Written Answers Nos. 303-322
303. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education if and when an SNA exceptional review process will be concluded in the case of a school (details supplied) who now have eleven special needs students, up from seven last year, who have one SNA on site but urgently require another; when a determination is anticipated to be used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39995/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
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.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with 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 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.
For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
SNAs are allocated to schools as a school based resource and not to individual children. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual principal/board of management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The NCSE have published the SNA allocations for the 2023/24 school year. For ease of reference these allocations are broken down by school type and are available on the NCSE's website at: www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations
My department does not have a role in making individual school determinations and the school should liaise with the NCSE directly in the event that additional supports are required.
The school can apply to the NCSE for a review of its SNA allocation if it is insufficient to meet the needs of its students. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website: www.ncse.ie/application-for-sna-exceptional-review .
All schools have the contact details of their local special educational needs officer (SENO), and the SENO is available to offer assistance and advice schools. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list
The NCSE manages the exceptional review process and handles each case individually. Some review requests can be concluded as an office based exercise, whilst others require a school to be visited in order to observe the current deployment of SNA support in the school setting.
The time frame for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make the local SENO available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports in the school and 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.
As your query refers to the allocation of supports to a particular school, I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
304. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently provide an update on a number of school transport queries (details supplied). [40003/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine. The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m. Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year. Please find attached an update on a number of school transport queries as requested by the Deputy.
Query 1:
This pupil is not eligible for transport as he is attending his 4th nearest Post primary Centre.
Bus Éireann had confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year however this pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 2:
The family must apply to Bus Éireann in order for their school transport application to be assessed. See link here: School Transport - Bus Éireann Family Portal (buseireann.ie)
Query 3:
This family resides 2.6 km from home to their nearest school and school of attendance. Bus Éireann have confirmed that this family is not eligible for transport as they do not meet the distance criteria under the Primary School Transport Scheme. An application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 4:
This pupil is not eligible for transport as they are attending their 5th nearest primary centre. Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 5:
This pupil is not eligible for transport as he is attending his 2nd nearest Post primary Centre. Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year however this pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 6:
The closing date for new applications for the 2023/2024 school year was Friday 28th April 2023. The closing date for payment/entering medical details for tickets for the 2023/2024 school year was Friday 9th June 2023.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that this pupil is eligible for transport. However, an application and payment in relation to this pupil was received on 03/07/2023 and was therefore late. The service is operating to capacity and there are no seats available.
Query 7:
Bus Éireann have confirmed that there is no application for the pupil in question attending the school referred to by the Deputy on their system.
Query 8:
Bus Éireann have confirmed that this family’s nearest pick up point is 2.6 km from their home, however the local office will contact the family to ensure that they are going to the nearest pick up point to their home.
Query 9:
This pupil is not eligible for transport as they are attending their 2nd nearest primary school.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year however they were unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 10:
The family in question is not eligible for transport as they are attending their 2nd nearest Post primary Centre.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this family for the 2023/24 school year however this family was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 11:
This pupil resides 4.4 km from home to, their nearest school and school of attendance.
This pupil is not eligible for transport as they do not meet the distance criteria under the Post Primary School Transport Scheme.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that an application and payment was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year however this pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
Query 12:
This family is not eligible for transport as they are attending their 3rd nearest Post primary Centre.
Bus Éireann have confirmed that a payment was not received for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year. This pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary seat for the 2023/24 school year and the existing service is currently operating to capacity.
305. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education when an alternative school bus route for a school (details supplied) will be put in place, given parents were informed only two days before children were due back in school that their usual bus provider would no longer provide this service for the coming school year. [40005/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Bus Éireann have advised that a contractor has been sourced for this service and that the pupils referred to by the Deputy are currently travelling on a service.
306. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education if she has had communication from Tipperary ETB in relation to a possible greenfield site for a new school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40012/23]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has been in communication with Tipperary ETB in relation to additional accommodation at the school in question, including a proposal from the ETB that the needs of the school would be met by way of a new school building on a greenfield site.
My Department gave full consideration to the proposal and having considered all relevant factors, including the short-term accommodation pressures at the school, determined that the most appropriate solution is the provision of additional accommodation for the school at its current location. On foot of this a proposed brief for additional accommodation was issued to Tipperary ETB. This brief consisted of a significant amount of new general and specialist accommodation which would provide the school with substantially expanded, modern school accommodation. This is in addition to other capital investment at the school including under the Summer Works Scheme, Emergency Works Scheme and for Furniture and Equipment.
