Written answers

Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Department of Education and Skills

Covid-19 Pandemic

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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593. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding for the reopening of schools drawn down in each county to date; the funding drawn down for primary and secondary schools, respectively to date in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22198/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, on 27 July last the Government published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, along with details of a significant financial package to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap, following approval by the Government. The package of supports is expected to cost in excess of €437 million in the 2020/2021 school year.

The range of supports being made available to schools includes additional financial supports to provide for additional staffing, management supports, enhanced cleaning, hand hygiene and personal protective equipment costs under the Covid-19 response plans. The Government also approved a package of minor works grants as part of the July Stimulus to support schools to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening.

I can confirm to the Deputy that at the end of August 2020, €137 million of the approved supports have been paid directly to all of the country's State funded primary and post-primary schools. A detailed breakdown of this expenditure on a county by county basis is not readily available, but I can confirm the breakdown between primary and post primary levels with €62m paid at primary level and €75m at post primary level. Furthermore, the payment of €30 million of financial supports for primary schools planned for later in the year has been brought forward.

Photo of Jennifer WhitmoreJennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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594. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a reply will issue to correspondence regarding a school (details supplied) and the concern about large classes for the academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22199/20]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Roadmap for Full Return to School set outs the plan for the safe and sustainable reopening of our schools. It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives.

My Department is providing capital and current funding of an additional €377 million to support implementation of the roadmap. The supports are comprehensive across a range of areas and involve funding for measures such as PPE, hand sanitisation, enhanced cleaning and hygiene, physical distancing, management supports and substitution provision. It is also recognised that schools may require some reconfiguration works and this is supported by a once off enhanced minor works grant of €75 million to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening including an uplift for schools with SEN pupils.

The public health guidance recognises that the ability to achieve 1m physical distancing for junior infants to 2nd classes is not a prerequisite for facilitating a full return of all pupils. While there is the requirement for 1m physical distancing for the senior classes (3rd class to 6th class), schools also have the flexibility to organise their classes into bubbles and pods. The requirement in the public health guidance is for each pod to be 1m apart as distinct from each pupil in the pods.

My Department has published practical guidance for schools to help achieve physical distancing in line with public health advice and include:

- Reconfiguring classroom accommodation through the removal of unnecessary items of furniture, shelving etc.

- Using the largest classrooms for the senior classes

- Reviewing the size of each class so that there is a more even spread of pupils between each class

- Maximising available space within the footprint of the school

- If necessary, look at opportunities for sourcing any nearby accommodation for a large class e.g. parish hall, sports facilities etc. The Department supports same through the minor works grant and additional funding can be provided where necessary.

The public health advice recognises that the implementation of physical distancing will look different across the various ages and stages of learning and that a balanced and common sense approach should be applied in the implementation of measures, allowing for some flexibility when needed whilst noting that it must be applied in a practical way, recognising that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue.

While my Department has been in contact with a number of schools recently in an advisory capacity, including the school referred to by the Deputy, a reply will issue in the coming days in relation to individual requests received. Schools will be advised that they will have an option of an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board should they continue to experience difficulties, having first taken measures necessary to achieve physical distancing in line with published guidance.

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