Written Answers Nos. 292-302
292. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education if the 9.3 acre site that has been identified for a school (details supplied) is to meet the needs of that school only; if it is intended for the site to be shared with a primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5273/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, a suitable site has been identified and the Department has reached an agreement in principle, subject to contract, for the acquisition of a site at Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow as a permanent location for North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School.
Taking into account the underlying demographic trends and the level of potential increase in school place requirements arising from the projected increased population for the Bray area as identified in the Wicklow County development Plan 2022-2028, the Department anticipates a future requirement for at least one new primary school.
The Fassaroe site will be masterplanned to make allowance for this future educational requirement in the area.
294. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education if any sites have been identified for a new primary school in Bray, County Wicklow; if there have been discussions with Wicklow County Council on the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5275/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe planned establishment of a new primary school in 2021 to serve the Bray/Woodbrook Shanganagh school planning area was announced in 2018 as a result of a countrywide demographic exercise. Further analysis has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of a number of planned new schools, including the school to serve this school planning area, taking into account a number of factors, including the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in the school planning areas, associated enrolments and the capacity in existing schools in the areas.
Provision has been made in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan for a designated primary school site in the Woodbrook area. This site is ideally located to serve the planned new residential developments in Woodbrook and Shanganagh.
It had been projected, in 2018, that these residential lands would be developed in a shorter timeframe. However, two significant residential developments in this area have now commenced and will be built out in over the next number of years.
My Department is satisfied that the existing demand in the Bray/Woodbrook Shanganagh school planning area can be accommodated at present by the existing and growing schools in this area. As a result, the establishment of the planned new school has been deferred.
The pace of delivery of additional residential development in this school planning area, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of school requirements. My Department will continue to liaise with the Local Authority in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and local developers in respect to the projected completion of these residential developments.
296. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education if a decision has been taken on an application for funding by a school (details supplied) to increase security measures at it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5277/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of the matter to which he refers and will continue to engage with the school patron in this regard.
297. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if her Department will put financial supports in place for students undertaking a course at a college (details supplied) who are unable to access the usual Gaeltacht grants and are struggling to meet costs, particularly in view of the increased Gaeltacht fee. [5285/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council's Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education.
Budget 2020 provided for the re-instatement of the grant to cover the full cost of the Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for undergraduate and post-graduate students in State-funded primary ITE programmes, with effect from the 2020/2021 academic year. The grant was previously funded by my Department up to the 2012/2013 academic year, when it was ceased due to financial constraints. The rate of student grant for 2023 has been set at an average of €815. This will cover the cost of the undertaking the fortnightly course in 2023. This grant will be made available for undergraduate and post-graduate students in State-funded primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. As the organisation mentioned is an independent private provider of ITE programmes, the re-introduced grant was not made available to students on their primary ITE programmes. This is in line with normal practice for other grant payments.
298. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Education the role of her Department and that of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in relation to developing and funding upskilling programmes for post-primary teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5315/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers at post-primary level. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018.
The Action Plan called for the development of upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas for existing teachers and, following a request from my Department, the HEA issued a funding call for upskilling programmes in mathematics, physics and Spanish in late 2019. Following the successful completion of the funding call, these new programmes commenced in January 2021.
Upskilling programmes are provided free of cost to participants. My Department has agreed to extend funding in 2023 and to provide for additional capacity. Almost 350 places are being made available on the programmes this year. It is also intended that a new course for teachers to upskill in Irish will commence in 2023/2024.
The development of upskilling programmes supports the commitment of the Department to providing opportunities for teachers' learning (CPD) across the continuum of teacher education, particularly in the context of the Teaching Council's work with Cosán, the national framework for teachers' learning.
299. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Education her plans to introduce funding for upskilling of home economics teachers in post-primary education; the criteria underpinning the funding of upskilling for maths, physics and Spanish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5316/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra305. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Education if financial supports will be offered to registered post-primary teachers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5405/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra307. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if discussions are expected to offer financial support to registered post-primary teachers to upskill in order to teach home economics, as is currently offered to registered teachers to teach mathematics, physics and Spanish. [5417/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 299, 305 and 307 together.
In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018.
The Action Plan called for the development of upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas for existing teachers and, following a request from my Department, the HEA issued a funding call to providers of Initial Teacher Education for upskilling programmes in mathematics, physics and Spanish in late 2019. These were identified by the Steering Group as among the most challenging subjects in terms of teacher recruitment. Following the successful completion of the funding call, these programmes commenced in January 2021.
