Written Answers Nos. 282-293
283. Deputy Joe O'Brien asked the Minister for Education if she will outline any plans to provide additional primary special education places in north Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7896/23]
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 (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my Department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
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 providing supports to children and young people with special educational needs and their schools.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with SEN in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers and special needs assistants.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.
Over the last two to three years, my Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream, special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with over 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level, almost 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level and five new special schools established over the last three years.
The NCSE have sanctioned 208 new special classes in Co. Dublin over the last 3 years. Of these, 156 special classes are at primary level and 52 are at post-primary level.
There are a total of 474 special classes in Co. Dublin. Of these, 367 special classes are at primary level and 107 are at post primary level.
My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding which children can be supported to attend a mainstream class and with regard to the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe.
It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list .
My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.
I want reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
284. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a schedule of the non-commercial and semi-State commercial companies under her aegis; if an explanatory memorandum will be provided in respect of the policy of a dividend payment to the Exchequer from each company; the dividend paid by each company to the Exchequer for each year from 2000 to 2022; if her Department collects the funds and forwards it to the central fund or whether it goes directly; if over that period her Department has requested an increase in respect of the dividend due over it’s percentage shareholding; the number of occasions that it waived the dividend; the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7901/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a review of my Department's Financial Management System, I can confirm to the Deputy that there is no record of dividends being received from any non-commercial and semi-State commercial under the aegis of the Department. It is not projected that any such dividends will be received in 2023 either, as the ten bodies under the aegis of my Department are non-commercial state bodies.
285. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if grants are available for primary schools to purchase sports equipment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7916/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides GP room and PE hall equipment with the construction of all new primary and post primary schools, respectively. This equipment may also be provided where a large-scale building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school. Additionally primary schools can utilise the Minor Works to replace PE equipment such as football and basketball apparatus.
286. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will detail the procedures primary schools must follow if they seek to transition from being mainstream schools to special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7922/23]
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 (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.
It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my Department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
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 providing supports to children and young people with special educational needs and their schools.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with SEN in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers and special needs assistants.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.
Over the last two to three years, my Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream, special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with over 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level, almost 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level and five new special schools established over the last three years.
My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class and special school places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding which children can be supported to attend a mainstream class and with regard to the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe.
Special schools were originally established under a particular designation of student need, but have diversified and respond to a broader range of students’ needs from within their respective catchment areas.
Special schools provide education to children and young people from age 4 to 18. They are designated as primary schools and operate according to a primary school calendar and school day. Special schools are resourced by NCSE on the basis of an annual review of their enrolment and the profile of the children and young people enrolled in them. Most special schools have both primary and post-primary students on roll.
To meet the need for additional special school places, additional capacity can be provided in existing special schools or a new special school can be established. It is important to consider the level of need in an area before any consideration of expanding special school provision. In establishing a new special school, the NCSE and my Department consider the level of need in an area, the planning and building considerations, the potential scale of the new school and the ability of the school to expand and increase enrolments over time. Another important consideration is the opportunity for integration of students from the special school with local primary and post-primary schools.
The transition of a school from a mainstream school to a special school would be a matter in the first instance for the school patron to consider in line with any rules set in in the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2019 – 2023.
287. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she has received a request from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to identify properties under the control of her Department or under the control of agencies under the remit of her Department for the purposes of providing accommodation to international protection applicants or beneficiaries of temporary protection; if she has identified potential properties and their locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7932/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that a request has been received from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to this matter. The letter is currently being reviewed and a response will issue in due course.
288. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to a shortfall in primary school places in the Kilcock area, Kildare; her plans to address this; and if she will outline the steps a parent or guardian may take if a school cannot enrol a child at their school due to it being at capacity. [7983/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, including projects in the area in question, may be viewed on my Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
The Capital Programme also provides for devolved funding 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. Details of schools listed on this programme (the Additional Accommodation Scheme) can also be found on my Department's website at www.gov.ie and this information is also updated regularly.
In response to projected future need and to enrolment pressures in the area, there has been significant capital investment by my Department providing additional capacity at primary schools in the Kilcock School Planning area. The Kilcock School Planning Area is served by 9 primary schools and the following projects are ongoing or recently completed:
- A major capital project for St. Joseph’s NS Kilcock (RN 16706G) was recently completed in 2021 - New 16-classroom school building plus SEN - this is located within Kilcock town.
A number of projects are ongoing under our Additional School Accommodation Programme with the following schools within the School Planning Area:
- RN 17821L St Marys, Enfield – currently at Stage 4 - to provide 3 SEN (Special Education Needs) class base
- RN 11976K Scoil Choca Naofa- Additional Accommodation application recently received and currently awaiting additional information.
