Written Answers Nos. 337-353
337. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to provide a breakdown of the current budget allocations for each programme under subhead A9 of the revised estimates for 2023 and 2024 respectively, in tabular form. [29580/24]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children, including over 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The breakdown of Original Revised Estimate allocations for each programme under the School Transport subhead for 2023 and 2024 are outlined in the table below,
|
Base |
Cost of Living |
Ukraine |
Total |
|
|
2023* |
€279m |
- |
€4m |
€283m |
|
2024 |
€329m |
€42m |
€10m |
€381m |
During 2023, additional Non Core funds were allocated to the Department of Education after the Revised Estimated process, broken down as follows:
Covid: €2m
Cost of Living: €41m
Ukraine: €10m
338. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Education the criteria that has been used to determine the position the SNA allocation in respect of a school (details supplied) for the coming school term; if an exceptional review of this allocation can be carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29598/24]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an 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).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
The NCSE is responsible for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs).
Any school who feels that their allocation is insufficient to meet the needs of its students can apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website.
In addition, the NCSE can make the local special educational needs officer (SENO) available to the school to discuss the deployment of existing supports and provide advice on how to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. NCSE in-school support is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support at any stage of the year.
339. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to provide reduced class sizes at primary school level since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29599/24]
View answerIn the three previous Budgets, I prioritised reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. A 3-point reduction in the retention schedule, which I introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. I also improved teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools which now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.
The latest figures in relation to the pupil-teacher ratio shows an improved ratio of pupils to teachers from 15.7:1 to 13.4:1 at primary level when comparing the 2016/17 school year with the 2022/23 school year. In the same period the primary staffing schedule improved from 27:1 to 24:1. Average class sizes at primary improved from 24.6 to 22.8 in the same period. The improvements brought about by Budget 2023 for this school year will be available in the statistical reports published at the end of the school year.
My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.
In addition to these grants, €20 million in funding issued during the mid-term break, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This funding was the first tranche of an overall additional €60 million funding announced as part of Budget 2024 measures designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. A further €40 million in funding was delivered in 2024.
I understand the need for increased capitation funding and I am pleased that I have been able to provide for significant increases in capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools in Budget 2024, which includes a permanent restoration of capitation funding as well as an increase for cost of living pressures.
The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per pupil at primary level, and has been paid to schools in January and June 2024 for the 2023/24 academic year.
As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024 I am pleased to have secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer-term with increased day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This will bring the basic rate of Capitation grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per student in primary schools and €345 per student in post primary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs, and Traveller pupils. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and the relevant enhanced capitation rate.
Primary schools also receive an Ancillary Services Grant. The standard rate is €173 per pupil in primary schools.
Primary schools with less than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils.
My Department provides funding to schools to provide workbooks and copies to all children and young people enrolled in recognised primary and special schools. It is expected that over 563,000 children and young people, - in 3,230 primary and special schools, - will benefit from this scheme in the 2024/25 school year. The payment per pupil for the 24/25 school year is €80. Payments totalling €44.7 million were made to schools under the scheme in May 2024. This is considered to be sufficient to deliver this scheme, particularly as all schools have used initial funding from last year to purchase a significant volume of textbooks and other resources which can be re-used in the coming school year.
Overall, my Department will spend almost €2.8 billion on special education in 2024, supporting students across mainstream and specialised settings. Almost 1,300 new special classes have been sanctioned over the last four years. For the coming school year, there will be over 3,000 special classes operating in primary and post-primary schools.
Seven new special schools have been established in recent years, and another four special schools will open in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick for the coming school year.
Any possible further increases will be part of Budget 2025 negotiations. While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education will continue to seek and prioritise the additional funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools as part of the annual Estimates process.
340. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to improve the quality of secondary education since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29600/24]
View answerOverall, my Department will spend almost €2.8 billion on special education in 2024, supporting students across mainstream and specialised settings. Almost 1,300 new special classes have been sanctioned over the last four years. For the coming school year, there will be over 3,000 special classes operating in primary and post-primary schools. Seven new special schools have been established in recent years, and another 4 special schools will open in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick for the coming school year.
Since 2020, the Department has invested in excess of €4.9 billion in our schools throughout the country, with close to 50% of this dedicated to Post Primary schools. During the period 2020 to 2023 over 200 projects, including 17 new school buildings, have been completed in the Post Primary sector. In the same period in excess of €140 million was invested in over 550 small scale repair/improvement projects in Post Primary school throughout the country under the Summer Works Scheme and Emergency Works Scheme.
This level of investment highlights the Government’s very strong track record of delivery in providing additional capacity and modern facilities for our school communities. Currently at Post Primary level there are close to 100 projects, including 10 new school buildings, with construction underway. There are also over 140 Post Primary projects, including 30 new school buildings, currently at the tender or advanced planning stages. All these new school buildings are flagship projects in their area and transform the education infrastructure for those school communities.
My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential. Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector. In March 2022, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme. This benefited 361 schools. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. 1 in 4 students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme. This expansion added an additional €32 million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall Department of Education allocation for the programme to over €180 million.
