Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

220. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current level of funding allocated to teachers for continuous professional development; the current allocation for employment support; if funding is provided by his Department to support the well-being and mentoring of teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17791/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A key objective in the Action Plan for Education 2016 – 2019 is to develop the continuum of teacher education to equip teachers with the right skills for 21st century teaching and learning and improve school leadership. The quality of our teaching profession is the single most critical factor in sustaining and enhancing the quality of education outcomes in our system. We know that providing the best possible professional development and ongoing practical support to these key people in the education sector is vital if we are to realise the ambitious objectives that we have for Irish education. Specific targets for 2017 are outlined in the Action Plan for Education.

My Department spent approximately €46.5m on teacher continuing professional development (CPD) in 2016 across the primary and post primary sectors. The teacher CPD budget represents 0.56% of my Departments overall net expenditure.

The spend of €46.5m includes all costs associated with the provision of CPD at primary and post primary level funded by my Department.

In 2016, the Centre for School Leadership commenced the delivery of a formal mentoring programme for newly appointed primary and post-primary school leaders. To date, there are 300 primary and 100 post-primary mentors trained to provide this support.

My Department has also put in place an Occupational Health Strategy as a supportive resource for teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs), to promote their health in the workplace, with a focus primarily on prevention rather than cure. The Occupational Health Strategy comprises of the Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme and Occupational Health Services.  These services cater for about 64,000 teachers and 10,000 SNAs in some 4,000 primary and post-primary Schools.

The Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme is a confidential service accessible by means of a freephone telephone helpline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing counselling on a range of personal health and wellbeing issues given by qualified clinicians. Up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions are available to provide supportive and solution-focused care based on an individual’s clinical needs. The telephone service also provides specialist information, support and advice in relation to family, financial, legal, work-related and consumer information services as well as providing management support.

The Occupational Health Service provides pre-employment health assessments, sickness absence management, assessments of medical fitness for work and ill health retirement assessments.

These services are currently provided at a total cost of €1.331m (ex VAT) per annum.