The Chair has approved that I take this question. Deputy Bruton wishes to inquire the extent to which the circular economy can be applied to the scheme in the Department of Rural and Community Development, with obvious advantages from the recycling, recovery point of view etc.

A vibrant circular economy is an essential part of a sustainable, carbon-neutral and resource-efficient economy. The first whole-of-government circular economy strategy was published in December 2021 by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to provide a national policy framework for Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. Alongside this, the Department is playing its part in promoting opportunities available in the circular economy at local level. This aligns with Our Rural Future, which recognises the benefits for rural areas of transitioning to a more circular model. Social enterprises are important players in the circular economy, often being the only enterprises handling certain goods or materials that would otherwise be discarded, while also providing training and job opportunities. The continued implementation of the national social enterprise policy and the development of its successor will underpin support for these social enterprises.

Dormant accounts funding has supported social enterprises in this area, including start-up funding of €10,000 and non-financial supports for circular economy projects. The community services programmes, CSP, under my remit supports community-based organisations to promote local social, economic and environmental services. There are currently 31 CSP organisations providing circular economy-related projects, including a new initiative on upcycling of bicycles and e-bikes for those on low incomes and marginalised and disadvantaged communities. This pilot is run by the Department and the Department of Transport. The LEADER programme from 2023 to 2027 also has potential to support projects linked to the circular economy, and this will be considered as part of the current LEADER local development strategy process.

This year, the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, is sponsoring a special circular economy award for the SuperValu Tidy Towns competition. We also have just opened a new strand under the community services programmes specifically for circular economy projects led or run by Travellers. We are trying to drum up more work and projects in this area, which has been inspired by projects such as Bounce Back Recycling in Galway, and Kingdom Furniture Revamp in Castleisland, two projects led by Travellers. It is an area we are determined to grow as part of the strategy.

I ask further the degree to which the Minister of State and the Department continue to promote the benefits of the use of the circular economy in rural development projects that may be available and suitable for adaptation, as well as the application of some benefit to those schemes to a greater extent to make them even more valuable than they are.

My Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.

Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.

In March last year, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme, benefiting 347 schools. The programme now includes over 1,200 schools and supports approximately 240,000 students. This means 1 in 4 of all students are now supported in the programme.

Schools were identified for inclusion in the programme through the refined DEIS identification model, which is an objective, statistics-based model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model has been applied fairly and equally to all schools.

The DEIS identification process is based on the principle of concentrated disadvantage and the proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds within a school. The DEIS identification model aimed to identify those schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage or the highest proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds within a school using the school's enrolment data and national census data as represented by the Pobal HP Deprivation index which is publicly available.

A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie at

www.gov.ie/en/publication/a3c9e-extension-of-deis-to-further-schools/#how-schools-were-selected-for-inclusion-in-deis

It is possible for two neighbouring schools to have a different profile in terms of proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the relative weighting of disadvantage apportioned in each. The designation of neighbouring schools as DEIS or non-DEIS does not mean that there is no educational disadvantage present in a non-DEIS school, but that the concentrated level of educational disadvantage of the two schools is different. Gender of students, or the designation of a school as single or mixed is not a factor in the DEIS identification model.

In accordance with Circular 0019/22 schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS identification model to their school enrolment data were provided with the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed. The DEIS appeals process was applied fairly across all appellants; the window for appeals has now closed and the results are final. My Department will continue to support schools to deliver high quality, inclusive teaching and learning to students.

The extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one component of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, I also recognise that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Since June 2020, and over the past three Budgets, I have secured funding to provide measures to support children in this regard. As part of Budget 2023, I announced over €50 million to provide free books to primary school pupils within the free education scheme from next September. The new free primary schoolbook scheme will eliminate the cost of schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks for parents. I have also further improved the staffing schedule for all primary schools to 23:1, the lowest it has ever been.

Following the National Census 2022 held on 3 April last, it is envisaged that an updated HP Deprivation Index will be generated by Pobal and will be available in Q3 of 2023. My Department will engage with Pobal in relation to this process. The updated HP Deprivation Index, when available, will be considered by my Department to help inform future resource allocation to tackle educational disadvantage.

The next phase of work will consider all schools, within and outside the DEIS programme and explore the overall allocation of resources to schools to tackle educational disadvantage. Part of this programme of work will involve consultation with relevant stakeholders over the coming months.

What is the nature of the repair, reuse and recovery of the technology and of the materials? What is the extent to which that can be done and the extent to which it can be applied to and bolted onto the schemes operated by the Department? What does the Minister of State regard as a useful adaptation? A bolt-on may be of benefit to the economies of the Department.

My Department recently authorised the issue of the Letter of Acceptance to the recommended bidder for the school building project to which the Deputy refers.

Subject to no issues arising, it is envisaged that construction will commence in Quarter 2 with an estimated completion timeframe of 18 months.

We will proceed to Question No. 65, in the name of Deputy Gould.

Excuse me. Have I been passed by on my own question?

Have we the time for that?

Excuse me a second.

I think there is time.

There is time. I will be quick.

I can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme from the school in question.

My Department's Planning and Building Unit is currently assessing its work programme and priorities for 2023 in the context of its available funding. Key priorities for the Department's work programme include continuing strong delivery to support the operation of the school system with particular regard to planning ahead for the 2023/24 school year and beyond and also with particular regard to supporting special needs provision.

The school in question is being considered as part of this assessment and a decision will issue to the school authorities as soon as possible in this regard. My officials have been in touch with the school in relation to this matter.

I am well aware that-----

The criteria for the award of incremental credit to recognised teachers was agreed under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council (TCC).  This Council is comprised of representatives of teachers, school management, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of Education.  The Council is chaired by an official of the Workplace Relations Commission.

The criteria for the award of incremental credit is laid out in my Department's Circulars 10/2001 for Primary teachers, 29/2007 and 29/2010 for Post Primary teachers.  For the purposes of prior relevant non-teaching service, the relevant Circular for Post Primary teachers is 29/2007.

This circular provides for the award of incremental credit for both prior teaching service and prior relevant non-teaching service.  Relevant non-teaching service is defined as service other than teaching service.  This criteria includes that the relevant non-teaching experience so gained must be demonstrated by the teacher, to the satisfaction of the school authority (including Education and Training Boards as appropriate) and of the Department, to be directly relevant to the requirements of the post to which the teacher has been appointed.  Under the terms of the circular relevant non-teaching service cannot be substituted for teaching service.

I know, but-----

I have no problem waiting.

The project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB). The Design Team for this project was appointed in June 2022. The Stage 1 report was received in the Department in March 2023 and is currently under review.

Following completion of the Stage 1 process, the Design Team will move to detailed design and then seek the necessary statutory planning permission, following which the project will progress onward to tender and construction.

As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible at this time to give a date for its completion. Please be assured that the ETB will be engaging directly with the school authority to keep it informed of progress.

Deputy Durkan was ahead of me, so-----

You are most gracious, Deputy Gould. Thank you.

Fair is fair.