My Department has committed to annually revising the allocation of Posts of Responsibility to take into account retirements during the school year which has ensured that the current level of Posts of Responsibility (PORs) are maintained in the school system. New POR threshold tables are produced each year to distribute these POR’s equitably across all schools. Since the commencement of the restoration of these posts at post-primary level, there has also been an increased allocation in respect of Deputy Principal posts with over 450 additional posts allocated to schools. In the 2021/22 school year, the enrolment threshold for the allocation of an additional Deputy Principal in DEIS post-primary schools was reduced from 700 to 600 pupils. These additional posts provide resources to focus on leadership and management in our schools. This recognises the key role school leadership has in promoting a school environment which is welcoming, inclusive and accountable.
My Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding as a common grant from which the board of management can allocate according to its own priorities.
I understand the need for increased capitation funding and I am pleased that I have been able to provide for significant increases in capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools in Budget 2024, which includes a permanent restoration of capitation funding as well as an increase for cost-of-living pressures. The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €183 per pupil at primary level and €316 per pupil at post primary level. As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024 I am pleased to have secured €21 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer-term with increased day-to-day running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools from September 2024. This will bring the basic rate of Capitation Grant to the pre-2011 level of €200 per student in primary schools and €345 per student in post primary schools. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Traveller pupils. This represents an increase of circa 9.2% of current standard and the relevant enhanced capitation rates.
In addition to these grants, €20 million in funding was issued in October 2023, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This funding was the first tranche of an overall additional €60 million funding announced as part of Budget 2024 measures designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. A further €40 million in funding was delivered in 2024.
In March this year, I announced details of a new ground-breaking scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Special schools who have students enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive this funding. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools will benefit from the new scheme. This scheme ensures that parents and guardians will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks or core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle programmes. The investment of €68 million in 2024 significantly increases the funding that is currently provided to post-primary schools for schoolbooks. It reinforces the Government’s commitment to expand the free schoolbooks scheme to schools nationwide, as resources allow. The scope of the scheme means that schools will continue to have autonomy to choose schoolbooks and related classroom resources that meet curricular requirements. In the case of special classes in post-primary schools, they have autonomy to choose resources that meet the learning needs of the students. The extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle students will be considered as part of future budget negotiations.
My Department has committed considerable resources towards the restoration of guidance allocation to post-primary schools, to the provision of CPD for guidance counsellors and to the provision of a national guidance counselling supervision service for post-primary guidance counsellors.
As part of the COVID-19 operational supports to schools for the 2021/22 school year, approximately 120 posts were provided for guidance to support student well-being. These posts were restored on a permanent basis in the 2022/23 school year. This brings guidance provision in schools back to the level last seen before the financial crisis in 2012.
Any possible further measures will be part of Budget 2025 negotiations. While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education will continue to seek and prioritise the additional funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools as part of the annual Estimates process.
341. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to tackle educational disadvantage since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29601/24]
View answerDuring my time as Minister for Education I have shown a strong commitment to addressing educational disadvantage. My Department’s Statement of Strategy, sets out the vision and mission of the Department for an educational system where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. It sets as a goal to ensure equity of opportunity in education and that all students are supported to fulfil their potential recognises that equality of opportunity and inclusivity must be fundamental principles in our education system. The successful delivery of this goal means that our school system is open and welcoming for all students, regardless of background, and that in particular learners at risk of educational disadvantage will be supported to achieve their full potential.
Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector. My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.
In March 2022, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme. This benefited 361 schools. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. 1 in 4 students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme.This expansion added an additional €32million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall Department of Education allocation for the programme to over €180million.
I am very conscious of the benefits of the DEIS programme and indeed I believe education is the great leveller, and we must do all that we can in order to support all students and young people accessing education in its fullest sense.
The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a core component of the DEIS programme, a key policy initiative of the Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. The SCP aims to retain a young person to completion of the leaving certificate, equivalent qualification or suitable level of educational attainment which enables them to transition into further education, training, or employment
Since my Department took over responsibility for the SCP in January 2021, I have continued to increase the funding allocated to the programme:
• Funding provided to extend SCP supports to 28 additional schools (these had been included in DEIS for the first time in September 2017 but under DCEDIY were not given access to SCP)
• A 5% overall increase in funding for the SCP, effective from September 2021.
• Additional 5% increase as part of Budget 2023. The first allocation of this increase was paid out in late 2022.
This means that since 2020 I have increased the total funding for the SCP for from €26.9m to €34m.
Under Budget 2025 I secured €5 million for additional Educational Welfare Officers posts. It will also provide supports for the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) for their work in relation to the assessment of education provision in places other than in recognised schools, including home schooling and independent schools. I also secured €2 million once-off funding for increasing services in school retention and completion programmes and supports targeted at the most educationally disadvantaged children.
While DEIS is the main policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level, I have introduced many initiatives to further address the issue of educational disadvantage across all schools.
Under the Programme for Government there was a commitment to seek to make further progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools. Since 2020 I have secured three 1 point improvements in the primary school staffing schedule meaning the current primary schools allocation schedule is at an historic rate of 23:1 resulting in an increase in the number of teaching staff in our schools. These improvements have also been applied to the enhanced staffing schedule in place in the 306 DEIS Urban band 1 schools.
As part of Budget 2023, I secured a major investment of over €50 million to provide free schoolbooks to pupils in recognised primary schools and special schools in the Free Education Scheme. In 2024 over €47 million was allocated to continue implementation of the schoolbooks scheme at primary level. On the 8th May this year I announced details of year 2 of the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme which provides at a minimum free schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks to pupils in recognised primary and special schools. More than 555,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools will continue to benefit from this scheme.
