I can confirm in fact that 733 blocks of counselling have been allocated, benefiting 733 children. What I can say is that it has been difficult to recruit in certain areas. As I said, two counsellors were available to work in Leitrim, and I am pleased to say that on 11 April, an additional counsellor was added to the panel who is available to work in schools in Leitrim. The Department is actively recruiting counsellors to work on this pilot, and I encourage all counsellors who are accredited by the accrediting bodi…

I thank the Deputy. I reiterate that 733 blocks of counselling have been provided to 733 children. It is new and innovative, and it will take time for it to take root. There have been challenges - I would be the first to say it - with regard to recruiting counsellors. The Deputy has specifically referenced her own area there. I am pleased, as I said, that from mid-April we have been fortunate to allocate a third counsellor, and we will continue to recruit in that space. It is interesting that there are two pilots b…

Requirements for school places are kept under ongoing review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity. In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas. A geographical information system is used to analyse data drawn from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data. This analysis enables the Department to identify w…

I thank the Deputy. Where demographic data indicates that additional school places are required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through a variety of different circumstances. This could include utilising existing unused capacity, which I know, as the Deputy said, is not an easy thing to do in east Cork because such capacity may not be available. Another option might be extending the capacity of a school or schools, or, as the De…

To be fair, as the Deputy will appreciate, I know this area and I am aware that it is growing. I also know that, to be fair, there has been inordinate and richly deserved investment from the Department into this area. We have seen this across a whole variety of schools, whether this concerns the Carrigtwohill post-primary school, St. Colman's Community College, the CBS and St. Mary's in Midleton or St. Aloysius College in Carrigtwohill, as well as the schools in Cobh. The Department, as I said earlier, does engage …

The DEIS programme is a key policy initiative of the Department to address specifically concentrated areas of educational disadvantage at school level. The Department now spends over €180 million annually providing additional supports to just under 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme. This includes an additional €32 million allocated following the announcement to extend the programme from September 2022. This means that approximately 240,000 students, or one in four of all our students, are now availing of DEIS sup…

I do not disagree with the Deputy. It is important for the Department to have an independent assessment of the work of DEIS and then we will have an opportunity to see where we can go forward. The OECD Strength through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies project is currently engaged in a review. It has been here, and was here last summer. It is reviewing the entire DEIS area. It met the schools involved in DEIS, schools that are not involved and DEIS schools that believe they require more from the programm…

I really believe there is unanimity in the Chamber on the value and importance of DEIS and on the difference that DEIS makes to the life of the student. The DEIS programme has provided a range of supports, such as reduced class sizes, additional resources, school completion and home school community liaison officers. Very importantly there are two things. There are schools in DEIS whose principals firmly believe that they would benefit from even more DEIS resources, even though they might have the highest band of D…

The certificate of religious education is required as a condition of employment in Catholic schools. As an employment matter, it does not fall within my Department’s remit. Some of the higher education institutions offer an optional certificate in religion programme that is separate from the bachelor of education. The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority. In accordance with Department circulars 31/2011 and 44/2019, schools are required to ens…

Regarding the point the Deputy raised, it is not a requirement for registration with Teaching Council. There is no requirement for any religious certificate. It is not a requirement for entry to any teaching college. However, section 37(1) of the Employment Equality Act 1998, as amended, requires relevant employers in schools with a religious ethos to show that any favourable treatment of an employee or prospective employee is limited to the religion ground and action taken against a person is objectively justified…

On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I would also like to join in the words of sympathy to the family of Charlie Bird, to his wife, Claire, and to his daughters. He was an enormous presence in all of our lives, particularly growing up, as he was a permanent figure on RTÉ. He was a journalist who could turn up anywhere around the world, both domestically and internationally. He was a man we associated with the pursuit of justice and integrity. He had a long and distinguished career in journalism but, more than that, …

I also would like to be associated with the words of sympathy to the late Michael O'Regan's family and, indeed, to his colleagues in The Irish Times , his family in Radio Kerry and the constituency of Kerry. Michael was much revered, much respected and, indeed, I would say, much loved, particularly in Kerry but, I would feel, far beyond. He was the consummate journalist. He was well researched, well informed and he was impartial. He was incredibly fair. He was a man who was immensely and immeasurably proud of his K…

The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, more than 161,600 children, including more than 135,000 pupils travelling on primary and post-primary services, 19,800 pupils with special educational needs and 6,800 pupils who arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported daily to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country. The total cost of the scheme in 2023 was €382.02 million. There is a facility wi…

I agree. I said at the outset that the contribution of school escorts is invaluable. There is no doubt about that in terms of escorting children with additional needs to and from school. She is right and I referenced the SNA workforce development plan, which will include an examination of the interaction of the SNA role with the bus escort role. As the Deputy said, many individuals cross over into both roles. A review of the school transport scheme has recently been completed by the steering group with a high-level…

There are 4,000 school bus escorts in the system doing incredibly valuable work. I will specifically address a number of the issues the Deputy has raised. The school transport section is carrying out a comprehensive review of matters as they relate to bus escorts. The information pack that is being developed will be made available to schools for the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. As part of this review, the terms of employment and rate of pay for school bus escorts are also being examined. The consultation o…

While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2024-25, I assure families and all children who require a school place that such a place will be provided for them for the 2024-25 school year. I do not, for one minute, underestimate the challenges and stress families are facing but we are clear that positions will be made available for students for the 2024-25 school year. Since 2020, the Department has invested in the region of €4.3 billion in our schools throughout the country, inclu…

I am clearly saying to the Deputy that if there are specific cases he needs to bring to the attention of the Department, I will be very happy to deal with them. We in the Department are committed to ensuring that every child has an appropriate place for the 2024-25 school year, whether at primary or post-primary level. With regard to special education provision, we are equally determined to ensure that every child has a place appropriate to his or her needs. The National Council for Special Education would tell us …

I want to be very clear; the Department carries out considerable forward planning. We have a geographical information system that allows us to look at current and projected data. We engage with local authorities, school patrons and management bodies. We are consistently planning forward. That can be seen in the 300 projects under construction, which I have mentioned. That includes brand-new schools and additional accommodation. More than 800 school building projects have been provided for since the present Governme…

The SEC is responsible for the operation, delivery and development of the State examinations. The SEC is very aware, as am I as Minister, of the challenges of the timing of the oral examinations for students, parents and education partners. Prior to the pandemic, the oral examinations in any given year were held either before or after the Easter holidays, depending on how early or late Easter fell in that particular year. Following Covid, in 2022, the full oral examinations took place outside of school time over th…

As I have said, there is a review ongoing that is being undertaken by the SEC. This was at my request. I acknowledge the huge co-operation. A premium rate has been paid to examiners and there has been additional support provided to schools in days being made available to them to support their work at that time. I acknowledge what the Deputy said that there are mixed views on the timing of it. The SEC has done an interim review and has agreed to do a more comprehensive review, which is under way at present. When tha…