Written Answers Nos. 352-371
353. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the precise details of the charging lease in respect of a school (details supplied); if the charging lease included a provision for present and future advances or a like provision; the amount that she decided to forgo to the Exchequer by agreeing not to seek repayment of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35884/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Charging Lease was entered into on 17 November 1955 between the lessor, the diocesan trust, a number of trustees and the Minister for Education for 99 years. The purpose of the lease was for the provision of part capital funding by the Minister for building and erecting a national school. Under the lease my predecessor as Minister for Education had approved funding of £5,180 pounds sterling. This approximates to a value of €6,579. The lease also makes reference to such further sums which the Minister may make available for additions or improvements to the said school. From the records available to my Department there is no record of other capital funding of any significant amounts being provided to the school.
My Department would not seek repayment of the monies provided as long as the building continued to be used for the provision of national school education for the duration of the lease. The long standing practice of my Department when a request for surrender of the lease in advance of the term is to allow credit for the period of the lease that has already elapsed and calculate the balance of the monies remaining. In this case my Department calculated this as €2,259 as 65 years of the 99 year lease had expired.
In view of the passage of time since the lease was entered and the fact that the school building has enabled education to be provided for 65 years my Department did not seek the repayment of the calculated balance remaining of €2,259.
354. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the reason she did not insist on the provision of an independent valuation in respect of the proposed disposal of a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35885/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTraditionally the interest of the State in respect of capital expenditure on privately owned properties used as schools were secured by way of charging leases. Where the property ceases to be used as a school the owner can seek to have the charging lease terminated. Such applications are considered by my Department on a case by case basis. Some of the factors which my Department would have regard to in considering such an application are the current and future education requirements for the area in which the property is located, and the level of capital expenditure by my Department on the school. While these are some of the factors which my Department may consider other factors may also be considered in specific circumstances.
As previously advised, in general the necessity for a valuation would not arise if a patron is seeking termination of a charging lease. In this case my Department had regard to the level of capital funding previously provided to the school as there was a charge over the school based on this funding. This was one of the issues to be considered and not the current market value of the property.
355. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the policy and provision that is in place which sets out the practice and procedure for ensuring that a consultation process is undertaken when a school patron proposes to close a primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35886/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the decision making authority for a school closure is the Patron of the school, and this is subject to the agreement of the Department. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders, parents, teachers, students and local communities and follow decisions taken at local level.
356. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if officials in her Department have as of this time scrutinised all documentation submitted by a school (details supplied) in respect of its approved summer works grant for upgrading of its electrical systems; and if her Department is in the position to give the go-ahead for works to commence. [35888/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDepartment officials have reviewed the documentation submitted by the school referred to by the Deputy.
However the Department has had to revert to the school authority for further information as the school have included works that are outside the scope of works which was previously approved. A reply is awaited from the school authority.
357. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will make provision for additional supports in the 2022-23 academic year and beyond in respect of a child (details supplied) at a school; the date on which permanent accommodation will be in place at the school; her plans to provide continuity of education for the duration of the child's educational journey; and if she will engage with the school in relation to the provision of supports for the child. [35968/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling 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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
I want to reassure you that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education
The construction of new school buildings for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in my Department's school building programme. It is intended that the new school will be located on a site being acquired at Donaghcumper, Celbridge as part of a campus development.
The campus development will be progressed by National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) that is supporting my Department by delivering an element of my Department’s school building programme, the Devolved Schools Building Programme 2, on its behalf.
My Department has agreement in principle for the acquisition of a site to accommodate the three school campus at Donaghcumper, Celbridge. The acquisition process is at an advanced stage. My Department is currently engaging with the developers to finalise the details of the Heads of Terms.
In tandem with the site acquisition, my Department is working on the accommodation briefs for the three schools which is part of the preparatory work associated with the architectural planning process. There is further preparation work still to be completed by my Department before the NDFA commences the process to appoint project management and design team for the project.
My Department is committed to advancing the campus development as quickly as possible and will keep the schools advised of progress in this regard.
While a full list of special classes and special schools is available on the NCSE website at the following links, I will also arrange to forward the details you have provided to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NCSE-Special-School-Allocations-21-22-website-03-12-2021.pdf.
ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Final-2021_2022-Sp-Class-list-25_03_22.pdf.
358. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the status of an application (details supplied) for additional accommodation. [35979/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for additional school accommodation under the (ASA) scheme from the school in question.
The application is currently being assessed and my officials have advised the school that a decision will be conveyed to the school authorities as soon as the assessment process has been completed.
359. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to including an additional school (details supplied) under the pilot grant book scheme introduced in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35988/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department currently provides a book grant of over €17 million to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books, including book rental schemes, and all schools are encouraged to operate book rental schemes to help alleviate costs to parents. It is a matter for the board of management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of this funding in the school, but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes.
Following a commitment in Budget 2020 to introduce an extra support to reduce costs for families and school communities, €1m funding for a pilot book grant scheme in primary schools was provided. The investment was made on top of the book rental grant provided to all schools in the country.
- 102 DEIS primary schools (45 rural and 57 urban) were identified for inclusion in the pilot which began in September 2020.
- More than 15,000 students across the 102 primary schools have benefitted from the increased investment.
The pilot scheme for the 102 DEIS primary schools is being continued for the 2022/23 school year.
360. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if the preliminary census figures indicate that there will be a need for further schools to serve the Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart, Citywest and Brittas areas; if additional educational supports are required for the areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36028/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, using data from a range of sources, including Child Benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the annual demographic exercises, my Department engages with each of the local authorities to obtain the up-to-date information on significant new residential development in each area. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes.
