Written Answers Nos. 230-249
237. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the interactions his Department has had with the visiting delegation from the Polisario Front of Western Sahara during their visit and if his Department is open to maintaining future communications with representatives of the Polisario Front. [52471/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRepresentatives of the Polisario Front visited Ireland from 12th to 14th October 2022. On 13th October, the delegation met with officials from the Middle East and North Africa Unit of the Department of Foreign Affairs. Officials welcomed the opportunity to hear perspectives on the current situation in Western Sahara and the upcoming renewal of the mandate of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. In line with the UN position, Ireland recognises Western Sahara as a non-self-governing territory and engages with the Polisario Front as a legitimate party to a territorial dispute. In this context, Ireland recognises the value of ongoing communication with all parties, in the spirit of achieving ‘a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, which will provide for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara’ as called for in UN Security Council Resolutions.
238. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the quantity of coal that has been purchased by the ESB from the Cerrejón coalmine in Colombia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52527/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility with regard to the importation of coal comes under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, and my Department does not hold information around the quantity of coal that has been purchased by the ESB.
However, I am aware of the human rights concerns that have been raised by some civil society organisations around the operation of the Cerrejón mine, and my Department has been following these issues closely.
The Embassy of Ireland in Bogota has visited the region where the mine is located, as well as the mine itself, on two occasions. Our assessment has been that the situation on the ground is complex. The Embassy, along with our EU partners, continues to maintain engagement with all stakeholders, and to encourage all stakeholders to engage in inclusive dialogue in order to resolve the issues.
More broadly, Ireland and Colombia enjoy excellent, long-standing relations across a range of areas. Our cooperation in the area of peacebuilding and our support to the Colombian peace process is a key component of the bilateral relationship, and we recognise that addressing social, land-related and environmental issues is an essential component of Colombia’s peace process, as is addressing the situation faced by human rights defenders, civil society groups, and minority and ethnic groups in Colombia. Our support to the peace process takes the form of funding to the EU and UN Trust Funds for peace, as well as funding to civil society involved in peacebuilding, the operation of a lesson-sharing programme to exchange on experiences in peacebuilding from the Northern Ireland context, and constructive engagement on the United Nations Security Council. Since the new Colombian Government took office in August, we have reiterated our steadfast support to supporting Peace Agreement implementation and our firm intention to remain a long-term partner in this regard.
239. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when an application for a foreign birth registration will be processed (details supplied) the reason for the delay in processing the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52609/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register. Demand for this service from applicants in England, Scotland and Wales continues to be strong with over 8,000 applications received to date this year.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
The current waiting time for FBR applications is approximately 2 years from receipt of supporting documentation. My Department is currently putting in place a number of measures that will address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these citizenship applications by the end of this year.
The Passport Service has been scaling up resources to deal with anticipated demand for passports and FBRs since June of last year. Staffing numbers in the Passport Service have doubled since June 2021. There are currently 817 staff. My Department ran several competitions in 2021/22 to address staffing needs in the Passport Service. New office space on the Balbriggan campus is now open and provides over 200 additional workstations to accommodate the increase in staff numbers.
The unprecedented level of staff currently working in the Passport Service will be maintained in the months ahead, allowing for the reassignment of additional staff to the processing of FBR applications.
Supporting documents for the application to which the Deputy has referred were received on 26 May 2022.
240. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a lost foreign birth certificate will be re-issued to a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in issuing this new certificate especially given that foreign birth registration has long since been established; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52610/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register. Demand for this service from applicants in England, Scotland and Wales continues to be strong with over 8,000 applications received to date this year.
The FBR service, which includes the replacement of FBR certificates, was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022. A significant level of specialist research in archived hard copy material by staff is required to produce replacement FBR certificates and the process may accordingly take some time.
The Passport Service has been scaling up resources to deal with anticipated demand for passports and FBRs since June of last year. Staffing numbers in the Passport Service have doubled since June 2021. There are currently 817 staff. My Department ran several competitions in 2021/22 to address staffing needs in the Passport Service. New office space on the Balbriggan campus is now open and provides over 200 additional workstations to accommodate the increase in staff numbers.
The unprecedented level of staff currently working in the Passport Service will be maintained in the months ahead, allowing for the reassignment of additional staff to the processing of FBR applications and FBR replacement requests.
I am advised that the replacement certificate application to which the Deputy has referred is currently being processed. A member of the replacement certificate team will be in contact with the applicant in this regard.
241. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a foreign birth registration application will be processed for a person (details supplied) when supporting documentation will be returned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52626/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for processing Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) applications for people who are born abroad and claim Irish Citizenship through a grandparent born in Ireland or through a parent who has claimed citizenship also through FBR, Naturalisation or Post Nuptial Citizenship.