Tipperary ETB recently responded to the proposed brief reiterating its preference for a new school building on a greenfield site. My Department will continue to engage with Tipperary ETB, particularly with regard to the more immediate accommodation needs of the school.
307. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when tickets for school transport will issue for two siblings (details supplied) who applied and paid for their annual school bus tickets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40014/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil's referred to by the Deputy are not eligible under the terms of the scheme as they are attending their third nearest post primary school.
These pupil's were unsuccessful in receiving concessionary seats in the random selection process and the service is operating at maximum capacity.
308. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education when a school transport appeal (details supplied) will be determined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40015/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy in this case is not eligible for transport as they are attending their third closest post primary centre. The pupil was not successful in obtaining a concessionary ticket for the current school year as the service is operating at full capacity.
On the 28th of August 2023 an appeal in respect of school transport for the family referred to by the Deputy was lodged with the School Transport Appeals Board. The Board will liaise directly with the appellants when the appeals are due for consideration.
309. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education for an update on the current status of a project for a school (details supplied); when it is envisaged a planning application will be submitted; if there is a timeframe available on the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40026/23]
View answerThe permanent school building project for the school referred by the Deputy has been assigned to my Department’s Design & Build delivery programme. This delivery programme uses a professional external Project Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
A meeting to share the plans with the school and their patron body was held on 22nd May 2023. The planning application is currently being finalised and is due to be submitted to the local authority in Quarter 4 2023.
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 continue to liaise with the school and their patron body in relation to the school’s accommodation needs pending delivery of the permanent accommodation.
310. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when tickets for school transport will issue to a child (details supplied) who has no other means of getting to school, and who applied and paid for their annual school bus tickets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40029/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The purpose of the Post Primary School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote i.e. 4.8 kilometres (kms) or more from their nearest education centre, having regard to ethos and language.
Children are eligible for school transport if they satisfy the distance criteria and are attending their nearest post primary school/centre.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Due to the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Under the terms of the scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year based on the capacity on the buses running on all of the various routes and the number of eligible children accommodated on each route.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil referred to is not eligible for mainstream transport as they are attending their 3rd nearest Post Primary Centre.
Bus Éireann has further advised that an application was received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year, however, the existing service is currently operating to capacity and this pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a concessionary ticket for the 2023/24 school year.
311. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when tickets for school transport will issue for two siblings, (details supplied), who applied and paid for their annual school bus tickets and have no other means of getting to school, with the bus passing their gate twice daily; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40030/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that the pupil's referred to by the Deputy are not eligible under the terms of the scheme as they are attending their third nearest Post Primary school.
These pupil's were unsuccessful in receiving concessionary seats in the random selection process and the service is operating at maximum capacity.
312. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Education the number of vacant teaching posts across the primary school education system in County Wexford; the number of vacant posts across the secondary school system in County Wexford; the number of vacant teaching posts across the special education system in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40033/23]
View answerThe recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In that regard there are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post primary schools, as well as ETBs). As the recruitment process is still ongoing and teacher appointments are currently being processed by Payroll Division, it is not possible at this stage to advise on the current number of vacant teaching positions.
Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have available to them qualified, engaged teachers to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government. The Department of Education works with school management bodies, teacher unions and other education stakeholders in this regard
The Department is undertaking a comprehensive programme to support the supply of teachers. To support the supply of substitute teachers:
• Primary substitute teacher supply panels will continue to operate in 2023/24.
• Job-sharing teachers may be employed to work as substitutes during the period they are rostered off duty and the limits on substitute work applying to teachers on career break have been suspended.
• Post primary teachers can provide up to 35 additional hours substitute cover per term in the subject they are qualified to teach.
• 3rd year undergraduate teachers are eligible to apply for registration with the Teaching Council under registration Route 5 (Student Teachers). The registration process for student teachers is due to commence in October. More than 2,700 student teachers were registered under Route 5 last year.
• A waiver of abatement for retired teachers returning to teach for up to 50 days in each of the three calendar years 2021 to 2023 inclusive has been agreed with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP and Reform.