The most recent analysis undertaken by my Department projects that over 90% of the 314 school planning areas at primary level show decreasing enrolments for the period to 2025 compared with 2021, whereas some 88% of school planning areas at post-primary level are anticipated to have increased enrolments for the period to 2028, with most expected to reach a peak in the next two or three years.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart and Citywest are located in the Newcastle_Rathcoole School Planning Area the most recent projections indicate a slight increase in requirements at primary level up to 2024 followed by a projected reduction in enrolments thereafter. Brittas is located in the Blessington School Planning Area, the most recent projections indicate a decline in requirements at primary level from 2020 onwards.
The requirement for additional school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. Additionally, the Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across these school planning areas.
In the latest published primary and post-primary schools enrolments national projections (www.gov.ie/en/collection/projections/ ), the CSO population projections (based on 2016 Census data) were used. In order to derive future schools enrolments, the new CSO population projections (based on 2022 Census results) are needed. The new population projections are not compiled yet. As soon as CSO population projections are available, the Department will update the schools’ enrolment projections model in order to reflect the recent population trends.
A number of major projects for primary and post primary schools in the Newcastle, Rathcoole, Saggart, Citywest and Brittas areas are at various stages of the design and build process and these projects, when completed, will cater for the demand for school places in the area, including:
Primary Schools
RN19503H Newcastle_Rathcoole Scoil Chronain: Project to deliver 16 classroom school + 2 SEN Base at Stage 2b
RN20531T Newcastle_Rathcoole Gaelscoil Lir: Project to deliver 16 Classroom school + 2 SEN Base at Stage 2b
RN20549P Newcastle_Rathcoole Rathcoole ETNS: Project to deliver 16 Classroom school + 2 SEN Base at Stage 2a
Post Primary Schools
RN76594L Newcastle_Rathcoole Pobal Fola Saggart: Project to deliver 1,000 pupil school + 4 SEN Base at Stage 2b
RN91301D Newcastle Rathcoole Holy Family Comm. School: Project to deliver 1,000 pupil school + 2 SEN Base at Stage 3
361. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education if she will provide assistance in getting clarification from the State Examinations Commission in relation to its policy on students who may have an epileptic seizure during an exam and the policy that the student will not have access to a deferred sitting of the exam; if they have plans to change this policy to reflect the needs of students with conditions that may affect them at any time during an exam; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36034/22]
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.
362. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Education the number of students who needed to apply for a deferred exam sitting due to illness during an exam; the criteria that is being used to provide an exception to these students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36035/22]
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.
363. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the status of the capital delivery of a building extension at a secondary school (details supplied) in County Mayo; the current stages completed and outstanding within the project lifecycle for delivery of this permanent building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36039/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is currently considering the demographic need in the School Planning Area in which the school in question is located. My Department will be in direct contact with the school when this process has been completed.
I can also confirm that my Department approved significant modular accommodation to the school for the 2022/23 school year. The approval consisted of:
4 x specialist rooms
12 x mainstream classrooms
2 classroom special education needs (SEN) base
Toilets.
364. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education if her Department will assist with finding a school place in a special school for a child (details supplied). [36052/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
As the matter raised relates to an individual case I have so arranged to forward the details you have provided to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.
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 needs placements ahead of each new school-year.
I am satisfied that this more joined up approach is delivering. Through this intensive intervention, we have seen over 300 special classes, providing over 1,800 new places, opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school-year.
I also acknowledge that notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
NCSE has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for 2022/23 and beyond. There are specific plans in place to open additional special classes and every support will be made available to progress their opening in the shortest possible timeframe with a particular focus on September next.
It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.
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 want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education
While a full list of special classes and special schools is available on the NCSE website at the following links.
ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/NCSE-Special-School-Allocations-21-22-website-03-12-2021.pdf .
ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Final-2021_2022-Sp-Class-list-25_03_22.pdf .
365. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of mild and moderate classes sanctioned by her Department at primary level in each of the past three years and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36069/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra366. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of mild and moderate classes sanctioned by her Department at post-primary level in each of the past three years and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36070/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra367. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of autism classes sanctioned by her Department at primary level in each of the past three years and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36071/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra368. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the number of autism classes sanctioned by her Department at post-primary level in each of the past three years and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36072/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 365 to 368, inclusive, together.
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 a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.
This includes additional teaching and care supports.
As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children 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 needs placements ahead of each new school-year.
I am satisfied that this more joined up approach is delivering. Through this intensive intervention, we have seen an additional 300 special classes, providing 1,800 new places, opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school-year.
I also acknowledge that notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.
The NCSE has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
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.
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.
Parents seeking special class or school placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.
A full list of schools with special classes is available at the following link on the NCSE website and is updated on an ongoing basis.
Special_Classes_publication_2022_2023.pdf (ncse.ie).
369. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education for a progress report in respect of a school (details supplied); when news may be expected in terms of advancing the school’s major building works project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36119/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for major capital funding has been received from the schools in question.
Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years.
The capital programme also provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
My Department has been in contact with the school authorities and informed them that their application is being assessed under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme. Supplementary information was requested from the schools and this has now been received. When the assessment is completed, a decision will be conveyed directly to the school authorities.
370. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education if her Department has acquired a site for a school (details supplied); and if commencement work to service the site has begun. [36123/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraA site for the school referred to the Deputy has been acquired.
The Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued to the preferred tenderer on 19th May 2022 commencing the school building contract.
371. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of auxiliary staff within schools who have retired over the past ten years who were entitled to a pension from her Department. [36134/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department.
Once the data is compiled it will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
