Written Answers Nos. 432-451
432. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education the steps for teachers who qualify and undertake induction in the six-county system to have their qualifications recognised by the Teaching Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4564/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. The Council registers teachers under five routes of registration namely, Route 1 - Primary, Route 2 - Post-primary, Route 3 - Further Education, Route 4 - Other and Route 5 - Student Teacher. The minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the regulations.
Fully qualified teachers who have qualified outside of the Republic of Ireland are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council. All applications from teachers who qualified abroad are processed in line with the EU Directive 2005/36/EC.
A person deemed to be a fully qualified teacher has completed a recognised teacher education qualification and any statutory programme of induction/period of post-qualification employment in the country in which they qualified and can provide an official letter from the relevant teacher registration body/Competent Authority or Ministry of Education confirming recognition as a fully qualified teacher in the State/country.
To assist with teacher supply challenges in the context of the current public health situation, the Teaching Council, on a time-bound basis, will accept applications from primary and post-primary teachers who have qualified outside of Ireland but who have not completed the statutory period of induction in the country in which they qualified. They will be able to complete induction (Droichead) in Ireland. This is accordance with the Teaching Council (Registration) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. The application process for these teachers, will open on 22 February 2023 and remain open until 1 February 2024.
433. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) was included in the bundle of schools tendered in June 2022 with a view to commencing the project onsite in early 2023, as was promised; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4588/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra434. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if the new build of a school (details supplied) has been sent to tender; if so, if she will provide details of the stage the process is at; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4589/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra435. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the timeline on a school (details supplied) project in order that milestones can be tracked; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4590/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 433, 434 and 435 together.
My Department has a large pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. The main elements of this pipeline currently involve in excess of 1,300 school building projects for delivery under the Department’s Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme. These projects are currently in progress across the various stages of planning, design, tender and construction.
The permanent building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Department's Design and Build programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to progress projects through the stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
As part of the conditions of sale of the permanent site for the school at Glenheron, Greystones, the lodgement of the application for planning permission for the project was under the remit of the vendor and my Department worked closely with the vendor in relation to the planning application for the new school. The final grant of planning permission for the school project referred to by the Deputy was received on 19th May 2022.
My Department progressed 8 Design & Build (D&B) projects (Lots 1 & 2) to construction in 2021. A further 10 projects (Lots 3, 4 & 5) issued to tender in June 2021, prior to the grant of planning permission for the school referred to by the Deputy in May 2022. A further 10 projects (Lot 6), including the project for the school referred to by the Deputy, are due to proceed to tender shortly.
My Department is currently assessing overall requirements for 2023 and associated work programme and will update individual schools, including the school referred to by the Deputy, in due course.
436. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the date that guidelines on the Summer Provision Programme 2022 were issued to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4591/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra437. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the date that guidelines on the Summer Provision Programme 2023 will be issued to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4592/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra438. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the actions she will take to ensure there is sufficient staff for the Summer Provision Programme 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4593/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra439. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the way that she proposes to meet resourcing needs for the Summer Provision Programme 2023 where staff are unavailable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4594/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra440. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the budget allocation for the Summer Provision Programme 2022; the final spend for the Summer Provision Programme 2022; if and where underspend was reallocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4595/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra441. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the actions she is taking to ensure that special schools participate in the school-based Summer Provision Programme 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4596/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra442. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education her plans to address regression of children in special schools and special classes whose school does not participate in the Summer Provision Programme 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4597/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra443. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the number of special schools and schools with special classes that participated in the Summer Provision Programme 2022; the number of children attending these schools that participated in the Summer Provision Programme 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4598/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra444. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the number of pupils attending a special school that participated in the Summer Provision Programme 2022 for one, two, three, four or five weeks, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4599/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra445. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the number of pupils attending a school with a special class that participated in the Summer Provision Programme 2022 for one, two, three, four or five weeks, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4600/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra446. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 504 of 10 May 2022, the number of pupils that participated in each of the specific programmes offered (details supplied) as part of the Summer Provision Programme 2020, 2021 and 2022; the number of teachers and SNAs that participated in each of the specific programmes offered in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4601/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra447. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the date by which the majority of staff were paid for participating in the Summer Provision Programme in 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4602/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra448. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the cost of the school-based Summer Provision Programme 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; the cost of the home-based Summer Provision Programme 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4603/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 436, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 447 and 448 together.