In March this year, I also announced details of a new ground-breaking scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Special schools who have students enrolled in Junior Cycle programmes will also receive this funding. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme.
This scheme ensures that parents and guardians will not be asked to buy or rent any schoolbooks or core classroom resources for students in Junior Cycle programmes. The investment of €68 million in 2024 significantly increases the funding that is currently provided to post-primary schools for schoolbooks. It reinforces the Government’s commitment to expand the free schoolbooks scheme to schools nationwide, as resources allow. The extension of the scheme to senior cycle students will be considered as part of future budget negotiations.
In September 2021 my Department published guidelines for schools on the use of reduced school days. The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide clarity to school authorities and parents and guardians on the use of reduced school days and to ensure that this practice is limited to only those circumstances where it is deemed absolutely necessary. The Guidelines are effective from January 2022. An information note for parents has also been published.
In October 2023, my Department issued the Attendance Campaign Support Grant of over €6 million to all primary and post-primary schools, along with comprehensive guidelines outlining its use and purpose. This once off payment is strategically focused on enhancing and supporting regular school attendance, with a particular emphasis on aiding children and young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage.
The guidelines present detailed strategies for the grant's effective utilisation, specifically focusing on students most in need. This is pivotal in tackling attendance challenges faced by students whose education was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This grant, complemented by the guidelines, forms an integral part of the wider initiatives of the Department of Education and the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) under the National School Attendance Campaign, active throughout the 2023/24 school year. The campaign underscores an effort to bolster student attendance across the country, recognising its critical role in fostering both educational success and overall student well-being.
In 2022, my Department published a report on the Review of Out-of-School Education Provision. The out-of-school education sector relates to a small number of schools and education centres which operate outside of mainstream education provision. This review focused on the education provision in the State for learners under 16 years of age who have encountered difficulties staying in mainstream education. The review also makes recommendations to inform future policy to provide a sustainable option within the education system to further serve this group of learners.
Publication of the Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 and the payment of funding for digital technology infrastructure to all recognised primary and post-primary schools will also benefit students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021. This strategy advances the embedding of digital technologies across teaching, learning and assessment, building on the work under previous strategies. It aims to further support the school system so that all students across our schools have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an ever-evolving digital world successfully.
The Supporting Traveller and Roma (STAR) in education pilot project was established in 2019, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, with the aims of improving attendance, participation and retention in specific Traveller and Roma communities regionally. There are four pilot areas: Galway, Wexford, Dublin and Cork. Additional resources provided include an additional Educational Welfare Officer (EWO), an additional Home School Community Liaison coordinator (HSCL) and two Traveller/Roma community education workers from the local communities employed by local Traveller/Roma support groups. Under my Ministry, the pilot has been extended to June 2025, recognising, among other things, the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 and the commitment to an independent evaluation of the pilot.
My Department commissioned the Centre for Effective Services (CES) to carry out the independent evaluation, and the work commenced in May 2023. A Research Advisory Group with Traveller and Roma representation was set up to support the research. The evaluation will be a valuable resource to inform the development and implementation of a national Traveller and Roma Education Strategy.
A separate initiative, funded under Dormant Account Funds provides for 10 new Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinators in 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools with high numbers of Traveller and Roma students. These HSCL coordinators will also have access to funding to implement and run initiatives to encourage improvements in school attendance, retention and progression for Traveller and Roma students. In addition, the funding has allowed the creation of a new coordinator post with responsibilities across the four STAR pilot sites and for facilitating effective information-sharing between STAR teams and the 10 new HSCL coordinators. Funding for these measures have continued for 2024.
My Department recognises the need to target resources to those schools who need them most, the next phase of work will explore the allocation of resources to all schools to tackle educational disadvantage.
I have invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies project to review Ireland’s current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage. This review will provide an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme and, drawing on international examples, inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS.
The OECD has engaged with a range of relevant stakeholders to inform the review process as well as drawing on international examples. Throughout the review process, the OECD Strength Through Diversity team carried out engagements with a range of stakeholders such as teacher unions, management bodies and academic experts via online interviews. The OECD research team also visited Ireland and carried out a round of in-person engagements. The group met with representatives from the education partners, the community and voluntary sectors and academic experts. The group also visited a selection of DEIS and non-DEIS schools during their visit and consulted with school staff, parents and children during those visits. The review of the resource allocation model for the DEIS programme is currently being finalised.
The OECD review is being complimented by a programme of work by my officials which will consider current allocation approaches and the recommendations from the OECD review. Consultation with a range of relevant stakeholders is an important part of this work. This work aims to develop future resource allocation policies that ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to achieve their potential.
342. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the main initiatives she has taken to improve the quality of special needs education since 27 June 2020; the additional funding provided in successive budgets; her plans for 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29602/24]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education 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).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
Below is a table outlining the funding sourced through successive budgets.
|
Special Education Budget 2020 - 2024 |
||
|
Year |
Budget € |
% of DOE Budget |
|
2020 |
1.9bn |
22% |
|
2021 |
2.2bn |
25% |
|
2022 |
2.3bn |
24% |
|
2023 |
2.6bn |
27% |
|
2024 |
2.7bn |
26% |
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2024, the number of special education teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase by 744 and 1,216 respectively to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting these children.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs. Over the last number of years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.
