Written Answers Nos. 412-431
412. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she plans to create separate qualification criteria for home tutors with the Teaching Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3955/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Deputy's question is specific to the Special Education Home Tuition Grant Scheme.
The Special Education Home Tuition Grant Scheme is available to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school.
The aim of the Department is to meet the needs of families and to ensure every child is allocated a suitable school placement. The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs assistants, school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with student peers.
Accordingly, home tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement.
The Special Education Needs Home Tuition Scheme provides funding towards a compensatory educational service for children with special educational needs for whom such a placement is not available. The scheme also provides for early educational intervention for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), who meet the scheme’s criteria, aged from 2.5 - 5 years before they start in school.
The applicable criteria under which children qualify for Home Tuition support are set out in Circular 0046/2022.
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. As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that home tutors are qualified to provide an educational programme relevant to the sector the child is in.
Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/legal guardians recruit a tutor who is qualified in the sector in which tuition is being provided, and is registered with the Teaching Council for the duration of the approved tuition. It is imperative parents/legal guardians satisfy themselves that the selected tutors have completed the vetting process via the Teaching Council’s online vetting process. All registered teachers can apply to be vetted through the Teaching Council of Ireland’s website. The process is free of charge and can take approximately 4 weeks. Parents/legal guardians can confirm that tutors are vetted, and view the outcome and date of that vetting by viewing the result of the tutors vetting search, known as a Vetting Disclosure through the Teaching Council's website.
Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area, e.g. Psychology.
The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016 (SI444 of 2016, as amended). As set out in the Schedule of the Regulations, the Council registers teachers under four routes of registration: Primary, Post-primary, Further Education and Other. The Department is satisfied with that the current qualifications requirements for tutors as it supports the approach of this scheme and there are no plans to review same.
413. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Education the current and projected capacity of each school in the South Kildare constituency, including the Portarlington area of County Laois, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3964/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in South Kildare, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues across school planning areas through ongoing discussions with the relevant school patrons and authorities.
This close engagement will allow my Department to identify at an early stage particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. Enrolment data for previous schools years is on available on the Department website. Enrolment data for the 2022/23 school year is currently being finalised.
414. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if any person was awarded incremental credit for previous teaching service at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4018/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC). This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Education. The Council is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.
The criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in my Department’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers.
Al Bateen Academy offers both Primary and Post Primary level education. Our records show that there were a number of awards for incremental credit relating to Primary teacher applications for service at this school. At Post Primary level no awards for incremental credit at this school were given as the school did not comply with the eligibility criteria in the circular.
415. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Education her plans to address the serious health, safety and well-being issues that are arising at a school (details supplied) as a result of an inadequate and outdated school building. [4020/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to inform the Deputy that the Department has received substantial documentation from the school in question regarding its current accommodation. This documentation is currently being reviewed and both the long-term and short-term accommodation needs at the school are being considered. The Department will be in contact with the school in this respect in due course, and in particular regarding any urgent issues of an emergency works nature.
In relation to the wider issues, under Project Ireland 2040 the education sector will receive a total of approximately €4.4 billion capital investment over the period 2021-2025. There will be a rolling 5 year funding envelope which will be updated annually for the period 2026 to 2030 within the Government’s overall ] funding envelope of €136 billion in exchequer capital (€165 billion total capital including non-Exchequer) that will facilitate building a modern and sustainable school infrastructure.
This significant investment is intended to allow us to move forward with certainty on modernising our school infrastructure with a real focus on sustainability, for school communities across Ireland. The strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a deep-energy retrofit programme in support of our 2030 and 2050 Climate Action Goals.
416. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an urgent update regarding the provision of works at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4026/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department recently received a further application from the school in question, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
My officials have been liaising with the school in respect of their applications for admission and the proposed building works.
The school's application under the ASA scheme is currently being assessed and once the assessment process has been completed the school authorities will be notified directly.
417. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 683 of 18 January 2023, if she will confirm that if a person had not instituted legal proceedings before 1 July 2017, the “new” redress provisions will apply to them; and if not, the reason therefore; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4048/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs outlined in my response of 18 January, the ex gratia scheme was originally established in 2015 and was put in place to provide those, who had instituted legal proceedings against the State in respect of day school sexual abuse and subsequently discontinued those proceedings following rulings in the domestic courts and were therefore left without a remedy, with an opportunity to apply for an ex gratia payment. The revised ex gratia scheme is also designed first and foremost to provide a remedy to that cohort.
