Written Answers Nos. 270-280
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the degree to which gender balance is being achieved in the Defence Forces at all levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5494/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. It is also Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve.
As of 31 December 2022, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,987 Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) personnel. Of this some 564 personnel or 7% were female, broken down as follows:
- Army: 456 Female Personnel
- Air Corps: 43 Female Personnel
- Naval Service: 65 Female Personnel
In the three general service recruitment campaigns conducted in 2022, approximately 11% of the Applicants were female while the figure for cadet Applicants was approximately 14%. I have been advised that the Defence Forces have engaged a Marketing and Media partner to assist with recruitment advertising to ensure engagement with the recruitment demographic across social media and other media platforms. A number of initiatives are already in place with a view to increasing the level of female participation. For example: Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework, including a Female Recruitment Standing Committee reporting on initiatives for 2022, with dedicated female recruitment teams proposed. The Defence Forces actively engage with schools to conduct career talks and regularly attend events aimed at future career choices for schools. Each of these events is attended by both male and females serving members. A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer has been in place for a number of years to promote gender equality policies and training within the Defence Forces. Gender Advisors are available to all Brigades and Services and trained Gender Focal Points are deployed with all overseas units and ships in order to promote a gender perspective in operations. A Defence Forces Women's Network was established with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel at all levels of the organisation. The High Level Action Plan agreed by Government on the Commission on the Defence Forces contains a range of recommendations designed to assist in increasing female participation in the Defence Forces. A number of these recommendations have been identified as early actions, including the appointment of a senior Gender Advisor at Colonel level, options for female participation at General Staff level, review of fitness standards, and the development of gender, diversity and unconscious bias training. These are important recommendations which will underpin the commitment to moving to a strong representation by women across the ranks. A a key element of any successful organisation, of course, is that its members can undertake their work in an environment underpinned by dignity, equality and respect. From the extensive engagements with both serving and former members of the Defence Forces, it is all too clear that despite the reforms that have taken place over the past 20 years in the Defence Forces, the systems, policies and procedures for dealing with unacceptable behaviour have not, and are not serving all Defence Forces personnel well. The Judge-led Independent Review Group, established on 25 January 2022 has been examining those very systems, policies and procedures for dealing with issues relating to bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the Defence Forces as well as the prevailing workplace culture.
Separately, I am aware that the Military Authorities have undertaken a number of initiatives. In November 2021, the Defence Forces Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy convened the Organisational Culture Standing Committee (OCSC) to drive and coordinate the process of cultural change within the Defence Forces. The OCSC will provide appropriate military support to the Independent Review and establish a cultural change programme, framed around the Chief of Staff’s Planning Guidance, and coordinate its implementation. The programme includes but is not limited to:
- Measures of Performance (MOPs) and Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs).
- The requirement for Cultural Audits.
- Appropriate reporting, measurement and oversight mechanisms.
- The OCSC is engaging with leaders at all levels across the Defence Forces, and has the authority to engage with any Defence Forces member it deems appropriate throughout the consultation process.
As I have already mentioned, the Independent Review Group are nearing the conclusion of the report and it’s expected to be submitted to me later this week. I am eager to receive this Report and will consider it in full, in consultation with the Attorney General before bringing it to Government and its publication.
271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the extent to which efforts are being made to ensure that serving members of the Defence Forces, who on retirement through injury and or claim, find that on receipt of pension, any award received by them is deducted from their pension; if urgent efforts can be made to address the issue in early date, notwithstanding that provision has been made previously for such a situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5495/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI take it that the Deputy is referring to the process under Section 13(2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923 that applies to the award of disability pensions and gratuities under the Army Pensions Acts, and the notification of this process to individual applicants.
The Army Pensions Acts provide for the grant of pensions and gratuities to former members of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service (whether at home or abroad) or due to disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with the United Nations.
