Jim O'Callaghan
Question:310. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the amount of funding that will be provided to Music Generation by her Department in 2024. [42398/24]
View answerDepartmental Funding
Questions (310, 311, 312)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:311. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the first- and full-year cost of providing 1,000 additional performance music education tuition hours under Music Generation. [42399/24]
View answerJim O'Callaghan
Question:312. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the first- and full-year cost of supporting 1,000 additional programme participants under Music Generation. [42400/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 310 to 312, inclusive, together.
Music Generation is a national non-mainstream performance music education programme whose mission is to empower children and young people to realise their full potential through access to, and participation in, high quality performance music education.
Under the Creative Youth Plan, brought to Government in March 2023, my Department is committed to continuing to support Music Generation in this objective, and I am pleased to say that €6,985,000 has been allocated by my Department in funding to Music Generation for 2024 for this purpose.
Music Generation works through Local Music Education Partnerships (LMEP) of which 30 are now in place around the country.
An LMEP is a locally-based active and engaged steering group, advisory group or committee made up of a range of experts and stakeholders advising on and guiding a programme that offers high-quality performance music education opportunities to children and young people. There are 30 LMEPs around the country. Each has a lead partner, and in the vast majority of cases this is the local Education and Training Board. LMEP membership can also include representatives of local authorities, music providers, musicians, interest groups and other relevant bodies in the area, as well as representatives from regional and national expert groups if desired.
The funding provided by my Department supports an allocation of up to €200,000 to each LMEP. Under the funding model in place, this is provided as match funding, with LMEPs expected to raise the matching amount from local sources. The Department’s allocation also supports the operation of the National Development Office and its Quality Support and Development work.
The Department’s funding to Music Generation is not provided on a per capita basis. Furthermore, the funding that is provided to support LMEPs is match funding, with LMEPs expected to raise the matching amount from local sources. For these reasons, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimation of costs for a fixed number of additional tuition hours or participants.
Question No. 311 answered with Question No. 310.
Question No. 312 answered with Question No. 310.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (313)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:313. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education how many additional special classes will be required in primary and post-primary schools, respectively, over the next five years. [42401/24]
View answerWritten answers
Enabling 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.
The NCSE has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide and planning for special educational placements has already begun for the 2025/26 school year and beyond. The NCSE have recruited additional special education needs organisers (SENOs), Advisors and Team Managers. The number of SENOs has increased from 65 to 120. SENOs are currently visiting schools to conduct planning meetings. The NCSE plan to conduct up to 800 of these visits in the months of September and October.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers are available to assist and advise parents on their options and the supports available.
I would like to outline the progress my department and the NCSE is making to ensure there is adequate special educational placements and support services for children with complex needs.
Over 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in recent years, in this time 11 new special schools have also been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,336. It is estimated that a similar number of new classes will be required annually over the next few years.
Demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates. My department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.
In October 2022, my department wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of children progressing from primary school. The department and the NCSE continue to have engagement with post-primary school management bodies in relation to the provision of special classes and the NCSE will be undertaking planning visits to schools during term 1 of this school year to assist with the forward planning of special class provision for the 2025/26 school year.
Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places for the 2025/202 school year, and if the current increased level of need for such placements continues it is estimated that a similar level of provision will be needed each year for the next 3 years.
Departmental Funding
Questions (314)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:314. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the cost of establishing an additional early intervention class. [42402/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will appreciate that the costs in question will vary significantly depending on the specific circumstances.
I have requested my Department to provide information in respect of typical capital costs directly to the Deputy.
Departmental Properties
Questions (315)
Mark Ward
Question:315. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education for an update of the transfer of a plot of land in a school (details supplied) from her Department and the Dublin Education and Training Board to the HSE that is required to progress the delivery of a primary care centre in north Clondalkin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42404/24]
View answerWritten answers
As stated previously agreement has been reached between my Department and the HSE for the disposal of a suitable site to the HSE for the location of a primary health centre.