These initiatives include but are not limited to;
• Enhanced arrangements in place, for planning and coordination of special educational needs provision requirements involving the Department of Education, the NCSE and key stakeholders such as patron and management bodies. This utilises the department’s Geographic Information System (GIS) to support a strategic and coordinated approach to planning and delivery of special educational needs provision. This includes “real-time” data on capacity across the school system.
• Updated technical guidance for building projects involving special educational needs provision including guidance on reconfiguration of existing accommodation
• Future proofing at post-primary level with the incorporation of four special classes in all new 1,000 student post-primary schools and other large-scale projects and pro-rata for medium to smaller schools.
• Strategic engagement with Spiritan Education Trust in relation to special educational needs provision at its school sites including its post-primary schools in the fee-charging sector.
• Modular Accommodation Framework put in place by my department in early 2021,
• Expansion of existing planning exemptions for provision of additional accommodation at existing school sites.
• Providing expanded project management support to schools to assist with the accelerated delivery of special educational needs provision by means of reconfiguration of existing space or modular accommodation and
• Introducing a much-simplified application process for reconfiguration works for special educational needs provision has also been rolled out.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with almost 1,700 new special classes sanctioned and eleven new special schools established in recent years. In addition, many special schools have been expanded.
In addition to ensuring there is sufficient provision in place, my department has and continues to review existing policies and bring new initiatives on board to support children with special educational needs.
For example;
For the Summer Programme, additional funding was secured in Budget 2024 to run the programme to match the investment in previous years, bringing the total funding available to €40m. My department has focused on attracting school participation by ensuring schools are supported to deliver the programme by introducing a new pilot initiative for special schools and appointing a National Co-ordinator. These initiatives have seen a huge increase in the number of children who have participated in the school-based Summer Programme and my department is working to further progress this programme into the future.
In 2022, the commencement of the first phase of the implementation of an enhanced scheme of Irish Sign Language (ISL) provision was announced. This new scheme is in addition to the existing provision that is in place, in which the enhanced scheme includes the implementation of two new roles to the education system. As part of the expansion of the NCSE that was announced in Budget 2023, 40 dedicated new staff are being allocated for the two new role under the ISL scheme.
Also in 2022, my department created a new unit within its Special Education Section dedicated to SNAs in order to ensure that sufficient time and attention is given to examination of the SNA role and any reform or development required. This action is the first step in the department’s plan to develop a ‘vision’ for the future of SNAs to be informed by the SNAs themselves, teachers and the wider sector.
In addition, a number of new initiatives are currently in train;
Under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities, the department is leading on the implementation of a number of actions supporting transitions and progression in education from early childhood through to further education and training and higher education.
A Transitions Programme Steering Group, which includes representation from my department, is working to oversee development of a transition programme that aims to provide access to all school leavers requiring specialist supports to an appropriate transition programme.
The overarching objective of the programme is to support students with complex educational needs to transition to the post-school option which suits them best; including further or higher education options, workplace settings or adult disability services.
The second pilot programme – Dormant Accounts Funded Transitions programme is a collaboration between the department and Walkinstown Association for People with an Intellectual Disability (WALK), an experienced non-government organisation working in the area of disability services and is working with 10 schools – mostly special schools – to deliver their existing Peer Ability programme.
Separately, the National Nursing Programme Pilot for children with complex healthcare needs is a nationwide pilot scheme run in partnership between the HSE and the NCSE. This pilot is to be evaluated and the outcome will inform the provision of nursing support for students with complex healthcare needs into the future.
The pilot nursing scheme will, for eligible students, extend the Paediatric Home Care Package (PHCP) from their home into the school setting. This will allow an agency nurse attend school with the student for an agreed number of hours per week, and travel to and from school with them, if necessary.
This is just a sample of the initiatives taken by my department in recent times.
In addition, to ensure that the NCSE is fully resourced and equipped to continue to meet the current and future needs of the special education sector, the annual budget for the NCSE has been increased by 55%. This increase will allow for the provision of an additional 161 staff. The majority of these new staff will be in front-line special educational needs organiser (SENO) and advisor roles. This will ensure that parents, children and schools can be adequately supported into the future.
2024 will also see a significant milestone reached for special education as a comprehensive report on the review of the Education of Person with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) act (2004) is expected. This significant review is intended to be concluded in the second quarter of 2024.
This review will no doubt have an impact on our education system as we currently know as it and will provide recommendations as to how we can continue to support and ensure children with special educational needs receive a high quality education.
I wish to assure the Deputy 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.
343. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the main achievements of her Department since 27 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29603/24]
View answerThis year my Department published “Forbairt 2024 Annual Statement of Priorities”, a statement of priority actions to be delivered in 2024 that elaborates upon and develops the strategic actions set out in the Statement of Strategy 2023-2025, which sets out the vision, mission and strategic goals that guides the Department’s work programme for the 2023-2025 period. The Department's Annual Reports have also been published and outline the significant work undertaken since June 2020. My Department’s goal has been to deliver high quality and inclusive education for all children and young people that addresses their needs, interests and ambitions.