Section 13(2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, as amended, provides that “Any compensation which may be received from or on behalf of the person alleged to be responsible for the act which caused the wounding … may be taken into consideration in fixing the amount of any pension, allowance or gratuity which might be awarded under this Act to or in respect of such person and if such compensation is received after the award of any such pension or allowance the Minister may review the award and, having regard to the amount of such compensation, either terminate or reduce the amount thereof.”
The underlying objective of Section 13(2) is to prevent double compensation in respect of the same disablement. Compensation of the kind in question would usually result from a civil action for damages against the Department of Defence, but compensation received from any other source is not excluded.
The provisions do not apply to disability pension cases related solely to disablement due to disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with the United Nations. They apply only to wound pension cases involving wound or injury, or to disease cases where the disease is secondary to a wound or injury.
There have been a number of key cases both at Supreme and High Court levels involving Section 13(2), and the procedures in place in relation to individual cases take account of these judgements. The Courts, in various judgements, have upheld the Minister’s statutory right to take into consideration that part of the damages which can properly be regarded as general damages or that part which can properly be regarded as referable to loss of earnings, as he considers proper.
The reduction of these pensions is provided for under legislation and is done on foot of a bona fide decision by the Minister after careful consideration of the specific circumstances of the individual case. The person or his/her solicitor is advised of the statutory provisions and of the potential implications of his/her application. Representations are invited regarding, in particular, the person's circumstances; details of the compensation actually received; and whether there are any special or extenuating circumstances involved. On receipt of representations, cases are submitted to the Minister for decision, setting out the relevant facts of the case, including details of the representations made and an actuarial assessment (in pension cases). The actuarial assessment, which is carried out by an actuary based in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, translates the compensation into an annuity value based upon various assumptions, including the date the money was received and the life expectancy of the individual. Full account is then taken of the representations made and of the actuarial assessment before a final decision is made personally by the Minister.
When an applicant makes an enquiry about a disability pension they are sent documentation which alerts them to the possibility of a Section 13(2) reduction in cases where compensation has been received for the same wound/injury. Upon receipt of an application, where the applicant has declared they have received, or are in the process of applying for, compensation for a wound/injury in respect of which they are now making a disability pension application, the applicant’s attention is again drawn to the possibility of a reduction under Section 13(2). Checks for any claims for compensation are carried out within my Department at various stages throughout the application process and if any claims are discovered which have not been declared by the applicant, the applicant’s attention is drawn to these.
I am satisfied that at all stages of the disability application process applicants are kept fully informed about the possibility of a Section 13(2) reduction to any potential award of pension or gratuity.
The application of this Section 13(2) process is a statutory provision and there are no plans to discontinue or review the application of it.
273. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she plans a review of the ETB sector as it reaches its ten-year mark; how reports of wrongdoings have been handled and remedied; and the measures in place to ensure that this sector is properly regulated. [5309/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ETB sector has undergone unprecedented change in recent years. Under the Education and Training Board Act 2013, the 33 VECs were dissolved and the 16 ETBs established. At the same time, major changes also took place in the coordination and funding of further education and training with the establishment of SOLAS in October 2013. As well as integrating the further education services delivered by the former VECs, ETBs became responsible for the provision of training formerly delivered or contracted by the former FÁS regional training centres.
The rationalisation and reform programme of the ETB sector has been on-going since their establishment with the delivery of shared services in areas such as finance and payroll being central to this work.
The main overarching legislative and governance arrangements are as set out in the Education and Training Boards Act 2013 and the Code of Practice for the Governance of ETBs (2019). A variety of other legislation and regulation also has applicability in the ETB sector (e.g. ethics, tax, employment, protected disclosures, charities, health and safety, freedom of information and child protection legislation).
A great deal of work has been undertaken to strengthen and improve compliance with governance requirements in recent years, including the updating of the Code of Practice for the Governance of ETBs (2019), training of ETB Board members and senior managers around governance and the Code, putting in place of Oversight Agreement and Performance Delivery Agreements (2020), training on the Code, progress on shared services and engagement with the sector to improve compliance with statutory and other reporting requirements.