There are a number of elements in relation to this agreement which are being actively progressed by my Department - in conjunction with the HSE. Regular contact has taken place between my Department and the HSE on the topic.
It is intended to finalise the matter as soon as possible and is being treated as a priority for my Department.
School Transport
Questions (316)
Sorca Clarke
Question:316. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she will provide school bus escorts with any updates on their pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42406/24]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2023/24 school year over 163,800 children, including over 136,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, 20,200 pupils with special educational needs, and 7,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02m.
Over 140,000 mainstream tickets have issued for the 2024/2025 school year, which is already 3% more than the total tickets issued for the full 2023/2024 school year.
There is a facility within the Special Educational Needs Transport Scheme for the appointment of a School Transport Escort where a child’s care and safety needs while on school transport are such as to require the support of a School Transport Escort.
The Department of Education provides grant funding for the employment of the School Transport Escort and sets the rate of pay. The Board of Management/ETB are responsible for the employment of the School Transport Escort.
It is recognised that School Bus Escorts play a vital role in supporting children with Special Educational Needs in their journey to and from school.
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. As a recommended action arising from the review, the Department committed to carrying out a comprehensive analysis of matters as they relate to the escort's pay, and the information provided to schools as the employer of the escort.
An information pack for schools was recently completed and has now issued to schools. The pay rate for School Bus Escorts is currently being reviewed. It is planned that this action will be completed before the end of Q4 2024.
Educational Disadvantage
Questions (317)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:317. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of expanding the north east inner city multidisciplinary teams model to include five more schools. [42409/24]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is committed to supporting a quality and inclusive school system that provides an equal opportunity at success for all children, including those at risk of educational disadvantage.
The North East Inner City Multidisciplinary Team (NEIC MDT) comprises Educational Psychologists from my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and Health Service Executive (HSE) Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and a Psychologist.
This project is an interagency collaboration between my Department and the HSE which provides a multidisciplinary team to ten NEIC DEIS Band 1 primary schools. The NEIC MDT provide school staff, children and families access to on-site Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Psychology; it also offers psychology support to families through the HSE Psychologist on the team. The MDT provide a wraparound service including preventative work, early intervention, assessment and therapeutic intervention, to support all children, school staff and families.
The MDT team provides a needs-based school service that responds to the presenting issues for each child, their family and school.
My Department provides funding for 2.8 Whole Time Equivalent NEPS psychologists at a cost of some €240,000 per annum. The other posts are funded by the HSE. The cost to my Department of extending the MDT to include five more primary schools would be additional €112,000 approximately per annum.
Education Policy
Questions (318)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:318. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of expanding the in-school counselling pilot to include five more schools. [42410/24]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of all children. In June 2023 I launched a €5 million pilot of counselling and well-being supports in primary schools in selected counties. This Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot is in addition to the range of mental health and well-being supports already being provided by my Department and the excellent work already happening in schools in relation to well-being promotion. These supports include Cineáltas, the Department's Action Plan on Bullying, support from Oide (the teacher professional learning service) and support for schools from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). These services and supports supplement the well-being and mental health supports and services provided by the HSE throughout the country for primary school aged children.
The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot has two strands. Strand 1 sees direct counselling supports being provided to primary schools for the first time. My Department has set up county panels of pre-approved private counsellors to provide one-to-one counselling in primary schools in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. Participating schools have been allocated blocks of up to six counselling sessions (per child) for a small number of children in the school. The sessions are book-ended by a pre and post session meeting with parents/legal guardians and relevant school staff. Parents and school staff are seen as key agents of change in a child’s life and are part of the intervention with the child and will be guided and encouraged to support the child at home and at school on an ongoing basis.
In September 2024, my Department issued the new allocations to schools for the 2024/2025 school year. For this school year, 1,015 blocks of counselling have been allocated to schools across the pilot counties, which will provide a block of counselling to 1,015 children in these counties. The cost of a block of counselling, which is 8 sessions in total per individual child is €640. The allocation of blocks of counselling is based on school population and each of the participating schools have received an allocation of between one to seven blocks of counselling, depending on school size.
