Regarding the decision to operate from this building, the Deputy will be well aware and will appreciate that it was not mine. I assume it was the decision of the Business Committee.

That is a matter the Deputy will have to take up elsewhere, as it is beyond my remit. Regarding works being carried out in schools and being resourced and carried out in time, the Deputy referred to many of the schools having previously applied to the Department for necessary and perhaps emergency works, including minor works, etc., and being refused funding. I am pleased to confirm to the Deputy that the money for the works to be carried out in the next several weeks will be arriving in the schools next week. The …

The leaving certificate results will be in time for UCAS offers. The leaving certificate results come out on 7 September, which will be fully in time for UCAS and there has been engagement in that regard. On the wider issue of students taking up university places in third level institutions elsewhere in Europe, I have written to my counterparts throughout Europe regarding students having the opportunity to take up places and asking that they adopt a flexible approach. We have had positive engagement on that issue a…

It depends on the works to be done in the schools. There will be small jobs and big jobs and, as I said, these funds are for minor works. The schools will know what will be involved in each case.

I thank the Deputy for raising the question. I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from when he said he did not know whether to refer to yesterday or today. I am not sure which it is, we have been here so long. I appreciate that the Deputy has raised an important issue and it is a matter of concern for the students who will comprise the leaving certificate class of 2021 and for their parents. The Deputy is correct, as I told him earlier, that the curriculum itself cannot change because there is no way of identify…

It is my intention that teachers will be informed of the changes to the assessment aspect of the leaving certificate prior to their return to school and, obviously, they will inform students, as they normally would.

I will repeat what I said to the Deputy earlier about the roadmap. He will appreciate that the roadmap covered quite an amount of aspects, including cleaning, panels of substitution, additional posts or whatever. As I previously outlined to the Deputy, all of those aspects, including curriculum and assessment, were discussed at great length with the partners in education and the broadest section of representative voices. As a consequence, the roadmap was put together and, as I said, it includes addressing curriculu…

I note the Deputy's concern and thank him for it. There was full engagement in bringing forward many and all of the initiatives that are in the roadmap. I confirm to the Deputy that the guidelines will be available. I believe those guidelines are in the best interests of the students. I have not heard at any point that students are not happy with the proposals, which are very fair. It would not be acceptable to interfere with the curriculum but it is manageable and right, and will be fair, that there will be an adj…

My opening remarks allowed me to set out again the commitment of the Government and my Department to the education of our schoolgoing students, and their families, schools and communities. I could use the time available to me to detail again all that has been done in the school sector, but the roadmap for reopening our schools has been published and is available to all on gov.ie . It is exactly what its title says, namely, a roadmap signposting how we can get our schools open once again and children back into their…

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter as it gives me an opportunity to provide an update on the current position regarding Killester Raheny Clontarf Educate Together school. On 13 April 2018, the Minister for Education and Skills announced 42 new schools to open between 2019 and 2022. A preliminary site identification process was undertaken in respect of any of the schools for which there had not yet been a site identified. In the first instance, this exercise sought to identify State-owned property which may p…

I appreciate the very strong case the Deputy has outlined and his sincerity in doing so. I have no difficulty with my officials and me engaging with him and with other representatives on this matter. I appreciate the high priority the Deputy puts on it and I will recognise that.

Tá an-áthas orm bheith anseo don chéad uair mar Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanad as ucht an t-am agus an deis seo a thabhairt dom. I am very proud to be here today for the first time as Minister for Education and Skills. I thank the Cathaoirleach and his colleague Senators for the opportunity to engage with the House today in regard to the roadmap for the reopening of our schools and the calculated grades process for leaving certificate 2020 students. I also want to congratulate the C…

I must follow the ruling of the Chair. I begin by acknowledging the breadth of input from everybody here in the Chamber and acknowledge the wisdom and experience that these Members bring here. I am a great believer in the co-operative and inclusive approach in education, particularly in how this roadmap was brought about. It was as a result of extensive consultation and engagement with the widest range of partners and stakeholders in education. I do not for one minute assume that there is a monopoly of wisdom when …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words following “Dáil Éireann” and insert the following: “notes that: — the Minister for Education and Skills has obtained Government approval for a comprehensive range of measures to support the full reopening of schools in time for the start of the new school year; — these measures and the financial support to underpin the measures are necessary to: — enable schools to prepare for reopening, including making adjustments to the physical arrangements and layout of classrooms as…

I move the following Revised Estimates: Vote 26 — Education and Skills (Revised) That a sum not exceeding €10,133,218,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2020, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Education and Skills, for certain services administered by that Office, and for the payments of certain grants. Tá áthas orm a bheith anseo os comhair Dáil Éireann inniu chun labhairt faoi Mheastacháin athbh…

I thank the Deputies for their engagement and questions, some of which were repeated. I want to be absolutely unequivocal regarding the reopening of schools. My first engagement on appointment was meeting with a wide variety of valued stakeholders in education, including parents, teachers, students, managerial bodies, principals and deputy principals. Following those consultations, I was very pleased that there is an absolute collective agenda to reopen the schools fully in the next number of weeks, at the end of A…

I anticipate that announcements on the reopening of schools will come at the end of this month. I imagine that the costs will be available at that time, though perhaps not all of them will be. It would be premature at this stage to put any figures before the House because discussions are still ongoing. I will highlight some of the points Deputies have made regarding the reopening of the schools, such as substitution, for example. I recognise that there will be a requirement for substitution to be put in place and t…

That is fine. I have just one or two other points regarding other issues that were raised. Regarding children with particular needs, I highlight that continuing support is being provided to 890 DEIS schools, catering for more than 180,000 students, and to the school meals programme, etc. All of those resources will be put in place. The ability of students to engage in the education system is an absolute priority. An equal priority is that everyone involved in the school community will have an opportunity to return …

I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. I agree with him that the classroom, and indeed all of our world, will be a very different place now than it was prior to the arrival of Covid-19. Regarding the issue of the pupil-teacher ratio, there is a clear acknowledgement in the programme for Government on that issue. In respect of the future, however, it should be acknowledged that there has been improvement in schools with one to four teachers. There has been a points decrease that has improved the situation in those …

I appreciate the comments and thank Deputy Berry for his good wishes. The Deputy asked about clarity around the reopening of the schools. I have no wish to repeat myself again. I want to make it clear that there is no ambiguity on this issue. Importantly, from my point of view, there should be full and frank engagement with all stakeholders. There are many constituents in education and they must be consulted and be part of the process. That is where we are at. There is a clear objective. The schools will reopen at …