My Department will continue to work with the sector to build on the ongoing improvements.
274. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the reasons that her Department did not provide the course for SNAs at University College Dublin with level-7 accreditation; and if her Department will review this decision. [5254/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and reassure him that the provision of education for children with special needs is a priority for Government and for me as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion. This is reflected in my Department’s 2023 budget allocation of more than €2.6 billion to support special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department of Education’s total allocation for 2023.
Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate attendance by those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, and for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
The national on-line training programme for SNAs is a major educational initiative, which will enhance the knowledge, skills and expertise of SNAs who are crucial to the inclusion of students with additional care needs in education. This is a high-quality and innovative pilot training programme which will inform ongoing policy considerations relating to future training options for SNAs.
The 2018 Review of the Special Needs Assistant Scheme published by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) includes a recommendation for the provision of a national online training programme. Arising from this recommendation my Department awarded a four-year contract to University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education to design and deliver a new national online training programme for SNAs employed in schools. The programme is fully funded by the Department and delivered at no cost to the SNA.
The procurement process sought the delivery of an unaccredited training programme with a mechanism to accredit the programme in the future, should accreditation be sought. In their tender documents UCD indicated that it was intended to deliver the programme at QQI Level 6.
All SNAs who applied to complete the course with UCD did so on the basis that a Certificate of Completion would issue following conclusion of the programme. The subsequent accreditation of the programme was supplementary to this and was completed in line with the tender agreement. UCD is a recognised awarding body and completes accreditation of its own courses, as it did in the case of the SNA programme.
UCD has advised the Department that work has commenced to accredit the programme under UCD’s standard programme approval procedures as a Level 6 Special Purpose Award on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). UCD is also considering how previous graduates from the programme might have their award accredited retrospectively.
Approximately 1,300 SNAs have completed the course to date and it is intended that the programme will be delivered to up to 3,500 SNAs over the four year scheme funded by my Department.
Reflecting ongoing engagement with stakeholders on SNA issues my Department is committed to reviewing this programme after the four-year period has concluded. By the end of 2023, there will be over 20,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools and I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is very aware of the continuing need to provide appropriate training and development opportunities with a view to supporting the inclusion of students with additional care needs in education.
275. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide details of the schools in counties Laois and Offaly that have lodged applications to her Department for assistance in increasing building capacity; the status of these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5403/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Project Ireland 2040, my Department continues to make progress to increase the infrastructural capacity in the schools sector, in order to meet demographic and other demands. My Department's capital investment programme provides for devolved funding for additional classrooms for existing schools where an immediate enrolment need has been identified.
The current status of approved projects made by my Department, may be viewed on a county by county basis, on my Department’s website, www.education.ie which is updated on a monthly basis to reflect their progress through the various stages. This includes both large-scale projects and projects in receipt of devolved funding under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. The latter is for additional classrooms, including accommodation for pupils with special educational needs, if required, for schools where an additional enrolment need has been identified or where an additional teacher has been appointed.
My Department are currently in receipt of 11 applications under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme from schools in Laois and Offaly and these are currently under assessment.
276. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the school building for a school (details supplied); the efforts that her Department is making to ensure that students will be in the new building for September 2024 as per the original plans; the basis for any changes to this commitment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4389/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy 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.
277. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the teaching of modern foreign languages in primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5183/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that following an extensive consultation involving parents, children, teachers, school leaders, stakeholder organisations and the general public on proposals to update the primary curriculum and consideration of significant national and international research in the area, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. The introduction of modern foreign languages was considered as part of the development of the Primary Curriculum Framework which has been recently submitted the Primary Curriculum Framework to my Department for consideration.