Significant achievements to date include:
Investment
• As part of Budget 2023 over €50 million was allocated to provide free schoolbooks to all pupils in recognised primary schools, including special schools. More than 563,000 pupils enrolled in approximately 3,230 primary schools, including over 130 special schools benefited from the new scheme from September 2023. Funding of over €47 million was secured in 2024 to further embed the free primary schoolbooks scheme, which will continue to provide schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for the 2024/2025 academic year.
• As part of Budget 2024 funding of over €68 million was allocated for the extension of the scheme to provide free schoolbooks and core classroom resources to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. More than 213,000 students enrolled in approximately 670 post-primary schools and over 65 special schools, will benefit from the new scheme in the coming school year.
• Since 2020 €21 million has been made available in additional capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-today running costs. This will support a permanent restoration of funding for all primary and post-primary schools, bringing the basic rate of capitation to €200 per student in primary schools and to €345 in post-primary schools.
• My Department's budget has included provision of €323 million in education measures over a wide range of temporary measures to assist with increased cost of living pressures.
• Continued investment in new teaching posts has seen the general average primary staffing schedule reduce by three points, to a historically low level of 23:1 in 2023. This was the first time such a reduction was made in three consecutive Budgets.
• The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published in April 2022 and builds on the achievements of the previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. The strategy is underpinned by an overall investment of €200m, €100m of which has already issued in grants to schools.
• In February 2024, the Department published the review of the School Transport Scheme – School Transport 2030. A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations will commence in September 2024. This will include a shared effort between my Department and the Department of Transport to pilot and introduce greater integration of the roll out of transport networks with school transport routes. The aim of this approach is to expand the provision of transport and reduce the reliance over time on individual car trips for school journeys.
Capital works
• Since 2020, my Department has invested capital funding in the region of €4.8 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 900 school building projects. Construction is currently underway at approximately 300 other projects, which includes 30 new school buildings. These 300 projects currently at construction involve a total State investment of over €1.2bn.
• I also recently announced that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total, around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the Department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
• This includes a total of €280m which has issued to schools under the Minor works grant since 2020, of which €29 million in minor works funding for primary and special schools issued in April 2024. Schools had the autonomy to use this funding for maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds.
• The Schools PV Programme was launched in November 2023. This will assist schools in reducing their costs and their carbon footprint as part of the response to meeting the 2030 and 2050 Climate Action Plan targets.
• The ‘Procedures on the use of School Buildings and School Sports Facilities outside of School Hours’ were published in June 2024 highlighting the value and importance of school buildings and school sports facilities being used outside of school hours.
Special Education
• Since 2020 the budget for special educational needs has increased from €1.9bn to €2.7bn for 2024. Funding of €13m has been secured for the expansion of the National Council of Special Education (NCSE) to allow for an additional 161 staff. Almost 3,000 special classes are now in operation nationwide. These classes can provide for over 18,000 students. In addition, 7 new special schools have been established and 4 more have been announced for the 2024/25 school year. The number of special education teaching and special needs assistant posts has increased to over 40,000.
• In 2022, an enhanced scheme of Irish Sign Language (ISL) provision commenced. The scheme is targeted at children and young people attending primary, special and post-primary school.• In December 2022 my Department established a Special Needs Assistants Workforce Development Unit (SNAWDU) to deliver a strategic approach to SNA policy development with the objective of developing an enhanced SNA service which delivers the best outcome for children with significant care needs in our schools.
• An additional €11 million has been provided specifically targeted at special schools from September 2024 for the removal of the 15-teacher threshold for the appointment of Administrative Deputy Principals in special schools and a further 100 teaching posts targeted at special schools with post-primary aged students. The annual budget to fund the Summer Programme has risen from €20m to €40m since 2021.
• €6 million in one off funding to support a campaign to design and promote attendance in primary, post-primary and special schools. This campaign ran throughout the 2023/24 school year with the support of Tusla Education Support Services.
Teacher education
• In 2022, I announced the provision of a new postgraduate programme to upskill registered Post Primary teachers teaching Social, Personal and Health Education/Relationships and Sexuality Education (SPHE/RSE).
• The Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Policy Statement was published in March 2023. The policy statement recognises that ITE is the first step on the continuum of teacher education and acknowledges the commitment to excellence from all involved in preparing teachers of the future. It also recognises the benefit that greater clarity will provide to all in the system.
• A new Integrated Teacher Education Support Service (Oide) launched in September 2023. This system sets out a new vision to support the Professional Learning of teachers and school leaders in Ireland through the development of high quality, innovative and responsive Professional Learning.
Curriculum development
There have been a number of initiatives progressed:• Since 2021, partnership between my Department and Science Foundation Ireland has facilitated the contribution of over €1.8 million to support successful projects under the SFI Discover Programme.
• In March 2022, I committed to the introduction of Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes for those then in first year to build on the equivalent Junior Cycle programmes for students with special educational needs. The new Programme Statement and initial modules have been developed by the NCCA. These are expected to be available for implementation in schools from September 2024.
• In June 2022, my Department published the 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development. ESD aims to ensure that all learners have the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development and is a key enabler for the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and agenda 2030 and our National Climate Action Plan 2023. This includes the new Leaving Certificate subject “Climate Action and Sustainable Development” to be rolled out in schools from September 2025. A new area of learning “Social and Environmental Education” will also be introduced from September 2025 under the Primary Curriculum Framework. A Sustainability Toolkit for Schools was published in September 2023, supporting schools in implementing the School Sector Climate Action Mandate and in adopting a Sustainability Policy Statement for their school. This is cosponsored by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
• In March 2023, the new Primary Curriculum Framework for all primary and special schools was launched. This is the first curriculum framework for primary education in Ireland and will shape the work of all primary and special schools for the coming years.