The 2022 Summer Programme built on the expanded programmes of the previous two years. Since 2021, all primary and post-primary schools were given the opportunity to run at least one scheme under the programme.
The programme that has been provided in recent years was developed following extensive engagement with education stakeholders, parents, and disability advocacy groups. For instance, in 2022, to support more schools to participate, greater flexibility was given to schools, additional supports were provided to alleviate administration burdens, and staff who took part were paid earlier than ever before. The programme has gone from strength to strength, with over 42,000 pupils benefitting from a programme either in the school-based or home-based strands.
I am however conscious that parents want this programme to be available in more schools in 2023.
My Department has conducted a review of the Summer Programme to ensure that we can build on the success of recent years. As part of this review my Department has engaged with the management bodies, schools, and parents with a view to encouraging more schools to participate in 2023. Department officials met with the principals of Special Schools in meetings around the country. They also met with officials from Malta on two occasions to utilise some of the learnings from their system in terms of the planning and organisation. There will be particular focus on Special Schools in 2023. Additional supports and resources will be made available to them to run a programme, in recognition of the additional complexities involved.
A Home-based programme will be available in 2023 for pupils with complex special education needs where their school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable.
An additional €20 million funding has been approved under Budget ‘23 to continue the expanded summer programme for next year, bringing the total to €40 million for 2023. This is in line with what was allocation for 2022. Expenditure for 2022 remains provisional however it is anticipated that the full budget was spent on the programme. This earlier announcement that funding has been secured will allow schools several extra months to plan for the programme this year.
The details of Summer Programme 2023 are due to be announced next week. Information and guidance will be circulated to schools, and published on www.gov.ie/summerprogramme. This means that guidelines will issue three months earlier than in 2022 i.e. 04 May 2022.
In 2020 and 2021 the majority of staff who worked on the summer programme were not paid until the end of November. However, it should be noted that up until 2022, the home-based and school-based payments were processed through different sections in the Department using paper-based claim forms. For 2022, schools were able to avail of the Department’s existing Esinet system to input claims for staff. This meant that claims could be processed from July onwards and throughout the summer. The majority of staff on the school-based programme were paid by the end of September.
Previously, payments for the home-based programme generally issued on common pay dates in late October and into November. However, for the 2022 programme, the first payments issued at the end of September and on a fortnightly basis thereafter.
The statistical data as requested by the Deputy in respect of 2020, 2021 and 2022 is set out in the tables below:
Number of Schools, Pupils, Teachers and SNAs that participated in the Summer Programme from 2020-2022
|
2020 |
Number of Schools |
Number of Pupils |
Number of Teachers |
Number of SNAs |
|
Special Class and Special School |
259 |
3,982 |
761 |
1601 |
|
Primary Inclusion |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
|
DEIS Literacy & Numeracy |
214 |
7,000 |
812 |
Note 1 |
|
Post-Primary |
72 |
2,243 |
309 |
33 |
|
Home-Based Summer Programme |
n/a |
9,716 |
5,543 |
1,38 |
Note: this figure is not readily available.
|
2021 |
Number of Schools |
Number of Pupils |
Number of Teachers |
Number of SNAs |
|
Special Class and Special School |
377 |
5,587 |
1,315 |
2,403 |
|
Primary Inclusion |
405 |
6,103 |
784 |
995 |
|
DEIS Literacy & Numeracy |
221 |
10,738 |
908 |
49 |
|
Post-Primary |
99 |
2,228 |
481 |
181 |
|
Home-Based Summer Programme |
n/a |
13,321 |
6,675 |
1,980 |
|
2022 |
Number of Schools |
Number of Pupils |
Number of Teachers |
Number of SNAs |
|
Special Class and Special School |
419 |
5,746 |
1,539 |
2,858 |
|
Primary Inclusion |
494 |
8,372 |
1,324 |
1,245 |
|
DEIS Literacy & Numeracy |
260 |
11,211 |
827 |
117 |
|
Post-Primary Inclusion |
117 |
2,228 |
460 |
240 |
|
Home Based Summer Programme |
n/a |
13,883 |
6,712 |
2,037 |
Cost of Summer Programme 2020-2022
|
School-Based |
Home-Based |
|
|
2020 |
€8.08m |
€12.3m |
|
2021 |
€18m |
€17.8m |
|
2022 |
TBC |
TBC |
Schools and Pupils Participating in Summer Programme in Special Classes and Special Schools 2022
|
Total Number of Pupils Attending |
Pupils Attended 1 week |
Pupils Attended 2 weeks |
Pupils Attended 3 weeks |
Pupils Attended 4 weeks |
Pupils Attended 5 weeks |
||
|
Number of Special Schools |
39 |
1,408 |
12 |
811 |
216 |
334 |
35 |
|
Number of schools with special classes |
380 |
4,350 |
83 |
2,926 |
547 |
667 |
127 |
449. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the details of what constitutes an education resource/support for a child with special educational needs; to detail how a child with SEN can access each of these specific resources/supports; to detail the appropriate process by which a child with SEN is assessed for their entitlement to each of these specific resources/supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4610/23]
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 2023, the spend by my Department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, 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.
