I thank the Deputy. To plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, the Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, GIS, using data from a range of sources, to identify where the pressure for school places throughout the country will arise. With this information, the Department carries out nationwide demographic exercises to determine where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. This informati…

The Department is aware of vacant former school properties in Galway and of properties that may become vacant as a result of school building projects. These properties are in the ownership of third parties, but in all instances throughout the country, such properties are considered as part of the Department's assessment of potential solutions for school accommodation needs and the Department engages with the relevant property owners as appropriate. While no such properties were identified-----

I appreciate the Deputy's commitment to the provision of appropriate capacity in the Galway area. I want to be very clear the Department is being proactive here. There was a positive announcement yesterday. In an ideal world we would be able to source permanent sites almost overnight. That is not the case. There are significant difficulties. Every site identified as having potential absolutely is evaluated by the Department. Particular time and consideration is given to evaluating every aspect of the site, includin…

Again, I want to be clear when a property becomes available, the Department will engage with the property owner, as it is right and proper. When a site becomes available, the Department will engage and do a full evaluation of the site. It will evaluate the site's positives, negatives and its potential going forward. All of that is a time consideration. Specifically on the matter of properties being available, if the property is not in the Department's ownership, then obviously arrangements need to be made with the …

I wish to be clear regarding the leaving certificate and junior cycle classes of 2022. Significant accommodations have already been made on the papers for leaving certificate students, and equally so in respect of junior cycle students. We are looking at classroom-based assessments being cut by 50% and the assessment task being removed so as to allow for greater contact time in the classroom and a strong well-being approach. I acknowledge that this approach is being taken by all schools in supporting their students…

I can assure the Deputy that it is the policy of my Department to ensure a high standard of permanent accommodation for all schools. However, in the context of a rapidly increasing school population over the past decade or more, it is sometimes necessary to put in place interim accommodation solutions to meet the needs of schools. Given the timeframes for the acquisition of suitable sites, design, statutory planning processes, tendering and construction, it is often necessary for newly-established schools to commen…

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: "Dáil Eireann resolves that the Education (Voluntary Contributions) Bill 2021 be deemed to be read a second time this day nine months to allow for the progression of the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 and for that then to be taken into account in the consideration of this Bill.". Táim fíorbhuíoch as an deis mo thuairimí ó thaobh an Bhille a chur os comhair na Dála. I share the Deputy’s desire for greater clarity…

With all due respect to the Deputy, who does not have the courtesy to wait to hear my response, in my experience, righteous indignation and rhetoric are no replacement for action and delivery. He has referred to a lack of investment in education, but the largest budget that has ever been made available to the education sector of in excess of €10 billion is a considerable investment. Last week, there was an announcement of a €32 million investment in DEIS, meaning that one in four of our students is now availing of …

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline the current position on the provision for children with special educational needs, including autism. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government. This year the Department of Education will invest in excess of €2 billion, or over 25% of the Department's budget, in the area of special educational needs support. As a result, the number…

I thank both Deputies and appreciate them raising this matter. It is important to put on record the commitment of this Government to special education. It is worth noting that 25% of our budget, as I outlined earlier, is dedicated to special education, which is correct. That is a budget of €2 billion. It is also important to note that considerable progress has been made in the past number of years in the provision of special education classes. We can very clearly say that budget 2022 provided for the creation of 28…

On the question of SNA provision, we have had record allocation of SNAs at 19,000, with 1,000 added in the past budget and 1,000 in the previous budget. We will continue to grow that provision.

I thank Deputies Ó Broin, Ward, Gino Kenny and Higgins for providing me the opportunity to update the House on the transfer of lands and the provision of a primary healthcare facility at Collinstown Park Community College in Clondalkin. I acknowledge that there is unanimity among the Deputies and I appreciate the passion with which they speak and the necessity for their constituents. The HSE has been seeking to acquire a site for a primary care centre at Collinstown Park Community College. This school site is in th…

I wish to be clear, as there is no ambiguity in this. To be fair, I have had a short amount of time to move this project along. It is a progressive and positive step, and should be acknowledged as such, that the disposal of the site for the development of the primary care centre will proceed separately from the delivery of facilities to the school. This means that there is now the impetus for that project to move ahead. I appreciate how the timeline is an issue for the Deputies' constituents. The Department will pr…

Budget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18 million for 2022 and €32 million for 2023 to extend the delivery of DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This package represents an increase of more than 20% on the €150 million already allocated by my Department to provide supports for schools in the DEIS programme. The programme currently supports 884 schools. The additional funding provided in budget 2022 will allow for the extension of the programme to additional schools fro…

We intend to be in a position to roll out the DEIS model for 2022. We have an ambition programme of funding being made available for it. It was a considerable achievement that, for budget 2022, there was €18 million available, rising to €32 million in 2023, with the explicit intention of enhancing or extending the DEIS model in our schools. A greater number of schools will be included in the DEIS scheme. Extensive work has been undertaken. There has been engagement with stakeholders, as I have outlined to the Deput…

Again, to confirm to the Deputy, the process of refining the DEIS identification model has been a consequence of and is reliant on the engagement of a variety of stakeholders, as I have already outlined, including school management, national parent representative bodies, unions and so on, particularly with regard to the technical aspects of the refinement. In advance of completion and implementation of the DEIS identification model there will be further engagement with relevant stakeholders. As I have outlined to D…

I thank Deputy Murphy for his question. I watched much of the discussion this evening on "Six One". In the main, students asked for clarity regarding leaving certificate 2022 and they acknowledged they have received that. In fact, the students asked for four things when I met them. The second thing they asked was that there would be additional changes made to the exam papers and we have provided for that. They also raised the issue of grade inflation in terms of the class of 2022 competing with the class of 2021 an…

To the Deputy's suggestion that we are just ploughing on I would say, far from it. He should take time to study what has been put in place in terms of these exams in June. It is very clear the exams in June are very different from what has been offered previously. For example, students studying maths would traditionally have had ten questions to answer but there is such significant choice now that they only have to answer six on paper one and paper two. On the higher level English paper two there are three very sig…

I have to be very clear that the question of access to higher education is a policy matter which is not under my remit but under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I am aware it is a key of objective of that Department to ensure there is access into either further or higher education for each person who wishes to pursue educational options at third level. Regarding the leaving certificate, what is being offered this year is different. Again, I…

I am just making the point the Deputy said-----