- RN 18051Q COOLE NS, Kilcock – Stage 4 – 1 x 80m2 Mainstream Classroom (MCR) additionality
- RN 18650P Newbawn NS, Enfield – Project Complete – 4 x 80m2 prefab replacement, 1 x 15m2 Set prefab replacement & 1 x 15m2 SET additional.
- RN 18650P Newbawn NS, Enfield – Stage 2a – 2 SEN class base
- RN 18666H Tiermohan NS – Stage 4 – 3 x 80m2 MCR prefab replacement
- RN 18887A St Joseph’s NS Mulhussey Kilcock – Complete – 1 x 80m2 MCR
There is also a current Additional Accommodation project for RN 19897I Scoil Úi Riada, Kilcock (located within Kilcock town) – Stage 2a – 4 x 80m2 MCR additional, 1 x 15m2 SET additional, 3 x 80m2 prefab replacement & 2 x 15m2 SET replacement. This will allow this school expand to cater for 3-streams (Junior Infants to 6th class - 24-classrooms).
Based on the current demographic information, the projects completed and ongoing within the School Planning Area will be sufficient to cater for the future demand in the area. This will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
289. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the options, if any, for a person (details supplied) who has been unable to secure a first year school place for the 2023-2024 academic year, and who has no further applications submitted due to the oversubscription of all secondary schools in the area. [7984/23]
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. Projections of post primary school place requirements are informed by multiple factors, including primary school enrolments in the area and primary to post primary transfer patterns.
My Department's projections of post primary school place requirements in Clondalkin show some continued growth in overall enrolments in the short- to medium-term. However, despite projected overall growth, first year place requirements are anticipated to remain generally stable, or slightly decline.
While my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in Clondalkin, 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.
290. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Education if details of a family (details supplied) have been forwarded to her Department for consideration for the remote area grant; the steps the family need to take to pursue this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8019/23]
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 €338.9m.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the terms of my Department’s School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 4.8kms at post-primary and are attending their nearest 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 complete the application process and ticket registration process on time are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but where no service exists may be offered the Remote Area Grant towards the cost of making private transport arrangements. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.
The closing date for receipt of applications for the 2022/2023 School Year was 29th April 2022 and the closing date for receipt of ticket registrations was 29th July 2022.
Bus Éireann has advised that the children referred to by the Deputy are eligible for school transport under the terms of the scheme in relation to distance, however they did not complete the application process before the closing date. In order for eligibility to be considered for a Remote Area Grant, the application must be submitted prior to 29th April 2022 and a ticket request must be submitted before 29th July 2022. Bus Éireann advise all existing services in this area are currently operating at capacity.
291. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if school place can be found for a student (details supplied); if extra provision can urgently be provided given the growing problem in Kildare north; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8021/23]
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 the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Prosperous_Clane area, 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
The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities. In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, the Department is engaging with patron bodies and school authorities, including those of schools in the Prosperous_Clane area, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train. .
Additionally, the Department will continue to work to advance the planned and current projects in the Prosperous_Clane School Planning area and to ensure sufficient places for both mainstream provision and for pupils with special education requirements both for the coming academic year and into the future. This includes the additional accommodation project approved for Scoil Mhuire, Clane.
292. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education the reason that despite WRC negotiations, a Labour Court recommendation and a promise from her Department that it would be making an offer of improved pay and conditions to the unions representing adult education tutors employed by education and training boards by September 2022, no offer has yet been forthcoming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8032/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education retains regulatory responsibility for the ETB sector, including further education services. Officials have been engaging with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, which has policy responsibility for the further education sector, and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to this matter and discussions are ongoing. There has been previous engagement with Unions regarding these staff and while agreement was reached on some issues, the claim to align tutors to a pay scale of an existing grade in Education and Training Boards remains unresolved. A proposal in response to the Labour Court recommendation is currently under discussion between the Departments with a view to finalising the offer to the Unions as the earliest opportunity.
293. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education if she will respond to correspondence from a school (details supplied) in Dublin 9; if he will give close consideration to the matters raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8037/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention. A HSCL Coordinator is a teacher from a participating school who is released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents and guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL Coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life. HSCL is a school-based intervention provided to address the needs of students and their families in disadvantaged areas through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator. This is achieved through targeting the families of students most at risk of educational disadvantage and putting in place a range of appropriate support interventions.
My officials, in conjunction with the TESS Integrated Services Manager, will engage with the principals of the schools in question in relation to the issues raised in the recent correspondence to my Department.
