Written Answers Nos. 209-216
210. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of children with special educational needs accessing the home tuition grant scheme currently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7025/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school.
The aim of the Department is to meet the needs of families and to ensure every child is allocated a suitable school placement. The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs assistants, school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with student peers. Accordingly, home tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not currently available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. By its nature, home tuition is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Circular 0050/2024 provides information in relation to the 2024/2025 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/9c0f9-home-tuition-grant-scheme-20242025-special-education-component/.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
Pre-School Children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria.
Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement.
Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
Students, enrolled in schools, with school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school.
The following table outlines the number of applications which were sanctioned for home tuition for school year 2024/2025. It is important to note that in relation to children seeking a special school or class place, the number that were sanctioned is not an indicator of the number of children currently without a school place. Of these, 60% of these children are availing of an educational setting with a private group provider, while in the main the remainder will have since received a school place or are transitioning to a school place.
Home tuition can be required for a variety reasons such as for children who are transitioning into a placement, for children who have recently moved location or are new into the country and are being supported to find a new placement or for children whose placement may be breaking down and they are being supported to seek a new placement. The NCSE advise that there are available places in special classes around the country and will continue to support children seeking a placement during the school year.
|
Year |
Autism Early Intervention (2.5 – 3yrs) |
Pre-school children with autism who meet the scheme's eligibility criterial |
Requiring/ Transitioning to SEN placement |
Mental Health |
Medical |
Total |
|
2024/2025* |
21 |
539 |
177 |
352 |
130 |
1219 |
* Information correct as of 18/02/2025.
213. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if more schools in the Crowenstown, Delvin, Collinstown, Castlepollard and Fore areas of Westmeath have been sanctioned to open an ASD class for 2025/2026. [7046/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide, 69 are in County Westmeath. 10 of these are new for the 2024/25 school year, 7 at primary level and 3 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.
The NCSE has completed over 1,000 school planning visits in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. It is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year in the coming weeks.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local SENOs are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks they will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.
214. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the current status of an additional accommodation project application by a school (details supplied); when they can proceed to the next phase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7060/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide four mainstream classrooms, eight SET rooms and a four classroom Special Education Needs (SEN) base. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority.
As a result of a Stage 2a meeting in July 2024 the Design Team had been requested to submit a revised stage 2a report. On 20/01/25 I can confirm that Stage 2a developed designs were received by my department.
However, it is noteworthy to mention that received drawings are not a comprehensive Stage 2a report and constitute Architectural drawings only. The school authority made a request to my Department to provide a preliminary review of the above before other design team disciplines provide their input for a combined Stage 2a submission. Department’s Professional and Technical team is currently reviewing the drawings and is expected to make their recommendations shortly. A full Stage 2a report submission will then be required based on their recommendations.
The next step for the Design Team will be to obtain the statutory planning approvals and move the project onward to tender and construction in due course. The timeframe for the construction of the project will not be known until the design stages have been completed and planning permission has been secured.
My department will continue to engage with the school authority to provide practical advice and assistance on this important project.
215. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child (details supplied), who is on a waiting list for their local special school will be able access an appropriate special school space this coming September. [7079/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for government. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
They advise that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) is working closely with the student’s family regarding options for school placements and other special education supports for the coming academic year.
Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide, 70 are in County Waterford. 12 of these are new for the 2024/25 school year, 7 at primary level and 5 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local SENOs are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENO's directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE have completed over 1,000 school planning visits in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks they will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.
216. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education if incremental credit will be given to secondary school teachers with teaching experience abroad; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7086/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for the award of incremental credit are set out in the Department of Education’s Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, and 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post-Primary teachers. The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC).
These circulars provide for the award of incremental credit in respect of overseas teaching service, both within and outside the EU. Where a school satisfies the criteria set out in the circulars to have service at that school recognised for incremental credit, an award of incremental credit can be made.
Criteria such as whether the school is subject to state funding, which can be of particular relevance when examining claims relating to private teaching schools, and the length of time the school has been in existence, must be satisfied in order for service at that school to be recognised for incremental credit.
Where schools do not satisfy the required criteria, then services at that school cannot be considered towards incremental credit. Teachers must be on the Department of Education’s teacher payroll or teaching in an Education and Training Board school before an application can be processed.
The criteria for the award of incremental credit for teachers are subject to review by way of an incremental credit committee, which is a sub-committee of the Teachers Conciliation Council, and which meets on an ongoing basis.
Through the Teachers Conciliation Council, the teacher unions have lodged a claim concerning the recognition of private post primary teaching service outside the EU towards the award of incremental credit.
The estimated additional cost of the award of incremental credit to teachers returning to Ireland with this service each year is €1.3m.
The department examined this as part of the 2025 budgetary process. However, it was not possible to secure funding to progress this request through the 2025 budgetary process.
The department is continuing to examine ways in which the matter may be progressed in the future.
