Written Answers Nos. 248-260
248. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education if she will provide the details of or advise on the solar panel scheme for schools which was announced in Budget 2023; and the way that a company can engage on the scheme. [49227/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the Budget 2023 announcement of funding from the Climate Action Fund in relation to the provision of Photovoltaic Panels in schools up to 6KW output.
This is really positive news for our schools and will assist with their energy needs and costs along with supporting the decarbonisation of our school buildings.
My Department Officials are working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications colleagues in relation to the arrangements for this scheme and details will be announced in due course.
249. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the legal basis for an administrative agreement with the Revenue Commissioners that while home tutors are subject to class S PRSI that is self-employed for Department of Social Protection-purposes, income tax and PRSI are deducted under the PAYE system; and if she will supply a copy of the agreement to this Deputy. [49267/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Departments Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Circular 0046/2022 provides information in relation to the 2022/2023 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/22b2a-home-tuition-grant-scheme-20222023-special-education-component/
For children and students who qualify under the Home Tuition Grant Schemes, sanction is given to approve a grant towards the engagement of a tutor who will provide home tuition for the child/student in question. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition and the tutor has no contractual relationship with the Department of Education.
In accordance with an agreement with the Office of Revenue Commissioners, payments under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme are subject to statutory deductions at source. In order to facilitate parents, my Department acts solely as payroll agents on behalf of the parents/guardian. The Department of Social Protection has determined that Home Tutors are engaged under a contract for service and are therefore self-employed and subject to PRSI Class S.
250. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the criteria for establishing a reading class unit in a primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49268/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE), which is a separate statutory agency, is responsible through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from schools for the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas where a need has been identified. Applications meeting the criteria are approved by the NCSE and the NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support. The NCSE continues to monitor and review the requirement for special class places in particular areas and has capacity to establish such new special classes where necessary, subject to the willingness of schools to open classes. The NCSE welcomes expressions of interest from schools in opening special classes to meet the demand for special class provision. In deciding on the location of a special class, SENOs take into account both the present and the future potential need for special class provision in the area, they must be satisfied that the special class is sustainable and appropriately located. SENOs liaise with relevant professionals in their area to arrive at an informed decision.
It is the policy of the Department of Education, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that pupils with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary. As such, the Department has not sanctioned any new special classes for children with specific learning disability (SLD) since 2011.
The Department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with SLD. At the end of the current year, there will be 14,385 special education teachers and 19,169 SNAs working in primary and post-primary schools. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on my 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. 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 my Department's guidance. Schools are supported in this regard by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS). The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs.
Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with SLDs, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the NCSE, through their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) for such support. SENOs make recommendations to my Department where assistive technology is required, in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0010/2013.
My Department, therefore, provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with a SLD, to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. As such, pupils with SLD have the option of attending their local school with additional teaching supports or attending a special class attached to a mainstream school or a special school.
My Department provides for special schools and special class placements where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided, including students with dyslexia.
It is important to note though, that the majority of students with significant literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a Special Education Teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual pupil’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis, or an assessment, of a particular disability.
Finally, the Deputy may wish to note that the inspectorate is currently working to finalise its report on the outcomes of a series of special education needs inspections in schools with special classes for children with specific learning disabilities. It is envisaged that this report will be with Special Education section for consideration by mid-October. The findings of this report will inform future policy development in this area.
251. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if she will address the case of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49277/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department. In the last school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 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 €289m in 2021.
In July 2022, Government announced funding for the waiving of school transport scheme fees for the coming school year as part of a wider package of cost of living measures.
Ticket registration for the 2022/23 school year closed on 29 July by which time almost 130,000 applications/registrations were received for mainstream school transport. This figure includes 44,299 new applications as well as roll-overs from the previous school year.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes on behalf of my Department. Safety of children travelling on the school transport services is of paramount importance to my Department and to Bus Éireann. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the scheme nationally.
Routes are planned so that, as far as possible, no eligible child will have more than 3.2 kilometres to travel to a pick-up point. Children are generally expected to make their own way, or to be brought to convenient pick-up points along the main route.
Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in the areas referred to by the Deputy are eligible for transport. However, in order to ascertain how far these pupils reside from the existing pick-up-point, Bus Éireann will require the names and address Eircodes of the pupil’s referred.
If the Deputy wishes to provide this further information to School Transport Section, my officials will furnish the details to Bus Éireann requesting a report on the matter. A further reply can then be furnished to the Deputy as soon as possible.
252. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made on an application by a school (details supplied) for a major expansion of the school, including the replacement of a substandard building and other facilities, in view of the overcrowding in the school and the existing substandard accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49321/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school authority in question.