The framework reflects our shared understanding of, and trust in, the many positive features of education in our primary and special schools, while also providing for the enhancement of learning, teaching and assessment. As developments progress, new curriculum specifications will be developed for the five curriculum areas and their associated subjects, including in relation to modern foreign languages and these will be available for the 2025/2026 school year.
The Primary Languages Curriculum/Curaclam Teanga na Bunscoile (2019) is the first curriculum area of the redeveloped primary curriculum to be implemented. This is an integrated curriculum — it has the same curriculum structure and components for English and Gaeilge to support integration and the transfer of skills across the two languages and this will be the same when modern foreign languages is introduced from third class upwards. Language learning has significance for children’s learning across the curriculum. While children continue to learn and acquire language, they also learn through language. Each curriculum area has its own terminology and its own way of using language therefore every lesson is a language lesson in itself.
In 2021 I invited primary schools to participate in a new “Say yes to Languages” scheme where they could sample a language of choice for six weeks. Almost 430 schools participated during the 2021/22 school year using 13 different languages. A grant of up to €1,200 was provided to participating schools.
In the 2022/23 school year, the scheme was expanded to circa. 730 schools and 50,000 pupils with many participating for a second year. The duration was increased to 8 weeks and the grant to participating schools increased to up to €1,600. The languages selected by schools include: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Irish Sign Language, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Tamil, Ukrainian and Russian.
Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) have overseen implementation of the “Say yes to Languages” scheme on behalf of the Department, The tutors teaching the module can be primary and post-primary school teachers, foreign language assistants, but also members of the wider community, including parents. Schools select a suitable teacher/tutor, and to help with the task, Post-Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) can share details of over 800 potential teachers/tutors who have registered their interest in teaching the module, to date.
A dedicated area of the Languages Connect website (languagesconnect.ie/primary/ ) hosts all content relating to the module including a list of participating schools over the three terms of the school year. The teaching and learning resources are accessible from the website and are also available in Irish, thanks to collaboration with COGG. A frequently asked questions area provides clarification for recurrent queries.
Training sessions are provided by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) to all teachers/tutors delivering the module, and information sessions are also facilitated for hosting teachers and other school representatives. Awareness raising packs are also sent out to all participating schools, to complement the teaching resources.Learning from this scheme will inform the future implementation of foreign languages at primary level.
278. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the implementation of the new pay deal for school secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5188/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn February 2022, following a series of engagements at the WRC, a suite of measures designed to improve the working conditions of school secretaries was proposed, and which Fórsa agreed to recommend to its members. A ballot of the relevant members was undertaken, and the result was 95% agreement in favour of the deal.
Since then, in conjunction with Fórsa, work to implement this agreement has been ongoing in my Department. This work requires a complex process of assimilating information to capture accurate data in respect of each individual secretary.
The Department issued circular 36/2022 to schools which outlined how the agreement will be implemented. This included the requirement that, as part of the first phase of implementation of the agreement, schools had to, by the end of September 2022, calculate the initial assimilation rate of pay and annual leave entitlement and offer it to each individual secretary working in their school. Following this, a survey issued to all schools on the 7th November, seeking further details of the offers made by schools to their secretaries, and also other information to facilitate the on boarding of those secretaries who accept the offer, to the Department’s payroll. The survey closed in December, following a very high response rate. For the small number of schools who had not responded to the survey- my Department is continuing to follow up for their respective data.
Alongside this an IT system is being developed to collect the data and action the payroll obligations. It is anticipated that payroll services for those secretaries who have accepted the offer will be operational from the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year.
279. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education the measures being advanced to tackle identity-based bullying in Irish schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5189/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI launched Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying in December 2022. Cineáltas is my Department’s whole education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools.
Cineáltas is practical, inclusive and contains a broad range of actions which will help us all to work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and where individual difference is valued and celebrated. It is rooted in four key principles prevention, support, oversight and community. There are 61 actions in Cineáltas which include a focus on creating an inclusive school culture and environment, provision of support for schools, training for all school staff including boards of management, research and awareness raising hoping to build strong relationships and partnerships between the whole school community, and aims to ensure that all forms of bullying including identity-based bullying are being addressed.