Strand 2 of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot sees the establishment of Education Well-being Teams to support schools in cluster areas in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16. There are currently 19 Education Well-being Practitioners are working under the direction and supervision of lead NEPS psychologists. The Well-being Team is an innovative approach to provide enhanced in-school support. The Well-being Practitioners support the schools to strengthen their whole school preventative approach to promoting well-being and mental health, in line with the Department Well-being Policy. They provide psycho-educational support for parents, school staff and pupils and preventative evidence-based interventions to prevent mild and emerging social and emotional difficulties.
Last week, I announced the details of a grant scheme to augment the supports being provided by Education Well-being Teams on a pilot basis in school clusters in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16. All these schools are set to receive a once-off payment of €2,000 to promote and support well-being-focused initiatives among their school communities in the 2024/2025 school year. Schools taking part in Strand Two of this pilot programme will receive the €2,000 grant funding directly, along with guidance for gathering the views of pupils and parents, so that they can develop strategies and measures which help them to further bring about positive changes in the well-being of children, parents and wider school communities.
A dedicated webpage with information for parents, information for counsellors and information for schools is also available: www.gov.ie/en/publication/61be8-counselling-in-primary-schools-pilot-cps-p-2023-2025/.
Through this existing pilot and subsequent evaluation we are confident that we will gather valuable learning that will inform future policy and provision in this area.
School Staff
Questions (319)
Jim O'Callaghan
Question:319. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the estimated cost of expanding the support teacher model to include five more schools. [42411/24]
View answerWritten answers
The Support Teacher Project was established by my Department in 1995 in a number of DEIS primary schools. Support Teacher posts are assigned to assist in supporting pupils with behaviours of concern.
Its primary purpose, at the time of establishment, was to support the holistic development of pupils who may exhibit disruptive behaviours or who are withdrawn from their peers while promoting measures to reduce the impact of their behaviour on their own education and that of their peers.
Currently, 39 DEIS primary schools have access to the project, with individual schools managing these posts.
A review of the project by the Departments Inspectorate, was published in 2020.
The 2024 average salary costs (inc. Employer PRSI) for a primary teacher is :
Primary Teacher
• Excluding Employer PRSI: €65,670
• Including Employer PRSI: €72,090
Notes:
1. The figures above are based on expenditure in 2023 and the average public sector numbers in Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 2023
2. The values include substitution costs
The full year cost of providing a Support Teacher Post in an additional 5 schools (i.e. 5 primary teachers) is estimated to be in the region of €360,450.
Capitation Grants
Questions (320)
Paul Murphy
Question:320. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will make representations to the Minister for Finance and the Revenue on behalf of a school (details supplied), requesting that no interest be charged on a payment. [42412/24]
View answerWritten answers
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 provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities, except for cases where a secretary is now paid from my Department’s payroll as per Circular 0036/2022.
The current standard rate of Capitation grant is €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-primary schools.
Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the Capitation and the Ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. At post-primary level, schools with fewer than 200 students receive ancillary-related grants on the basis of having 200 students.
As part of the capitation package in Budget 2025 I am pleased to have secured over €30 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This represents an increase of circa 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This increase is on top of the circa 9.2% increase from last year’s budget. This will bring the standard rate of Capitation grant to the level of €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per student in post-primary schools from September 2025. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost of living supports will issue in 2024, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. Schools should also ensure that they are availing of the available OGP procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by my Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters. To be of assistance, officials from my Department contacted the FSSU, and requested that they contact the school directly to provide advice and support as required, in the first instance. The FSSU will provide guidance to the Board of Management in their engagements with Revenue on this matter.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (321)
John Brady
Question:321. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on a building project for a school (details supplied); the stage the project is at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42415/24]
View answerWritten answers
Since 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 950 school building projects have been completed and 350 other projects are under construction, which includes 37 new school buildings.These 350 Projects currently at construction involves a total state investment of over €1.5 billion.