Demand for this service increased significantly as a result of the Brexit vote in the UK. In 2015, prior to Brexit, a total of 6,000 entries were made to the register. In 2019, a peak number of 19,000 entries were made to the Foreign Births Register. Demand for this service from applicants in England, Scotland and Wales continues to be strong with over 8,000 applications received to date this year.
The service was also impacted by necessary Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021 and the unprecedented demand for passports seen to date in 2022.
The current waiting time for FBR applications is approximately 2 years from receipt of supporting documentation. My Department is currently putting in place a number of measures that will address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these citizenship applications by the end of this year.
The Passport Service has been scaling up resources to deal with anticipated demand for passports and FBRs since June of last year. Staffing numbers in the Passport Service have doubled since June 2021. There are currently 817 staff. My Department ran several competitions in 2021/22 to address staffing needs in the Passport Service. New office space on the Balbriggan campus is now open and provides over 200 additional workstations to accommodate the increase in staff numbers.
The unprecedented level of staff currently working in the Passport Service will be maintained in the months ahead, allowing for the reassignment of additional staff to the processing of FBR applications.
Supporting documents for the application to which the Deputy has referred were received on 22 July 2020, and the application is due to be processed in the near future. A member of the FBR team will be in further contact with the applicant at that point to arrange the return of his supporting documents.
242. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement he and his officials have had with regard to the present civil war in Tigray, Ethiopia; the measures that are being taken at EU and UN level to bring about a ceasefire; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52678/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe situation in Tigray and in other parts of northern Ethiopia remains of grave concern.
The conflict in Ethiopia has had a devastating impact on civilians, with many killed or injured, and widespread human rights violations. The report published last month by the UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia presents further alarming details of the human rights and humanitarian situation, including reports of the use of starvation as a method of warfare as well as the systematic use of conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence. Over 13 million people in northern Ethiopia are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.
The resurgence of hostilities in August has reversed the progress made since the declaration of a ceasefire in March and has had a serious impact on the delivery of humanitarian aid. The significant escalation of fighting in recent days is of particular concern and is having an increasingly dire impact on the civilian population. It is critical that humanitarian deliveries are able to urgently resume and that essential services are restored.
Ireland is actively supporting the efforts of the EU, UN and wider international community to address the crisis, as well as engaging directly through our Embassy in Addis Ababa and other bilateral channels. I continue to raise Ireland’s concerns with key interlocutors, and to advocate for full humanitarian access, an urgent end to violence, dialogue, accountability for atrocities, and ultimately a political solution to the conflict. I strongly support the African Union’s mediation efforts, and encourage and support the EU, UN and others to assist this work.
Ireland has consistently raised this crisis, and particularly the issue of humanitarian access, at the UN Security Council and within the European Union.
The situation in Ethiopia was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 October, where I expressed support for ongoing EU efforts in supporting AU mediation, in coordination with the US and UN envoys, while also sharing concerns with other Foreign Ministers on the resurgence of violence.
In addition to our work to ensure an international focus on resolving this crisis, Ireland continues to take action directly to alleviate the humanitarian toll of the conflict. We provided over €40 million in assistance to Ethiopia last year, with a similar level of support this year.
243. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Defence if he will confirm that in the new Defence Forces structure that emerges as a result of the recommendations set out in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces that Collins Barracks, Cork will be the location of the headquarters of the military formation that will control military operations in the southern region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52522/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I, as Minister for Defence, welcomed the publication of the report of the Commission on 9th February last. The Commission undertook a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence provision in Ireland. It covers high level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.
On the 12th of July this year I brought to Government a High Level Action Plan and a Memo for Government both of which were approved. As part of this, Government approved a move over a six-year period to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission, which will entail funding increases to reach a defence budget of c. €1.5 billion (at January 2022 prices) by 2028 through the annual Estimates process.
A civil/military Implementation Management Office (IMO) has been established to support the implementation of the overall transformation programme required to implement recommendations from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces.
The High Level Action Plan also sets out all the recommendations contained within the report and designates a response of Accept, Accept in Principal, Further Evaluation or Revert. There are a number of recommendations contained in the report which may impact on the structure of the Defence Forces including that the structure of the Army be reviewed and, in that context, the disposition of Units across the Defence Forces may be considered. As the Deputy will appreciate, it would be inappropriate for me to engage in speculative discussion on this matter prior to completion of the ongoing process.
244. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on an application by a school (details supplied) for a school bus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52512/22]
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.
I am pleased to advise that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are eligible under the terms of the scheme and a sanction has been sent by the School Transport Section of my Department to Bus Éireann for the establishment of a new service for pupils to the school referred to by the Deputy.