Upskilling programmes are provided over two years on a part-time basis. They are free of cost to participants. The first cohort of participants, approximately 170 teachers, completed these programmes in 2022 and more than 300 teachers are due to graduate in 2023. My Department has agreed to extend funding in 2023 and to provide for additional capacity.
Funding for these programmes was put in place following a competitive call to all initial teacher education providers for proposals. It is intended to commence an upskilling programme in Irish in 2023/24 and consideration will be given to programmes in other subjects. The allocation of funding for any future programmes will be dependent on a competitive process for potential providers.
300. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Education the current number of vacancies in home economics teaching posts in secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5317/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra309. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the reason her Department will fund teachers who are upskilling in maths, physics and Spanish but not in home economics, despite the subject being the second most difficult subject for which to employ a teacher; the criteria that were used when selecting the subjects to be supported; the number of vacant home economics posts across the post-primary sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5450/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 309 together.
In 2018, my Department established a Steering Group on Teacher Supply to facilitate multi-agency engagement and to lead on a coordinated programme of actions to support the supply of teachers. Arising from the work of this Group and its various substructures, the Teacher Supply Action Plan was published in November 2018.
The Action Plan called for the development of upskilling programmes in targeted subject areas for existing teachers, and following a request from my Department, the HEA issued a funding call to ITE providers for upskilling programmes in mathematics, physics and Spanish in late 2019. These were identified by the Steering Group as among the most challenging subjects in terms of teacher recruitment. Following the successful completion of the funding call, these programmes commenced in January 2021.
Upskilling programmes are provided over two years on a part-time basis. They are free of cost to participants. The first cohort of participants, approximately 170 teachers, completed the programmes in 2022 and more than 300 teachers are due to finish in 2023. My Department has agreed to extend funding in 2023 and to provide for additional capacity.
Funding for these programmes was put in place following a competitive call to all initial teacher education providers for proposals. It is intended to commence an upskilling programme in Irish in 2023/24 and consideration will be given to extending programmes to other subjects. The allocation of funding for any future programmes will be dependent on a competitive tender process for potential providers.
Separate to the direct funding to these upskilling programmes, the Teacher Fee Refund Scheme provides funding to teachers towards the cost of participation and examination fees on successful completion of professional development courses. Funding under the scheme is being prioritised for those taking courses in particular areas, including upskilling for post primary teachers leading to registration with the Teaching Council in an additional subject. The maximum refund under the scheme is €5,000 per year and the level of refund depends on the volume of eligible applications that are received. Department Circulars 0005/2023 and 0015/2021 relate to this Scheme.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). My Department does not currently collate data on the number of vacant posts in post primary schools on a subject level basis.
301. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if she will consult a group (details supplied), teacher unions and managerial bodies with a view to developing a new policy in respect of teacher transfers and redeployment, as put forward by a union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5320/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders, a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
The key purpose of the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme is to assist the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers. To date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties.
The teacher redeployment arrangements are reviewed annually by my Department involving the education stakeholders, including teacher unions and management bodies. As part of the review, the Education Stakeholders can raise issues or concerns with the Department in relation to the operation of the redeployment process generally. It is open to members of the school community to liaise with their representative bodies on any matters of concern they may have.
The review in respect of the 2023/24 redeployment process took place last December and it would not be appropriate to consult with the group referred to by the Deputy outside of the normal review arrangements agreed with the Education Stakeholders.
The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme will operate in counties Laois, Offaly, Longford and Westmeath for the 2023/24 school year. The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year is available on the Department's website.
Teachers who apply under the pilot voluntary scheme and are not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
302. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on an issue raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5326/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the correspondence that the Deputy is referring to relates to grant support for initial teacher education students while on Gaeltacht placement.
The current requirements for Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes takes the form of 2 x 2 week placements, which are outlined in the Teaching Council's Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education.
Budget 2020 provided for the re-instatement of the grant to cover the full cost of the Gaeltacht Learning Periods (GLPs) for undergraduate and post-graduate students in State-funded primary ITE programmes, with effect from the 2020/2021 academic year. The grant was previously funded by my Department up to the 2012/2013 academic year, when it was ceased due to financial constraints. The rate of student grant for 2023 has been set at an average of €815. This will cover the cost of the undertaking the fortnightly course in 2023. This grant will be made available for undergraduate and post-graduate students in State-funded primary Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes. In respect of an independent private provider of ITE programmes, the re-introduced grant was not made available to students on their primary ITE programmes. This is in line with normal practice for other grant payments.
