certificate of Completion from my Department.

As such, there were two components to assessment and reporting on students’ learning at Junior Cycle 2020, with each student to receive a school report setting out the learning achievements of students at Junior Cycle along with the State Certificate of Completion of Junior Cycle from my Department.

Regarding the latter, Certificates of Completion were issued to schools for all Junior Cycle third year students for the year 2020 on Thursday 13th May 2021. Schools were asked to check, download and distribute the certificates to their own students. The deadline for schools to make changes was 21st June 2021 and the deadline for schools to download the certificates was 24th June 2021.

School Facilities

Ceisteanna (559)

Joe McHugh

Ceist:

559. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education if ownership will be established of a recently closed school (details supplied) given that an interested voluntary group is willing to lease the building for community use; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32104/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The property referred to by the Deputy is not in my ownership. In common with other buildings which are or have been used as a school, there is a charging lease in place on the property to protect the State's investment in the property.

There has been communications between my department and the owner of the former school building with a view to examining whether the property has any potential to meet current or future educational requirements. My Department will be conveying the outcome of its deliberations to the property owner in the near future.

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