• Also in March 2023, the STEM Education Implementation Plan to 2026, was launched jointly with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
• March 2023 also saw the launch of the new Creative Youth Plan 2023-2027 for children and young people, jointly with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
• In May 2023 the NCCA published the redeveloped Junior Cycle SPHE specification, which was rolled out in schools from September 2023.
• In September 2023 the new Primary Mathematics Curriculum was launched.
• Also in September 2023, I announced a significant acceleration of parts of the reimagined Senior Cycle programme, with national introduction of the first tranche of revised Leaving Certificate subject specifications in schools in 2025, two years earlier than previously planned. Draft specifications for six of the subjects in this first tranche, including Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Arabic, Latin, and Ancient Greek, were published on 7 December 2023 and a public consultation on the drafts is open until 23 February 2024. Tranche 1 will also include the introduction of 2 new subjects (Drama, Film and Theatre Studies and Climate Action and Sustainable Development), to be rolled out on a phased basis from the beginning of the 2025/26 school year.
• In March 2024 an interim progress report and the second Implementation Plan for Languages Connect, Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017 – 2026 were published. Four new Leaving Certificate curricular languages were introduced to schools in September 2020 (Lithuanian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish and Portuguese) and were examined for the first time in summer 2022 with circa. 1,500 students sitting one of the four exams.
• In May 2024 Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood, and a supporting five-year implementation plan, were published.
• Foreign Languages are to be introduced in senior classes at primary level on a phased basis from September 2025 under the new Primary Curriculum Framework. In advance of that, 1,410 primary schools have applied to participate in the 10-week sampler module in 2024/25 for year 4 students.
Social Inclusion
• The Supporting Traveller and Roma in education pilot project (STAR) was established in 2019, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, with the aims of improving attendance, participation and retention in specific Traveller and Roma communities regionally. There are four pilot areas: Galway, Wexford, Dublin and Cork. Additional resources provided include an additional Educational Welfare Officer (EWO), an additional Home School Community Liaison coordinator (HSCL) and two Traveller/Roma community education workers from the local communities employed by local Traveller/Roma support groups.
• In January 2021, responsibility for the administration of the Schools Completion Programme (SCP) transferred back to my Department. Additional funding was secured to provide for an extension of SCP supports to 28 additional schools that were included in DEIS for the first time in September 2017, and a 5% overall increase in funding for the School Completion Programme (SCP). In addition, a further increase of 5% for SCP was negotiated under Budget 2023.
• The single largest expansion of the DEIS programme was announced in 2022, which benefited 361 schools. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. 1 in 4 students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme. This expansion added an additional €32million to the Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall allocation for the programme over €180 million.
• A separate initiative, funded under Dormant Account Funds provides for 10 new Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) coordinators in 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools with high numbers of Traveller and Roma students. In addition, continued funding has allowed the creation of a new coordinator post with responsibilities across the four STAR pilot sites and for facilitating effective information-sharing between STAR teams and the 10 new HSCL coordinators.
• A programme of work to explore the allocation of resources to schools to address educational disadvantage is currently being undertaken. To support this work, the OECD have been invited to review the current policy approach. This review will provide an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme. Drawing on international examples, it will inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS.
Well-being
• Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was published on 1 December 2022. It is the Department’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools. Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools. The Implementation Plan for the Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying, which commits to implementing the 61 actions contained in Cineáltas within a five-year period, commenced in Q2 2023 and a number of actions have been progressed over the last year. "Bí Cineálta procedures to prevent and address bullying behaviour for primary and post-primary schools” was published in June 2024.
• Establishment of a landmark programme of counselling and mental health supports, piloted in a series of primary schools from September 2023. In 2024 a tender was published to procure services to further support well-being and mental health in post-primary schools.
Response to emerging issues
• In 2022, as a response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine my Department established Regional Education and Language Teams, known as REALT, to support existing services in responding to the needs of Ukrainian and children seeking International Protection in accessing education. Their primary role is to assist in securing school places for children and to support schools in meeting the needs of children as they arise.
• My Department has prioritised enhancing English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, recognising the critical role of language proficiency in successful integration and academic achievement. 1,743 primary schools and 493 post primary schools are now receiving EAL teaching resources.
• In 2023 a scoping inquiry was established, to shape Government’s response to revelations of historical sexual abuse in schools run by religious orders. The scoping inquiry has been informed by reports and inputs from experts across a range of areas, including child protection, restorative justice and, most importantly, survivor engagement. In June 2024 the report was received by my Department.
344. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 189 of 23 May and 152 of 27 June 2024, when the visit referred to occurred; if her Department will organise another visit to see the current status; and if a report will be provided of this visit. [29652/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that officials from my Department's Professional and Technical Section visited the schools in question on 21 May 2024. On foot of this visit, recommendations were provided to the Building Officer of Educate Together. The Department has requested Educate Together, as patron of the school in question, to work with the school to fulfil the agreement made with the special school. The Department-supported Educate Together Buildings Officer has been asked to work through an appropriate solution in this respect. Engagement between the Department and patron is ongoing.