Cineáltas was developed by the Department of Education in collaboration with a diverse and dedicated Steering Committee led by Dr Noel Purdy of Stranmillis University College in Belfast. Cineáltas is informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, education partners and individual members of the public and succeeds in placing the students at the very heart of the plan.
The implementation of the actions in this Action Plan will greatly enhance and compliment the work that schools already do to ensure that all the children and young people are kept safe from harm and that the wellbeing of children and young people is at the forefront of everything we do.
Schools must adhere to the Anti-bullying procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools, which include a specific reference to identity-based bullying, which were published at the beginning of the 2013/14 school year. The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its pupils and in dealing with any negative impact within school of bullying behaviour that occurs elsewhere. They include specific requirements in relation to the use of prevention and education strategies and the consistent investigation, follow up and recording of bullying behaviour.
The procedures recognise that a positive school culture and climate is key and set out a very practical way on what schools must do to both prevent bullying and to deal with bullying when it occurs.
In accordance with the Anti-Bullying Procedures, where a parent is not satisfied that a school has dealt with a bullying case in accordance with the procedures the parents must be referred, as appropriate to the school's complaints procedures.
All Boards of Management are required to adopt and implement an anti-bullying policy that fully complies with the requirements of these procedures. A template policy is provided in the procedures to help facilitate schools in this regard.
The Board of Management must ensure that the school has clear procedures for the formal noting and reporting of bullying behaviour, and these must be documented in the schools’ anti-bullying policy. The procedures for schools include important oversight arrangements that involve the school principal reporting regularly to the Board of Management and a requirement for the Board to undertake an annual review of the school's anti-bullying policy and its implementation. Confirmation that the annual review has been completed must be provided to the Parents' Association and published on the school website.
My Department has established a Working Group to review and update the Anti-bullying procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools. The working group is comprised of representatives from each of the relevant management bodies and teacher and school staff unions, along with parent representatives, Irish Second Level Students’ Union (ISSU) and the National Anti-bullying Research Centre in DCU.
280. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education if she will report on the Creative Clusters Programme for primary and post-primary schools; the number of schools involved in the Programme; if there are plans to increase the number of participating schools each year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5029/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Creative Clusters scheme supports schools to build capacity in creativity. A Creative Cluster consists of up to 5 schools collaborating on the design, implementation, evaluation and dissemination of an innovative arts and creative learning project which supports them to address a common issue or challenge, identified by that cluster. Creative Clusters include schools at different stages of their journey in using creativity in the classroom. Clusters consist of primary schools only, post primary schools only or a combination of both. Schools in each cluster will enjoy access to a specialist facilitator or artist, or creative expertise in whatever their chosen area of interest or theme might be. These resources will help the schools to build a project of learning and activities tailor-made for their students.
The Creative Clusters initiative commenced in the 2018/2019 academic year with the establishment of 23 clusters comprising 71 schools countrywide, while a further 21 clusters comprising 77 schools was established and joined the initiative for the 2019/2020 academic year. A new group of clusters, comprising of 72 schools, joined the programme from September 2020/2021. In September 2021/2022, 81 schools joined the programme. A further 21 clusters comprising 78 schools joined the initiative last September for 2022/2023 academic year. In January of this year, I was pleased to announce the creation of an additional 21 Creative Clusters for 2022-2024, comprising a further 77 primary and post-primary schools. This doubles the number of participating schools and clusters this year, up from the 21 clusters announced already in September 2022, in response to the demand from schools for this collaborative creative initiative.
Creative Clusters is a core programme within Creative Youth, which is a core pillar of Creative Ireland. As we move through the coming years, my Department will work to ensure the continuing development of Creative Clusters and other programmes within Creative Youth.