A continuum of provision is available for children with additional needs, with the vast majority of children with additional needs being supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where necessary additional special education teacher and SNA supports are available.
For children with more complex needs, specialist education support is available through a special class or special school placement. Children require professional supports to access a special class or special school placement. Lower pupil teacher ratios for teaching support and additional SNA support is generally available in special class or special school provision.
The enrolment of a child in a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and then a matter for the school/ Board of Management having regard to their own enrolment/admissions policy.
In order to access the supports of a special class or special school, current policy stipulates that:
- A student must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, Speech and Language Therapist, Psychiatrist), stating that:
1. s/he has a diagnosis (in line with the designation of the special class in question); and
2. s/he has complex or severe learning needs that require the support of a special class/school setting and the reasons why this is the case.
- The professional report must meet Department requirements for the particular diagnosis in question.
In some cases the decision may be relatively straightforward as the student’s needs are very complex. In other cases, the decision is made following a period of assessment, intervention and review, conducted by teachers, in conjunction, as appropriate, with psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPs) and other external professionals. Parents and students should be actively involved in this process.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required.
The SENOs are available to assist parents to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs and to discuss their child's special educational needs.
All schools have the contact details of their local SENO, and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice to the school. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
450. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school-teaching panels in County Kildare by town, in tabular form, detailing the number of personnel available in each one and those that have no capacity to supply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4632/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra451. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary school-teaching panels in County Kildare by town, in tabular form, detailing the number of personnel available in each one and those that have no capacity to supply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4633/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra452. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of primary school-teaching panels by county, in tabular form, detailing the number of personnel available in each one and those that have no capacity to supply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4634/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra453. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of secondary school-teaching panels by county, in tabular form, detailing the number of personnel available in each one and those that have no capacity to supply; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4635/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 450, 451, 452 and 453 together.
Currently there are 151 Supply Panel clusters at primary level, with 610 posts allocated to the scheme, providing substitute cover in 2,843 schools. Details on clusters operating in Co. Kildare, and across the country are attached.
|
Supply Panel Cluster Location |
No. of Supply Panel Posts |
|
Athy |
3 |
|
Kildare Town |
3 |
|
Leixlip |
4 |
|
Maynooth |
7 |
|
Newbridge |
3 |
|
Newbridge |
5 |
|
Sallins |
3 |
|
Salmon Leap |
5 |
|
County |
No of Panels |
No of Positions Allocated |
|
Carlow |
2 |
6 |
|
Cavan |
3 |
8 |
|
Clare |
4 |
12 |
|
Cork |
18 |
65 |
|
Donegal |
7 |
23 |
|
Dublin |
29 |
183 |
|
Galway |
11 |
32 |
|
Kerry |
4 |
9 |
|
Kildare |
8 |
33 |
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
4 |
|
Laois |
4 |
11 |
|
Leitrim |
3 |
7 |
|
Limerick |
6 |
31 |
|
Longford |
3 |
8 |
|
Louth |
5 |
29 |
|
Mayo |
6 |
13 |
|
Meath |
5 |
22 |
|
Monaghan |
2 |
5 |
|
Offaly |
3 |
12 |
|
Roscommon |
2 |
5 |
|
Sligo |
2 |
6 |
|
Tipperary |
7 |
24 |
|
Waterford |
3 |
10 |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
8 |
|
Wexford |
4 |
13 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
31 |
|
Grand Total |
151 |
610 |
Teacher Supply Panels do not operate at Post-Primary level.