The need for a follow up visit by my officials will be kept under review.
345. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 189 of 23 May and 152 of 27 June 2024, where the rental accommodation referenced, is located; the way she will ensure that those placed in this accommodation will not be isolated from the rest of the school community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29653/24]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the accommodation arrangements for the school in question are in place only until the school can take up full residence of the Greenhills building. At that time the placement of the special classes can be considered further for full integration purposes. In the interim, it will be a matter for the school authorities to manage integrating the special class pupils to mainstream classes, as appropriate, as is the case for all schools.
A key goal of the education system is that children and young people with special educational needs access and participate in their learning in mainstream educational settings to the greatest possible extent. Special classes play a key role in facilitating this access and participation.
The Guidelines for Setting Up and Organising Special Classes (NCSE, 2024) provide information and guidance to schools on the setting-up and organisation of NCSE-sanctioned special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools. The Guidelines state ‘as learning needs may change over time, a student’s enrolment in a special class should be kept under continual review by the school. The Guidelines also outline good practice points and the importance of individualised planning. Student Support Plans may include key independence and communication targets designed to facilitate students’ inclusion in mainstream classes to the greatest possible extent, and/or full inclusion to mainstream placement, where feasible.
Furthermore, the NCSE has published Transitional Guidelines for Parents, Students and Schools to assist the process of transition for students with special educational needs including moving between special and mainstream settings, these can be accessed at: Transitional Guidelines for Parents of Students with Special Educational Needs and for Schools – National Council for Special Education – Working to deliver a better special education service (ncse.ie)
Finally, the NCSE delivers a range of professional development initiatives and support for teachers working with students with special educational needs in special classes. Schools should contact the NCSE through the NCSE portal for advice and professional development, if required.
346. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 189 of 23 May and 152 of 27 June 2024, if she is aware that parents are reporting that the rented space waiting to be connected is not sufficient to allow for classrooms or for PE to take place; the reason her Department has not sourced a space sufficient to actually resolve the space issues faced; and the way her Department plans to resolve the issue in relation to lack of space if the rented accommodation sourced will not do so. [29654/24]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question was approved as a single-stream, eight class primary school and accommodated in a property leased by the Department. The agreement from the outset was that the GP hall was to be shared by the school in question and the other school which shares the building, until their new school building project has been completed.
Although sanctioned as an eight classroom school the school grew its enrolments to nine mainstream classes. The Department approved the provision of modular accommodation on the school site to meet this additional need as well as to support the establishment of a special class at the school, which the school authorities sought. At the request of the school to which the Deputy refers, the Board of Management of the other school agreed to forgo full use of the school hall as an interim solution pending installation of this modular accommodation. The school to which the Deputy refers confirmed that full access to half of the hall would be restored to the special school upon installation of that modular accommodation. As the Deputy will be aware, that modular accommodation in question has since been installed.
The Department has requested Educate Together, as patron of the school in question, to work with the school to fulfil the agreement made with the special school. The Department-supported Educate Together Buildings Officer has been asked to work through an appropriate solution in this respect. Engagement between the Department and patron is ongoing.
The Department is also continuing to work to ensure the completion of the new building for the school sharing the Greenhills building as soon as possible. This project is currently at construction with an expected completion timeframe of Quarter 3 2025.
347. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 189 of 23 May and 152 of 27 June 2024, and a response provided to a parent of one of the students affected, the details of how this assurance can be made given the report from the architect (details supplied). [29655/24]
View answerThe large scale capital project at the school referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 4 - Construction.
Works commenced on site in June 2023 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months. However, due to a number of unforeseen site issues, and additional delays in relation to the relocation of ESB wires, which were outside the control of my Department, the campus project was delayed on site. In a recent update from the Design Team, overall completion for the campus project for the two special schools is now estimated at Quarter 3 of 2025.
Whilst the school referred to by the Deputy will be largely complete in late 2024/early 2025, it is important to bear in mind that it is a campus project to provide 2 schools on the same site. The Design Team are assessing the scope for phasing the handover of the campus so that the school referred to by the Deputy could be occupied at an earlier stage. However, this needs careful analysis from a technical, safety and education perspective given that it would relate to a special school operating beside a live construction site on the same campus. The Design Team and my Department’s Planning and Building Unit are liaising closely on this matter and will continue to keep the school communities updated on progress and timelines.
348. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education when a review being undertaken by her Department in respect of a Stage 2B submission will be finalised and the school (details supplied) contacted regarding the outcome of this review as it has been confirmed that it has been near completion for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29671/24]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the project for this school has been devolved for delivery to the school authority. It includes an extension to the existing school buildings, decanting if required, necessary to satisfactorily develop the post primary school on its existing site to cater for an enrolment of 700 pupilsThe Stage 2b architectural report has been received and reviewed by my Department. Following the outcome of this review, I am very pleased to advise that officials in my Department very recently reverted to the school authority and instructed them directly in relation to the next steps to progress this significant project.
As soon as this stage is finalised, the project will then move onward to tender and construction in due course.
349. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education the measures she is taking to ensure sufficient school transport will be available when the new transport measures will be introduced for school year 2025/2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29724/24]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 161,600 children are being transported on a daily basis to schools throughout the country.