However, the revised scheme goes beyond that group in that all others who issued legal proceedings against the State at a later date and up to 1 July 2021 in respect of day school sexual abuse, whether these proceedings are still in being, were discontinued at any point, or who had settled with the State, may also apply for an award.
As well as broadening the scope of the Scheme, the type and nature of evidence that will be considered by the State Claims Agency in respect of individual applications (and as set out in the Terms of Scheme) broadens the means through which an applicant can demonstrate that they fall within the terms of the ECtHR judgment. An applicant whose application under the Scheme is refused by the Scheme Administrator can appeal that decision to an independent Appeals Officer.
418. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the number of submissions to the NCCA Junior Cycle social personal and health education curriculum consultation received from parents who disagreed with the draft specification (details supplied). [4058/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the Programme for Government, this Government is committed to developing inclusive and age appropriate curricula for RSE and SPHE across primary and post-primary schools.
In giving effect to this commitment, the Department of Education’s first focus has been on the development of inclusive and age-appropriate curricula and it continues to work closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in that regard.
The NCCA published a draft revised Junior Cycle specification for consultation in July last year. The consultation process ran from 18 July 2022 to 18 October 2022. Consultation is a key aspect of NCCA’s work whereby advice is shaped by feedback from schools, education settings, education partners, wider stakeholders and the general public.
The consultation on the draft Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum included multiple modes of engagement during the three-month consultation process:
- Online surveys – one each for parents/guardians, teachers and students
- Written submissions
- Teacher focus groups
- Student focus groups
- Roundtable consultation event
- Online consultation meeting.
Opportunities to participate in the consultation were promoted in several ways. Notices were placed on ncca.ie, in the NCCA newsletter and on social media platforms as well as being sent to education partners for dissemination to their members. In addition, two information webinars were hosted by the National Parents Council Post Primary to provide an update on SPHE/RSE developments and invite parental participation in the consultation.
In the case of the school-based focus group work, the NCCA did not employ the services of a polling company. Instead, an open call inviting schools to participate was posted on the NCCA website and disseminated through education partners’ organisational communications. Fifteen schools responded expressing interest in participating in the student and teacher voice aspect of the consultation, and five schools were chosen from this list of applicants to reflect a diversity of school types and locations.
Within each school, separate meetings were held with a focus group of 10-12 Transition Year students and with three to five SPHE teachers. In total, 56 students and 22 teachers participated in 10 focus group sessions across the five schools.
Online survey responses were received from 4,343 parents, 142 students and 102 teachers. In addition, written submissions were received from 40 organisations and 55 individuals. 317 emails and letters were also received.
NCCA hosted a round-table consultation event in Collins Barracks on October 6th , which was attended by representatives from over 40 agencies and organisations who work directly in the area of SPHE as well as representatives of groups/agencies who have specific expertise in a particular aspect of SPHE.
In addition, a meeting was held with nine HSE experts working in the areas of youth mental health, physical health, alcohol and substance use, and sexual health, to gather feedback on how these topics are addressed through the learning outcomes within the draft updated course.
The use of a broad range of consultation modes ensured that anyone who wished to contribute to the consultation could do so and led to breadth and depth of feedback on the draft SPHE curriculum. The survey and written submissions facilitated the collection of data from a wide cross-section of respondents, while the face-to-face events supported deeper discussion and exploration of the issues for consideration.
The majority of respondents, across all groups who engaged with the consultation, affirmed the overall direction of the updated junior cycle SPHE curriculum. This is also the case regarding feedback from respondents to the parents’ survey. A minority of parents expressed a range of critical perspectives, all of which are currently under consideration as the NCCA completes its work of finalising the Junior Cycle SPHE Curriculum.
Based on a careful thematic analysis and cross-analysis of all the data received in the consultation, NCCA has concluded that there is a consensus, where ‘consensus’ is understood as meaning ‘a generally accepted opinion: wide agreement’ and does not suggest unanimity.
The NCCA is finalising the Junior Cycle specification for presentation to the NCCA Council for approval early in the year. The aim is that it will be implemented in schools in September.
419. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education the status of an application for funding for a building project in the name of a school (details supplied). [4104/23]
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 stage 4 construction will follow.
420. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the names of any advisers who have taken up employment in her Department since the Government rotation in December 2022; the annual salary they are being paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4120/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are two special advisers employed by my Department who have been re-appointed to the positions they held prior to my reappointment as Minister for Education in December 2022.
The salary scale for a Special Adviser to a Minister is the same as the Civil Service Principal Officer pay scale, under the terms of the Guidelines for Ministerial Appointments to the 33rd Dáil.
The attached table contains the additional information requested by the Deputy.
Aine Doyle
Special Adviser
|
Year |
Annual Salary |
|
2023 |
€103,358 p.a. |
Eoin Murphy
Special Adviser
|
YEAR |
Salary |
|
2023 |
€103,358 p.a. |
421. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4157/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe permanent school building project for the school referred to by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. The final grant of planning permission for the project was received in March 2021. This campus project will deliver a 1,000 pupil post-primary school for the school referred to by the Deputy as well as a 16 classroom primary gaelscoil on the permanent site at Fortunestown Lane, Citywest, Saggart, Co. Dublin.
It is intended that the project will be included in the next bundle of Design & Build projects to proceed to tender this year.
My Department will continue to liaise with the school's patron body in relation to the school's interim accommodation needs pending delivery of the permanent school.
422. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Education if steps will be taken to resolve an issue regarding the payment of a salary to a teacher (details supplied). [4189/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am glad to inform the Deputy that an official from my Department has been in direct contact with the teacher referred to and the issues raised by the teacher have been resolved.
423. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide data associated with her Department’s air travel and air travel associated with agencies under the aegis of her Department (details supplied) from 1 January 2020 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4244/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January 2020, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform introduced mandatory new procedures for all Departments for offsetting the emissions associated with official air travel.
In line with these procedures, the Department records the carbon emissions associated with official air travel, values these emissions based on the prevailing rate of Ireland’s domestic carbon tax in the relevant year and pays an amount equivalent to the travel emissions impact into the Climate Action Fund.
Payment for international air travel in 2020 was made in 2021 and calculated at the rate of €26 per tonne of carbon generated by these flights. The Department’s payment amounted to €96.85, based on CO2 emissions of 3.7251 tonnes.
Payment for international air travel in 2021 was made in 2022 and was calculated at the rate of €33.50 per tonne of carbon generated by these flights. The Department’s payment amounted to €157.76, based on CO2 emissions of 4.7093 tonnes.
Data for international air travel in 2022 is calculated at the rate of €41.00 per tonne of carbon generated by these flights. The Department’s payment is calculated to amount to €1,076.14, based on CO2 emissions of 26.2473 tonnes.
|
Year |
Tonne |
Rate per Tonne |
Total Amount |
|
2022 |
26.2473 |
€41.00 |
€1,076.14* |
|
2021 |
4.7093 |
€33.50 |
€157.76 |
|
2020 |
3.7251 |
€26.00 |
€96.85 |
*The Department intends to comply with the deadline of 28 February for payments to the Climate Action Fund, as set out in Circular 01/2020.
The Department is still collating data on domestic flights and we will provide the relevant details to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The information in respect of state bodies, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my Department.
