Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 28 March 2018

Select Committee on Education and Skills

Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 26 - Education and Skills (Revised)

5:00 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Provision was made for this to be discussed through a process and that process has already started. A cost has been indicated. The Government has indicated that it will start negotiations on foot of that report. That is the current situation. I have to say that all of these pay cuts happened before I became Minister for Education and Skills. Indeed, some of them were initiated when Deputy Thomas Byrne's party was in government. There is no superior moral position. I sat down immediately and negotiated a reduction of 75% in the gap. We got a series of improvements for new entrants, not only on pay but also on earlier permanent contracts. As the Deputy mentioned, I have negotiated posts of responsibility for people. We are continually seeking to improve the position of teachers within our system. The issues still have to be negotiated. The €200 million cost of this has not been provided for. The Taoiseach has signalled that it has to be negotiated.

I acknowledge that the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 has been delayed. It has been delayed because the committee has raised three important issues, which are not easy to resolve. The first of these issues is the use of religion in admissions policies. Deputy Thomas Byrne mentioned the second issue, which is the need to make provision for special needs. For example, we are looking at whether the NCSE should be in a position to require a school to open an ASD unit. The third issue is access to Gaelscoileanna. These complex issues have required a considerable degree of complex work by the Department and the Office of the Attorney General. I assure the Deputy that there is no unnecessary delay. We are doing our very best to move this important legislation forward.

I assure Deputy Catherine Martin that I recognise the much wider role of guidance counsellors in providing guidance and counselling in respect of education and career options. We are looking specifically at the career area to ascertain whether we should be thinking about additional things in that regard. We want to see whether there are ways of supporting and building on resources outside the school system that could be very relevant and supportive.

I must defend the approach to special education that has been taken by the NCSE and the Department of Education and Skills. Resources were increased by 40% during the most difficult years this country has experienced. Provision for children with special educational needs has been expanded rapidly. The NCSE works with parents and experts to identify the best placements for children. When additional special needs units have been required in schools, they have been built at breakneck speed in public service terms. The provision in this area has been more than doubled in the space of a small number of years. The capital branch of my Department gives this area priority for funding. The NCSE recognises that some of the models that are in place are not fit for purpose for the long term. It has brought parents and stakeholders with it throughout its pioneering work in designing new models that are robust for the long term. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan was involved in the difficult process of planning, which has worked. We need to do the same in respect of other needs, as well as teaching needs, which children have when they come to school. I appreciate that there are difficult cases. I absolutely accept that. Historically, very little provision was made in this area, but we have moved on and it is now a major priority. Of course it is of great concern every time a child has difficulty getting a placement. Deputies raise such cases and section 29 appeals are made. We have a strong independent system under the NCSE. We have given the NCSE its independence. It advises us and we act on its advice.

We are seeking to make sure that every child with a special need has his or her needs met. We have shown that the resources are going in to back that up.

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