Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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275. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will continue banked hours for all additional educational needs after mid-term (details supplied). [4099/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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While the Department has provided supports to schools to allow them to support their operation during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department also recognises that given the current high case numbers schools will continue to require additional substitute cover. In the period leading up to the mid-term break (to 23rd February 2022) a range of measures have been put in place to assist in dealing with absences during this phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include flexibility around student teacher availability.

Given the current level of employee absences across sectors, including the education sector, the Department understands that some schools have on occasion had to use their non-mainstream, non-classroom teachers to maintain in-person education. In these circumstances the Department is conscious that these children may also have missed an opportunity to get additional support from their SET and is now permitting the banking of SET hours from January until the February mid-term break, in line with all of the additional measures to support schools during this phase of the pandemic. This is being kept under review.