Officials in my Department have engaged with the school authority and further information is to be submitted by the school authority. Once this is received, the application will be assessed and the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.
253. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education if it is intended to provide funding under the devolved scheme to a school (details supplied) to significantly upgrade the present substandard buildings which are totally inadequate for the increasing number of pupils in the school and is a low-cost project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49327/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question submitted an application under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme.
This application was assessed by my officials and it was determined that the school had sufficient accommodation to cater for its current cohort of staff and pupils. The school authorities were informed of this decision directly.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs 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 the requirement for a new class for pupils with special education needs has been identified by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes.
As the Deputy will be aware, the National Development Plan 2021-2030 provides capital funding of over €4.4bn for investment in school infrastructure during the period 2021 to 2025. My Department’s priority in recent years has been providing additional capacity to provide the required school places and this continues to be the case.
However, under the NDP allocation for the School Education sector there will be provision for a number of key initiatives, including a strengthened focus on refurbishment and modernisation of existing school stock as part of underpinning the transition of the school system to an era of Net Zero carbon by 2050.
My Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications have established a jointly funded pathfinder programme with the SEAI, testing and demonstrating energy efficiency and decarbonisation retrofit approaches. This Pathfinder programme is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 as included in the National Development Plan.
254. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education when the results of the Junior Certificate Examination will be issued; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49344/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
255. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works will commence on a school (details supplied); the expected timeframe for completion of these works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49350/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects.
The brief for this project is to provide a new build 24 classroom primary school including a 2 classroom SEN Base.
This school is part of ‘Project Nore’, and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the tender process for appointing a contractor for ‘Project Nore’ is currently underway.
Following the completion of this tender process and a Departmental review of the Tender Assessment Report, approval for construction will follow.
256. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education when refurbishment works will commence on a school (details supplied); the estimated timeframe for completion of these works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49351/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for delivery as part of a programme of school building projects.
The brief for this project is to provide an extension and refurbishment to the existing school building to accommodate a long term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils. The project will also provide a 2 classroom Special Education Needs base for the school.
This school is part of ‘Project Nore’, and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the tender process for appointing a contractor for ‘Project Nore’ is currently underway.
Following the completion of this tender process and a Departmental review of the Tender Assessment Report, approval for construction will follow.
257. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the amounts of the grants allocated in the most recent year for which data is available to each of the voluntary management bodies which manage primary and secondary schools in Ireland in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49397/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra258. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the most recent year in which the grants allocated to each of the voluntary management bodies which manage primary and secondary schools in Ireland were increased, separated by body, if appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49398/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 257 and 258 together.
Data in relation to the funding of the bodies referred to by the Deputy is currently being compiled by my officials. A response will issue to the Deputy shortly.
259. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education the reason that a number of schools (details supplied) in County Kerry are being left without a National Psychological Educational Service facility for the 2022-2023 academic year; if a psychologist will be recruited from the existing panel to fill the existing vacancy in Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49401/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework where there is need via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
NEPS, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Where reasonable progress is not made, following a school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, a psychologist will become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually.
The two schools to which the Deputy refers continue to have access to NEPS for critical incident support, for regional support and development service and also to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries, through the local NEPS office. In relation to a casework service, both schools may access a casework service, where there is need, via psychologists on the SCPA panel. The local NEPS office is available to discuss any other requirements the schools may have.
260. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education the number of National Educational Psychological Service psychologist positions serving primary and post primary schools in every county in tabular form; the number of vacancies in each county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49409/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary schools. This involves direct support in the event of a critical incident, access to national and regional support and development work to build school capacity to support students, access to a NEPS psychologist for responses to queries arising, and access to individual pupil casework where there is need via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
NEPS, in common with many other psychological services and best international practice, has adopted a consultative model of service. The focus is on empowering teachers to intervene effectively with pupils whose needs range from mild to severe and transient to enduring. Psychologists use a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to maximise positive outcomes for these pupils. NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. Teachers may consult their NEPS psychologist should they need to at this stage in the process. Where reasonable progress is not made, following a school's best efforts in consultation with NEPS, a psychologist will become involved with an individual child for intensive intervention or assessment. This system allows psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually.
I can inform the Deputy that the number of educational psychologists currently employed in NEPS stands at 225 whole-time equivalents across the eight NEPS regions, having grown from a base of 173 in 2014.
I recently announced an additional 54 educational psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes as part of Budget 2023.
My Department is conscious of recruitment challenges which exist in terms of educational psychologists, and has established a high-level working group, chaired by the Secretary General, to consider how best to support educational psychologists and to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of psychologists available to the education sector.