Bus Éireann have tendered this service in line with procurement guidelines and are in the process of allocating a contractor to operate this service. Once a contractor has been sourced, the service will commence.? Bus Éireann will liaise with the families directly with regard to this matter at that stage.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs. Families of children who are eligible for these services, but who experience a delay with accessing them, may therefore apply for the Special Transport Grant. This is a once off payment, paid retrospectively to families to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements the family had put in place until services are finalised. Families should contact the Department’s School Transport Section at: school_transport@education.gov.ie for more information on this grant.
245. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education the total number of primary schools in Dublin by postcode that provide ASD classes; the total number of Irish-medium primary schools in Dublin by postcode that provide ASD classes; the total number of Educate Together primary schools in Dublin by postcode that provide ASD classes and the total number of fee-paying primary schools in Dublin which provide ASD classes, in tabular form. [52473/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
For 2022, 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.
For 2023, this spend will be substantially increased by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes additional teaching and care supports. It also includes funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for an additional 54 psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes.
In 2022, funding for an additional 980 teachers and 1,165 special needs assistants was provided. For 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 special needs assistants in our schools next year.
For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 Special needs assistants. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting 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.
In 2023, there will be a significant investment in the expansion of the National Council for Special Education, with a total full-year investment of €13 million, in over 160 additional staff. This investment is being undertaken so that the NSCE can respond effectively, compassionately and quickly to the increased need in our education system so that children and their families are fully supported and achieve the best possible education outcomes.
My Department and the NCSE continue to work very closely in planning for the delivery of new places required to meet forecasted demand.
I am satisfied that this approach is delivering. We have seen 392 new special classes open, bringing the total of special classes to 2,543 opened nationwide for the 2022/23 school-year. The 392 new special classes for 2022/23 is broken down by 260 at primary level and 132 at post primary level.
For 2023, a further 370 special classes will open, taking the total number of special classes to over 2,900 in 2023.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie
NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe
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.
The NCSE publish statistics on SNA allocations to primary, post primary and special schools in tabular form, by county and by school, for each school year, this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie
The accompanying table lists the number of primary schools in Dublin by postcode that provide ASD classes.
The NCSE does not maintain a central register of whether schools that provide these classes are Irish-medium, educate together or fee-paying and therefore cannot provide a tabular return of these categories.
246. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the policy that the board of management in a school (details supplied) have in place regarding the registration of new pupils for first year places, which requests that parents provide a utility bill along with the normal documents needed as proof of address and the fact that this need for a utility bill is not workable in the cases of shared parenting or for those families living in emergency accommodation who would not have access to these bills; her views that this process is discriminatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52500/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.
Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools are required to have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron, following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. The school’s admissions policy is published on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the pupil/student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils/student not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. Applicants referred to by the Deputy can contact the school to discuss how information requested by the school can be provided.
247. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the funding for buildings at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52510/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Stage 3 of Architectural Planning – Tender Action, which includes the appointment of a building contractor.
DDLETB has completed the final prequalification process, and my Department has authorised DDLETB and its Design Team to proceed to tender. A tender process usually takes between 6 and 8 months to complete.
248. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education the status of a school building project to be undertaken at a school (details supplied); when her Department will lodge the planning application to Kilkenny County Council; the indicative timeframe for the completion of each stage in the event that planning permission is granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52513/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers has been approved Additional Accommodation under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme 2021.
A Stage 1 report was recently submitted to the Department and I am pleased to inform that the project has been cleared to progress to Stage 2a. The school authority was notified of this development on Tuesday, October 18th.
The delivery of this accommodation has been devolved to the Catholic Education and Irish Schools Trust (CEIST) and it is now a matter for CEIST, the school and its Design Team to progress the project as appropriate in accordance with the Department's recent approval instruction.
249. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if a 22-seater bus will be commissioned to accommodate students (details supplied) given that an additional 18-seater bus has been put in place however four students are still without a seat for this route; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52525/22]
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.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Temporary Alleviation Measures at post-primary level will be continued for the 2022/2023 school year pending completion of the review of the School Transport Scheme. This will mean that transport arrangements will continue to be provided for a number of post-primary students who are attending their second nearest school, who have applied and registered on time and who live more than 4.8km from their nearest school.
Bus Éireann have advised that the existing school transport service referred to by the Deputy is an 18-seat vehicle and is currently operating to capacity and there are no seats available at present.
Bus Éireann have further advised that the pupils referred to by the Deputy do not meet the eligibility criteria including the Temporary Alleviation Measures for the School Transport Scheme.
