Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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926. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Government has undertaken an assessment of needs created by the arrival of Ukrainian refugees; and the contingency planning that is in place. [30495/22]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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927. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the planning assessments that are being carried out in relation to education given the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. [30496/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, I and my Department have been working actively to meet the needs of children from Ukraine enrolling in our schools, and to anticipate and address any related challenges that may arise.

My Department’s overall objective is to maximise the number of children that can be accommodated in school settings, and my Department has been undertaking surveys to assess the level of capacity available. There is generally good capacity in schools generally across the country albeit there may be capacity pressures to be managed in some areas. National enrolments at primary level are reducing (projected to be circa. 25,000 below their 2018 peak in September 2022). A capacity survey at post-primary level, which has a 100% completion rate, indicates capacity of circa 20,000 school places. An equivalent survey at primary level is currently underway and engagement with special schools will commence shortly.

The 16 Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT), hosted by the regional Education and Training Boards (ETBs), to support the needs of children from Ukraine arriving in Ireland will have a key role in managing these capacity pressures. Close liaison and linkages with the HSE and the disability services are key to aligning, in so far as possible, the accommodation, care and education of children with complex special needs.

Capacity information on the school system will be made available by my Department’s Planning and Building Unit (PBU) to support and assist the work of the REALT teams.

However, it is recognised that challenges in terms of capacity could potentially arise if overall numbers are very high and particularly for areas with a high volume of children seeking enrolment in schools. For this reason, my Department has developed several options to assist with contingency planning for provision of education for Ukrainian children.

In addition to assessment and planning in relation to capacity requirements, my Department has a number of supports in place to meet the needs of students from Ukraine, including language and wellbeing and mental health supports.

The Summer 2022 Programme is available to all primary and post-primary schools, for students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. The Inclusion Programme offers an opportunity for schools to address the needs of migrant students such as addressing English language skills and integration, including students who have recently arrived in Ireland from Ukraine.

Finally, my Department, in consultation with Bus Éireann, has put in place a new process to facilitate the provision of School Transport Scheme Services for children arriving to Ireland from Ukraine.