This figure comprises over 135,000 pupils travelling on mainstream services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs, and 6,800 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine
The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.
Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport, who apply and pay on time, are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation. Children who are eligible for school transport but for whom no service is available 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.
Temporary Alleviation Measures (TAMS) at post-primary level, which have been in place since 2019, are being continued for the 2024/25 school year. Under these measures, transport is provided where there is a route in operation and where capacity exists for concessionary post-primary pupils who are eligible for transport to their nearest school and are attending their second nearest school and who applied and paid on time.
Children who are not eligible for school transport may apply for transport on a concessionary basis only and will be facilitated where spare seats are available after eligible children have been accommodated.
Where the number of ineligible children exceeds the number of spare seats available Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for the spare seats using an agreed selection process.
It should be noted that planning for school transport services in any given year will commence in the December to January preceding the start of that school year. In this regard planning for the 2024/2025 school year is well underway with my officials in regular engagement with Bus Éireann.
A review of the School Transport Scheme has been completed. This review was conducted with a view to examining the current scheme, its broader effectiveness, and sustainability and to ensure it services students and their families adequately.
The School Transport Scheme 2030 report has now been published. It marks the largest review of the School Transport Scheme since it was established in 1967. The Government is committed to working to achieve the report’s recommendation of expanding access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030.
Overall, the recommended changes to the future operation of the Scheme include:
• expansion of the current eligibility criteria
• addressing current operational challenges, charges and grants and over time
• moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer.
A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations will begin in September 2024. It is intended, subject to resources, to commence implementing the revised eligibility criteria in the 2025/2026 school year.
This will include a shared effort between my Department and the Department of Transport to pilot and introduce greater integration of transport networks with school transport routes.
The scale of the scheme is significant, and any changes will take time to plan and implement. Therefore, it is considered prudent to implement the proposed scheme changes on a phased basis.
It is intended, subject to resources, to commence implementing the revised eligibility criteria in the 2025/2026 school year.
350. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education if emergency funding can be made available to schools to deal with urgent safety measures required at school gates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29725/24]
View answerThe main purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to ensure the availability of funding to provide for unforeseen emergencies that impact on school buildings that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening. If the school in question is not affected to the extent that it would fall under the remit of an emergency as outlined above, the school also has the option to apply for funding under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).
The purpose of the Summer Works Scheme is to devolve funding to individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works which, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school.
The Summer Works Scheme plays an important role in the maintenance and upgrade of the condition of our schools. It provides important opportunities for enhancing the facilities in a school such as upgrading science laboratories and enhancing the energy efficiency of schools through upgrade works to roofs, windows, heating systems etc.
As part of it’s planning for 2024 and beyond, my 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 Summer Works Scheme 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.
Works that are not eligible for funding under the Summer Works Scheme are works such as painting or replacement of floor coverings etc. as this is work that should be addressed by routine maintenance using the school’s minor works grant.
While the option is open to the school to apply for EWS or SWS funding for external environment works it should be noted that if the area that the school intends to carry out works is outside of the school boundary then it may be an issue that pertains to the relevant Local Authority and the school should engage with the Local Authority in the first instance.
351. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education if funding could be made available to schools to purchase their own vehicle/bus for transporting students for various sporting and educational events, as the costs of hiring buses for these purposes is putting financial strain on school finances, and having their own transport would reduce these costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29727/24]
View answerThe provision of funding to schools to purchase their own vehicles is not a feature of the School Transport scheme.
352. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for an update on the progress of the stage 2b report from a facility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29848/24]
View answerThe Additional School Accommodation project for Mary Queens of Angels 2, Ballyfermot is to provide for a 2 Classroom Special Education Needs base and a toilet for assisted users. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority who appointed a design team to progress the project through the necessary architectural stages of design, statutory approvals, procurement and construction.
Following the granting of planning permission, my Department requested a Stage 2b architectural report outlining the detailed design drawings and specifications within the agreed project budget, and incorporating any conditions arising from statutory approval. This would enable the preparation pre-tender cost estimate of tender documentation required and to prepare an accurate.
The project forms part of our overall pipeline and each project’s progression to the next stage is done in the context of the management of the overall capital programme in compliance with the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines. All projects, including this one, undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program. I am pleased to confirm that the review of this project has been completed and the project was progressed to the next stage (Tender) in May 2024.
353. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 380 of 13 July 2023, if she will urgently respond to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 11 in respect of essential emergency works; if she is aware of the potential need for the school to close during term time as a result of the delays in her Department approving the works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29858/24]
View answerThe school to which the deputy refers submitted an Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) application for funding for asbestos works which were originally approved in June 2022.
As there was another EWS project for Universal Access Works being completed at the school at that time, it was necessary for the works in question to be delayed until 2023.
In January 2023, the school submitted a significant revised scope of works. EWS operates on the basis of a scope of works focussed on addressing the emergency issue only. It was not until July 2023 that agreement was reached between the school and the Department on a revised scope of works which, unfortunately, meant it was too late to tender for the works to be completed in the summer of 2023. Subsequently, a tender report was submitted by the school and due to additional works being included, the tender report was firstly reviewed by the Department's Quantity Surveyor and also for discussion with the school’s design team.
The tender report has now been reviewed and approval has been given to place the contract and the school has been notified of same.
