Written Answers Nos. 238-245
238. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the revenue saved due to the number of unfilled fixed term teaching positions for the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024 school years, broken down by country, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3473/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra239. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the revenue saved due to the number of unfilled maternity cover teaching positions for the school years 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, broken down by country, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3474/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In that regard there are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post primary schools, as well as ETBs). The Department does not collect data on the recruitment by individual employers.
Information on salary scales for teachers and substitute teachers is available on gov.ie - Salary Scales (www.gov.ie).
Statistical information on teachers is available on www.gov.ie/en/publication/c97fbd-teacher-statistics/.
These statistics are extracted from the payroll databases using a single extract (30th June) each year and includes contracted and casual teachers.
241. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education to comment on the CSO dataset 'Educational Attendance and Attainment of Children in Care, 2018 - 2023' published recently; to outline how her Department is responding to the gaps identified for children in care in education; if her Department intends to further research this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3511/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report referred to by the Deputy was published last August by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The report looks at educational attendance and attainment of children in care in January 2023 and children who left care since April 2018. It is available at
www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/fp/fp-eaacc/educationalattendanceandattainmentofchildrenincare2018-2023/.
The report is part of the CSO Frontier Series and may use new methods which are under development and / or data sources which may be incomplete, for example, new administrative data sources.
In this report, of the 9,744 children in care during January 2023 or children who left care since April 2018, 77% were successfully linked to other pseudonymised administrative data sources including Revenue, Department of Education and the Department of Social Protection
In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), including the administration of the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP) is under my remit.
TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the Statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people. All three strands share the same national outcomes:
• Improved Attendance
• Improved Participation
• Improved Retention
In September 2023, a specialist post of Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) for Children in Care was established in TESS. This post is funded by my Department and aims to support the ongoing education of children in care. The EWO for children in care works with Social Workers, Social Care Workers, local TESS staff and schools to ensure that young people who move in their care placement are supported to access school places quickly and to minimise gaps in their education. TESS will continue to develop the role in line with the learning from 'Educational Attendance and Attainment of Children in Care, 2018 - 2023' and any subsequent data sets published by the CSO.
242. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if there are plans to extend teacher training in the Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone. [3553/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes.
The Council reviewed its policy on standards for programmes of initial teacher education and published updated standards in Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education in October 2020. These standards ensure that graduates from ITE have experienced foundation studies, professional studies (incorporating pedagogy of the curriculum for the appropriate age group/s) and school placement, as well as core elements such as inclusive education and digital skills.
The Department published an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Policy Statement in 2023, presenting a vision for policy and provision across the sector which can ensure that student teachers at primary and post-primary level have the skills to support all of our children and young people as learners in the years ahead. One of the guiding principles of the policy statement is the continuation of the vision that ITE provision will be led by a small number (seven) of university-led centres of teacher education excellence, and that each of these will have a critical mass to provide for good teaching, research and international co-operation and structures to ensure meaningful collaboration across education. The policy statement recognises the contribution that Technological Universities can make, linking in with those centres.
At present, a Bachelor of Education in Technology, Engineering and Graphics (Post Primary) is being delivered through a partnership of Dublin City University, one of the seven centres, and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Athlone. The first two years of study for this programme take place at the TUS Athlone campus, and the final two years at the DCU Institute of Education in Dublin. This is an excellent example of the type of innovative collaboration which can take place.
As an autonomous body, it would fall to TUS Athlone to consider the scope of their expansion of any future ITE provision in line with their mission/strategy. This Department would favour new programmes being introduced in areas where there is an identified national need. In this regard it would be expected that there would be liaison with this Department (by TUS Athlone as well as the Teaching Council, DFHERIS) when considering new ITE programme proposals and that there would be due regard given to available data on teacher-supply needs.
243. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Education the timeframe for the next round of applications for funding under the summer works scheme to be accepted by her Department. [3570/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for categories of works such as roof works, window replacement, mechanical and electrical works, external works etc. and was last opened for applications in 2019.
The Department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings. It is a priority for Government to deliver on Ireland’s ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes targets around the decarbonisation of Ireland’s public buildings.
As part of it’s planning for 2024 and beyond, Department officials are considering and planning for the next phases of the summer works programme and the opportunities this may create to support the sustainability agenda. In this regard, it is envisaged at this stage that, a Multi-Annual SWS with a focus on climate action and energy conservation will be the focus for the next summer works scheme to be opened for applications. The arrangements and timing of that SWS is still under consideration and schools will be updated in due course.
244. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will advise parents in an area who are outside the school planning area for both of their closest schools (details supplied) and are left with no alternative; if these schools have discretion to allow students in this situation to apply, despite falling outside the catchment, where no equivalent school is available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3595/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority for my Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school patron. The 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. The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied.
My Department is working to clarify the actual requirement for additional school places and to identify particular further capacity requirements for 2024 and forthcoming years. For school planning purposes, my Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) 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 the Department’s projections of school place requirements.
Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, my Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additional provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.
The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. Enrolment data for previous schools years is available on the Department website. Provisional enrolment data for the 2023/24 school year is available of the Departments website at www.gov.ie
As stated above, the question of enrolment in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the Board of Management on behalf of the school Patron and my Department does not seek to intervene in decisions made by schools in such matters. It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in North Dublin for the 2024/25 school year and into the future. Families can be assured that any necessary solution will be delivered so that all of the children across the School Planning Area will receive a first year place.
245. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education when a building project will proceed to the next stage as this additional accommodation is needed for next September (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3600/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project to which the Deputy refers, was approved a project under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme to provide a one classroom SEN base and one SET room.
The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.
My Department has received a Stage 2b (post planning approval) report from the school. This report is currently under review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code.
My Department will be in contact with the school authority directly, once its review of this report has been completed on the next steps to progress this project.