Other measures include:
• The implementation of a pilot of the teacher sharing scheme in a small number of post primary schools. The pilot scheme will facilitate two schools to collaborate to provide high priority subjects, and to enhance the teaching hours available for those teachers employed on less than full hours.
• Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) who qualify outside Ireland and apply before 1 February 2024 will continue to be able to complete induction (Droichead) in Ireland. This measure seeks to enhance the supply of NQTs available to schools and is particularly relevant for Irish teachers who have studied and qualified abroad and who may wish to return to the Irish education sector.
• Following from the Department’s Action Plan on Teacher Supply, the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) operates a portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term teaching positions. The portal facilitates the matching of demand and supply and provides an efficient and user-friendly recruitment process for both schools and teachers, including teachers working abroad who wish to apply for posts here.
• Turas Abhaile is an initiative of the post-primary school management bodies and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals (NAPD) which has assisted teachers based abroad to return teach in Ireland since September 2019. Turas Abhaile matches available post primary teachers with specific vacancies.
Measures targeted at supporting the long-term supply needs of the system which are already in in place include:
• At primary level, I approved 610 additional places on initial teacher education programmes over the next two academic years (2023/24 and 2024/25).
• At post-primary level, the Department has increased the number of places on teacher upskilling programmes in mathematics, Spanish and physics. The programmes are delivered outside of class time and are offered at no cost to the teacher. Approximately 170 places were provided in the first intake across the three programmes with an increase in places to over 300 in 2023. A new programme to upskill teachers in Irish is planned for 2024 and the Department is also considering additional upskilling programmes in other priority subject areas.
• The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourage students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms .
The Department meets on a regular basis with the school management bodies and the teacher unions on this very important issue and we will continue to work intensively with all stakeholders to develop and implement creative solutions to address the teacher supply challenges facing schools.
313. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when tickets for school transport will issue to a child (details supplied) who is now entering 5th year in secondary school, has always had a ticket and who applied and paid for their annual school bus tickets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40051/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Because of the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using a random selection process.
Bus Éireann has advised that this pupil is not eligible under the terms of the scheme as they are attending their third closest Post Primary school.
This pupil has been unsuccessful in receiving a concessionary seat in the random selection process and the service is operating at maximum capacity.
314. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Education for a detailed response to an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40052/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my Department issued approval to the school authority in question for the provision of three special classrooms and ancillary accommodation.
The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. This programme provides project management supports to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and helps to ease the administrative workload for individual schools in relation to the management and delivery of the project.
The overall construction sector environment is challenging and the Department and the Project Management company are doing everything possible to ensure that the project is delivered as quickly as possible. My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working with the school to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines. While the project is expected to reach practical completion in the next two months, it is a matter for the school authority to recruit sufficient teachers to fill the teaching posts approved by my Department and this should not be impacted by the capital project. A senior technical official from my Department and the project manager visited the school recently in order to identify and advise the school on appropriate contingency arrangements to accommodate the additional enrolments pending the completion of the building project.
315. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education whether two siblings (details supplied) can travel together on wheelchair-accessible transport, where one child has been approved this service and the other gets the regular Bus Éireann school bus and cannot be at the bus stop at the allocated time due to their parent assisting with the other child being put into the wheelchair-accessible transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40056/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department of Education on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO). School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
Bus Éireann has advised that the sibling referred to by the Deputy can be accommodated on a dedicated service for children with special educational needs. The local office have confirmed that they will contact the family directly.
316. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when a bus will be made available for students on route F661, who have already been allocated tickets and are attending a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40058/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Bus Éireann has advised that the route in question is currently in the procurement process. Once a contractor is sourced the service will commence. Bus Éireann are working intensively to ensure that transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible.
Until such time as the service is in place, as a ticket was issued to pupils on this service, an Exceptional No Service Interim Grant will be made available to families to assist with the cost of private transport arrangements which may have to put in place until services begin. This payment will be paid as an exceptional measure and will be calculated from the date the service was due to commence. As the payment is based on the number of days a child attends school up until the time a service has commenced it cannot be paid in advance. The Department of Education have contacted families affected directly to advise how they can avail of this grant.
317. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 689 of 11 September 2023, if she will request a review of the current HSCL allocation to a school (details supplied), as the current allocation does not reflect the DEIS status of the school; if her Department can engage with the school management directly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40063/23]
View answerMy Department is continuing to undertake work towards achieving its vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. It also recognises that we need to target resources to those schools who need them most. To support this work my Department have invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies Project to review the current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage in Ireland. 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 are engaging with a range of relevant stakeholders to inform the review process as well as drawing on international examples. The OECD estimates that the review will be completed in Q2 2024.
The OECD review is being complimented by a programme of work by my Department which will look at reviewing individual resources and allocation approaches. This work will also involve consultation with a range of relevant stakeholders. It will seek to ensure that schools are supported to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to achieve their potential. There will be no review to existing Home School Community Liaison allocations ahead of these reviews being completed.
In tandem with these reviews and following on from the Census of Population held in April 2022, it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q4 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, will also be considered by my Department to help inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.
318. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education when tickets for school transport will issue to a child, (details supplied) who has no other means of getting to school, and who applied and paid for their annual school bus tickets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40064/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.
The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.
Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres 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 and who have completed the application process on time and have made the payment on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Bus Éireann have advised that the pupil referred to by the Deputy is eligible for school transport and a ticket has been issued.
319. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education what grants are available for primary schools for IT; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40071/23]
View answerThe Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027 was published last year and is underpinned by an investment of €200m to support its implementation, committed to under Ireland’s National Development Plan (NDP). The first tranche of €50m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in late 2021.
The previous Digital Strategy for Schools 2015 to 2020 saw overall investment of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools in annual grant funding. This funding enabled schools to invest in appropriate digital infrastructure to enable the embedding of the use of digital technology in teaching, learning and assessment.
Funding of €50m secured as part of Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the NextGenerationEU Recovery and Resilience Facility also issued to all recognised schools in the free education scheme to support learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide in late 2021.
My Department intends to pay the next tranche of ICT grant funding in the 2023 to 2024 school year. The specific timing for issue of the ICT grant is subject to the availability of Exchequer funding and the wider capital needs of the Department including the building programme to ensure the supply of school accommodation.
As part of the forthcoming Review of the National Development Plan, my Department’s aim is to provide better clarity and certainty for schools on the timelines for payment of minor works and ICT grant funding.
Minor Works Grant funding for primary and special schools can be used not only for the maintenance and small-scale improvements to school buildings and grounds but also for the provision of ICT infrastructure in schools.
320. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the reason (details supplied) cannot get a school place to start school this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40076/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Cavan area, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities. In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, the Department is engaging with patron bodies and school authorities, including those of schools in the Cavan area, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train.
Additionally, the Department will continue to work to advance the planned and current projects in the Cavan School Planning area and to ensure sufficient places for both mainstream provision and for pupils with special education requirements.
The Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/
321. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education for an update on funding for a security system for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40077/23]
View answerI am pleased to advise that approval under the Additional School Accommodation scheme has issued to the school in question for the provision of reconfiguration works.
The project is being delivered under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme. The Department has a significant modular accommodation programme in place to assist schools in the provision of additional capacity, including in respect of facilitating the establishment of special classes. This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. The use of the Department’s Modular Accommodation Framework also assists in ensuring lead in periods for procurement of modular accommodation are minimised to the greatest extent possible. To date, this has worked very well in the education sector and has seen delivery of large scale, high quality modular accommodation to meet the needs of children, particularly those with special educational needs.
I wish to advise that my Department is not aware of a current application for a funding request for additional Security and CCTV at the school in question. However, I have been advised that the Emergency Works Section within my Department has made contact with the school directly advising that the option for universal access works funding is open to the school should they wish to apply for same.
322. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Education if she will address a school transport matter in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40103/23]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the 2022/2023 school year, over 149,000 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, were transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. In addition, school transport scheme services were provided for over 5,400 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €338.9m.Already over 132,000 tickets have issued for the 2023/2024 school year which is an increase of 12% when compared with the same time last year. This number of tickets has already exceeded the total number of tickets issued in the 2022/23 school year.
Under the terms of the Primary School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest primary school as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann has advised that this pupil referred to by the deputy is eligible for mainstream transport as they are attending their nearest primary school.
An application and payment was not received on time for this pupil for the 2023/24 school year and this pupil was unsuccessful in obtaining a seat for the 2023/24 school year.
Bus Éireann has advised that a 16 seat vehicle operating a double trip services this route. All eligible applicants who applied and paid before the deadlines have received tickets.