Contact E-Mail Addresses for State Bodies under the Remit of the Department of Education
|
Name of Body |
Website |
Address |
Head of Organisation |
Contact Email Address |
|
An Chomhairle um Oideachais Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG |
COGG |
23 Windsor Place, Dublin 2, Ireland, D02 RU80 |
Jacqueline Ní Fhearghusa CEO |
jacquelinenifhearghusa@cogg.ie |
|
Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA) |
HYPERLINK "childabusecommission.ie/" CICA |
Floor 2, St. Stephen's Green House, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2 |
Hugh McLain Secretary |
info@cica.ie |
|
Educational Research Centre (ERC) |
ERC |
St Patrick's College, Dublin City University, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, D09 AN2F |
Aidan Clerkin CEO Interim |
aidan.clerkin@erc.ie |
|
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) |
NCCA |
25 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, Ireland, D01 KH36 |
Arlene Forster CEO |
Aine.ArmstrongFarrell@ncca.ie |
|
National Council for Special Education (NCSE) |
NCSE |
1/2 Mill Street, Trim, Co. Meath, |
John Kearney CEO |
patrick.martin@ncse.ie and cindyjane.oconnell@ncse.ie |
|
Residential Institutions Statutory Fund – Caranua Note1 |
Caranua |
Caranua, PO Box 12477, Dublin 1 |
Vacant -contact DoE Redress Unit |
Hugh_Geoghegan@education.gov.ie |
|
Residential Institution Redress Board (RIRB) |
RIR |
Floor 3, St. Stephen's Green House, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, |
Sharon Moohan Acting Secretary |
info@rirb.ie |
|
State Examinations Commission (SEC) |
SEC |
Cornamaddy, Athlone, Co. Westmeath |
Andrea Feeney CEO |
Paddy.Quinn@examinations.ie |
|
The Teaching Council |
Teaching Council |
Block A, Maynooth Business Park, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, W23 Y7X0 |
Phil Fox Deputy Director Interim |
pfox@teachingcouncil.ie |
424. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the location and timeframe for the building of a new school (details supplied) in Dublin 15. [4288/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe site identification and assessment exercise for the school referred to by the Deputy is ongoing. Potential site options have been identified, including Minister-owned property.
The Deputy will appreciate that negotiations in respect of site acquisitions are, by their nature, sensitive and for that reason I am not in a position to provide further information at this time.
425. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education if her Department has records of all casual employment carried out by teachers for the purposes of a teacher applying for their pension, that can be matched with those of a teacher who may not be able to recall exact locations and dates of subbing work they carried out in the 1980s and 1990s before becoming permanent in 1999; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4330/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not hold all of the records of casual employment carried out by teachers for Pensions puroposes. However, as part of the process to prepare a statement of service and pension benefits for a teacher, officials within the Department conduct a full review of all verified teaching records held by the Department.
In the 1980s, in general all substitute service was paid for directly by the school authorities. This has led to very limited verified records being available for consideration, for this period in time, to assist and inform service history calculations and pension benefit determinations. In light of this, the procedure adopted by the officials in my Department is to issue verification of service forms to the teacher, for onward transmission to the relevant school authorities for completion. Thereafter, the teacher must ensure the return of the completed verification forms to Pension Unit. The completed forms are then assessed for inclusion as verified substitute service for pension purposes.
My officials are available to provide assistance to a teacher who may have difficulty providing records of their employment.
426. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the options, if any, open to parents who have been given no option but to purchase crested school jumpers from one supplier as part of their child’s uniform, but who cannot afford to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4341/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Education, I am acutely aware of the costs faced by families upon the return of their children to school.
Ultimately, decisions on school uniforms is a matter for individual schools and Boards of Management.
Taking the above into account, my Department’s Circular 0032/2017, was issued to the Boards of Management of all recognised primary and post-primary schools and to the Chief Executives of the Education and Training Boards. This Circular sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school.
Under these measures, schools should select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from an array of retailers. Only "iron on" or "sew on" crests should be used.
Schools should also consult with parents as to their views on how to reduce costs.
Under the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management of a school is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The Board of Management is accountable to the Patron of the school.
Whereas the Department of Education provides funding and policy direction for schools, the Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases. The Department's role is to clarify for parents and students how their grievances and complaints against schools can be progressed.
A school may have a formal complaints process, in which case this should be followed in pursuing any complaint.
Where you are of the view that a school's Board of Management has failed to investigate or adequately investigate your complaint, it is open to you to raise the matter directly with the Chairperson of the Board of Management by correspondence marked “Private and Confidential”.
Further information is available on the gov.ie website: gov.ie/en/policy-information/complaints-about-schools/
The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill is currently before Dáil Éireann. When enacted, it will improve how schools engage with students and their parents by requiring each school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities, including school costs. This will help ensure that the various views of students and parents will be heard and responded to by schools.
427. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if a matter regarding a property (details supplied) will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4357/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraDear Deputy - As previously advised, my Department contacted (in writing) the relevant solicitors on 30th May 2022 in relation to this matter. Further information was requested from them at that point in order for the file it to be progressed.
The requested information was not received. Telephone contact was made with the solicitors on 11/01/2023 to seek an update and they have agreed to look into the matter. To date, we still await the necessary documentation to allow progress.