The Department announced earlier in the year 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 is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.
The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation for children with special educational needs.
It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.
The Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of multidisciplinary design team consultants.
It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.
My Department will keep the school and their patron body informed of the progression of this campus project and will continue to liaise in relation to interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent accommodation for the school.
State Examinations
Questions (322, 323)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:322. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education the reason the Junior Certificate T1 Irish course is marked harder than the T2 Irish course (details supplied); to detail the statistical distribution of all grades in all languages, including the T1 and T2 Irish Junior Certificate tests; the statistical distribution for results for native speakers of all other languages in those languages; and the reason there is active discrimination against students of Gaelscoileanna and from Gaeltacht schools. [42420/24]
View answer
Darren O'Rourke
Question:323. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she is aware of deep concerns in Gaeltacht schools and Gaelcholáistí regarding the grading of Gaeilge in T1 schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42439/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together.
With effect since 2017, as part of the Framework for Junior Cycle, Junior Cycle provision for Irish in post-primary schools and settings comprises two new specifications. The T1 (Language 1, in Irish, Teanga 1) specification is targeted at students in Irish-medium schools and students in English-medium schools who learn one or more subjects (apart from Irish) through the medium of Irish. The T2 (Language 2, Teanga 2) specification is targeted at other students in English-medium schools.
In the T1 specification, the language needs of both native speakers of Irish and learners of Irish are considered. The provision of enriched language-learning experiences for all students, particularly those who are native speakers of Irish, is of the utmost importance. These students use the language on a daily basis, at home, in the neighbourhood and in school. Due to their immediate language environment, they have fairly well-developed productive and receptive language skills. This specification aims to develop, enrich and enhance the full range of students’ language skills.
It is expected that the competencies and understandings from this specification will support native Irish speakers to:
• take advantage of opportunities for language use in the community;
• learn through Irish across the curriculum; and
• play an active part in Gaeltacht community life.
With regards to achievement at T1, and to statistical distribution of grades in all languages, the provisional Junior Cycle examinations results were published recently by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) for all subjects and are available online at examinations.ie/statistics. It may be noted that modern foreign languages examinations at Junior Cycle are not differentiated for native speakers.
In each year since the new Irish specifications were first examined in 2022, the percentage of students who achieved distinction has been slightly higher for students studying the T1 specification than for students studying the T2 specification at an equivalent level.
Question No. 323 answered with Question No. 322.
Departmental Programmes
Questions (324)
Thomas Pringle
Question:324. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the current plans for the Donegal Education Support Centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42441/24]
View answerWritten answers
Education Support Centres (ESC) are independent bodies recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998). This legislation states that “An education support centre shall have a management committee, to manage the business and staff of that centre.”
The management committee of an Education Support Centre is a body corporate with perpetual succession, and typically carries out the following:
• Providing services to schools, teachers, parents, boards and other relevant persons
• Providing strategic guidance on the activities of the ESC.
• Maintaining up to date records which disclose at any time the financial position of the ESC.
• Ensuring that the ESC complies with all relevant Department policies and circulars and public financial procedures and legislation.
• Safeguarding the assets of the ESC
My Department’s role in relation to ESCs is to resource and monitor to ensure effective operation and focus on teacher professional learning (TPL) activities to bring about positive impact in the classroom in respect of teaching and learning.
Decisions about how to run the centre to achieve the best TPL opportunities for all teachers in the ESC catchment area are a matter for the management committee in the first instance.
My Department has been informed that the management committee is currently considering relocating the centre and that it has engaged with stakeholders in this regard. My Department will continue to engage with the Centre as required to ensure that the Centre is providing optimum supports to fulfil its statutory remit and in line with public financial policy.
State Examinations
Questions (325)
Willie O'Dea
Question:325. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will consider allowing extra time in State exams for young people with dyslexia and other learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42446/24]
View answerWritten answers
The State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.