Written answers

Tuesday, 30 June 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address the situation of children with additional learning needs that attend a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13596/20]

Photo of Sorca ClarkeSorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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239. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied); and the action she will take to ensure the ongoing issue is resolved for the opening in September 2020. [13597/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The new school building for the project to which the Deputies refer is over 95% complete. There continues to be a very close engagement between Westmeath County Council (to whom the project has been devolved for delivery) and its design team, the Department of Education and Skills and the contractor in relation to getting the remaining elements of work completed during the summer to enable the school reopen for the coming school year. That being the case, the alternative accommodation kindly provided by the school authorities and patron of the other school in question in the last school year should no longer be required for that purpose.

The school authority is being kept up-to-date on progress in this respect.

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of parents of children that qualify for the July provision scheme that will have to arrange their own private transportation to and from schools to access the 2020 scheme; the maximum distance parents will be expected to travel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13609/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.

The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In the current school year over 120,000 children, including over 14,200 children with special educational needs, are transported in over 5,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres at a cost of over €219m in 2019.

With regard to transport arrangements for the July Programme my Department will provide grant funding to support parents with the cost of transport arrangements for those children who are eligible for school transport and who have been approved to participate in the school based July Programme.

Schools are required to identify children who are on a School Transport service or who are in receipt of a grant.  School Transport Section will be in contact with schools and families in regard to the arrangements for payment.

Grant payment is based on the distance that a family reside from their child’s school of attendance. The calculation is based on four trips per day (home to school and school to home, morning and afternoon) multiplied by the number of days a child attends school for the programme. The current rate of grant is 39.12 cent per kilometre for the first 6,437 kilometres travelled and 21.22 per kilometre for each kilometre travelled thereafter.

Photo of Violet-Anne WynneViolet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason reports from parents indicate that capacity numbers do not meet requirements further to his statement of 5 June 2020 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13612/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.

The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include additional primary aged children with complex needs.

The programme aims to ensure, in so far as possible, that these children can reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers. 

In-school or home-based supports by teachers and SNAs will help to prevent regression among children with complexspecial educational needs. 

The eligibility criteria includes the following categories of children:

1. Pupils with a diagnosis of Autism

2. Pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties

3. Any child in special schoolor a special class in a Primary School

4. Children transitioning into a special class or special school from early year’s settings

5. Pupils in primary school mainstream classes who present with the following disabilities:

- Children with Down syndrome

- Children who are Deaf or most severe hard of hearing

- Children who are blind or have a most severe visual impairment

- Children who have a moderate general learning disability

- Children with severe emotional behavioural difficulties

A child must meet at least one of the eligibility criteria.

If a Parent is in doubt about their child’s eligibility, they should consult their child’s school or contact my Department. Contact details are available on my Departments website www.education.ie/en/Parents/Services/summerprovision/summer-education-programme-2020.html.

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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242. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the preparation and guidelines her Department has issued to schools for the summer scheme; the number of children it is expected to facilitate; and the schools that have confirmed they will take part by county in tabular form. [13618/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department published details of Summer Provision 2020 – Reconnecting with Education including a programme for children with complex special educational needs.

The programme is a significant expansion on the July Provision programme of previous years with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional primary aged children with complex needs.

All special schools and primary schools with special classes are invited to provide the school based summer provision for their students.  This programme will run for a minimum of two weeks and can extend up to four weeks where the schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants are willing to participate.

My Department issued guidance to these schools to support management and staff in the delivery of summer programmes for children with special educational needs and those experiencing educational disadvantage as we continue to operate in line with public health advice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This guidance includes information in respect of hand hygiene, physical distancing, use of PPE and a risk assessment template.

The programme is reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.

It is therefore a matter for the Board of Management of the school having regard to the resources available whether or not it will participate in the programme.  

To date 231 have indicated they intend to provide the school based summer provision.

A list of participating schools is being finalised which I will forward to the Deputy in the coming days.  

Home-based provision is available where a child’s local school is not providing a programme or does not have the capacity to accommodate a child in a planned programme this year.

In this situation my Department will provide grant funding towards the engagement by Parents of a registered teacher/SNA to provide home based support for 10 hours a week for 4 weeks.

A dedicated online registration system for families of children with complex special needs to access Summer Provision is now available on Gov.ie/summerprovision.

Parents are asked to register their participation online, providing some outline information of the extent of their participation in the programme e.g. number of weeks.

Once registered, the parent or school is then free to plan and organise the programme in accordance with with the guidance on my Departments website.

A programme for DEIS schools for this Summer was also announced.

Full information on summer provision and its various strands, including guidance information for parents, is available at Gov.ie/summerprovision.

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