Also as previously advised - Any further enquiries can be made directly with the School Property Management section of my Department. The contact email is schoolproperty@education.gov.ie and the postal address, if needed, is School Property Management, Department of Education, Portlaoise Road, Tullamore, Co Offaly , R35 Y2N5.
428. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education if a student (details supplied) will be approved for a school transport grant to a special school given recent documented experience with the taxi service provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4464/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m.
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 are 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.
I am pleased to confirm School Transport Section of my Department have sanctioned the Special Transport Grant to the parent of the pupil referred to by the Deputy. The family will be contacted directly by officials in my Department's School Transport Section.
429. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on an application by a school (details supplied) for additional accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4468/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question have applied for additional accommodation under the ASA scheme. My Department is currently liaising with the school authority in relation to finalizing the brief.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation 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 a new SEN class has been sanctioned by the NCSE, and all available alternative accommodation within the school is already being used for classroom purposes
430. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the current status of the school transport review within her Department; if in the interim, she will provide clarity on the school transport service for the 2023-2024 academic year; if it is her intention to charge fees to parents for this service in the 2023-2024 academic year; the steps she is taking to ensure that the service for 2023-2024 is planned thus avoiding the chaos of autumn 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4500/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m.
A review of the School Transport Scheme commenced in February 2021. The review, which is being conducted over a number of phases, is being conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness and sustainability, and to ensure that it serves students and their families adequately.
Phase 1 of the review, an examination of issues a report on eligibility with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next nearest school was completed in June 2021. Following commencement of the review the Steering Group presented me with an initial interim report in June 2021, with regard to eligibility and with an examination of issues for mainstream pupils relating to the nearest and next nearest school. Following consideration of this report, for the 2021/2022 school year, temporary alleviation measures were approved for transport for post-primary students which meant school transport services were provided for a number of post-primary pupils who were otherwise eligible for school transport but were attending their second nearest school and had applied and paid on time. These measures are being continued for the current 2022/23 school year, pending completion of the review.
Work is continuing on the final phases of the review, which involve a detailed analysis on the objectives of the scheme and an examination eligibility criteria, scheme performance, scheme expenditure and the potential for scheme integration. While work on the review was impacted somewhat by the challenges of the pandemic and the impact of the current conflict in Ukraine, it is anticipated that the final phases of the review will be completed shortly with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme
Planning for the operation of the school transport scheme for the 2023/24 is expected to be completed shortly. Bus Éireann will advertise the details of the 2023/2024 school year process through their website and social media platforms. Details will also be published on the Department’s website and, in line with normal practice, will also be communicated to Oireachtas Members.
431. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Education the date on which the Leaving Certificate 2023 results will be issued; if a date cannot be confirmed, the current expectation as to the timing; if her Department has contacted or will contact its counterparts in the Netherlands, as happened in previous years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4559/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission (SEC) has not confirmed a date on which the Leaving Certificate 2023 results will be issued.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. 2022 marked the return to externally delivered examinations for all candidates at both Leaving Certificate and Junior Cycle, with 61,108 candidates sitting Leaving Certificate examinations and 67,130 candidates sitting Junior Cycle examinations.
There were a number of factors that affected the timing of the issue of results for both examinations this year. These included a challenge in recruiting sufficient examiners, the provision of a set of deferred examinations at Leaving Certificate for candidates who experienced illness or bereavement, and the implementation of a post-marking adjustment, also at Leaving Certificate. That gave effect to my commitment that results in 2022 would be no lower in the aggregate than in the previous year.
Availability of teachers to mark the examinations had been challenging for a number of years prior to the COVID pandemic but became acute in 2022. My Department approved increased rates of payment for examiners in 2022 and additional payments were made which recognised the cooperation, flexibility and support needed in the delivery of the examinations. I am pleased to advise the Deputy that €11m was provided on Budget Day this year to maintain these increased examiner pay rates for 2023. Recruitment and retention of teachers as examiners is of critical concern and the SEC is undertaking a review of this issue with all of the second level stakeholders with the objective of substantially increasing the number of teachers involved.
Over the last three years, by working collectively with education stakeholders, it was possible for the Irish education system to respond to the needs of students wishing to continue their education and training abroad including the Netherlands. I am confident that this will be the case again should the need arise in 2023 .
