Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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237. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional resources will be provided to a school (details supplied) in view of the circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10645/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Meeting the educational needs of children and young people from Ukraine is a priority for the Government, and my Department is determined to support the efforts of school communities across the country, who have shown huge commitment and generosity. I announced the establishment of Regional Education and Language Teams (REALTs) to support the needs of Ukrainian children arriving in Ireland. These Education and Language Teams are hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards (ETBs) and are staffed by existing regionally-based education support personnel working closely together to ensure good coordination and alignment of supports for Ukrainian children.

My Department provides specific English Language support to schools with pupils newly arrived into the country that have English as an additional language. Staffing arrangements for the 2023/24 school year, including information on EAL supports available to schools, have been published on the Department website. For the 2023/24 school year, the staffing schedule for primary schools has been improved by one point and schools will be provided with class teachers on the basis of 1 teacher for every 23 pupils which is a historical low ratio.   Lower thresholds apply to DEIS Urban Band 1 schools. The staffing of this small school referred to by the Deputy went from went from P+1 and 1 SET teacher in 2021/22 to P+2, 1 SET, 1 EAL, 10 hours per week Top up SET, and an additional 0.5 SNA in current school year. In teaching terms that’s an increase of 2.4 teachers for an additional 24 pupils which is a PTR of 1:10 to manage the increase in enrolments; a very high level of supports. This level of staffing supports is significant based on the school’s current enrolment.  

The first tranche of ICT grant funding under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2027, totalling €50m, issued to schools in December 2021. The school in question received funding of €3,520.70. As with funding under the previous strategy, the funding issued directly to schools as schools are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements in the most appropriate way. It is a decision for the Board of Management of each school to determine how the ICT grant funding is spent, in line with the ICT circular that issued for the grant. Details of this ICT grant funding can be found at gov.ie - Grant Scheme for ICT Infrastructure – 2021/2022 School Year (www.gov.ie). Subject to available exchequer funding, the remaining amount of some €150m will issue over the lifetime of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2027. The school in question also received ICT grant funding of €5,000 in December 2021 as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) under Next Generation EU funding facility, to provide for a scheme for learners at risk of educational disadvantage through the digital divide.

In the context of the current situation in Ukraine, and Ireland’s humanitarian response to the crisis in taking in refugees, the above funding can be used by schools to support the needs of Ukrainian children arriving in Ireland through access to digital technology infrastructure. This can include loaning devices to Ukrainian children enrolled in the school if needed, as well as providing appropriate software, app and tools to support their learning.

All schools are provided with special education resources based on their enrolments but the unprecedented and immediate and ongoing increases in school enrolments following the commencement of the war in Ukraine required a specific response. It must be understood that the increased in some school enrolments were in excess of 100% and this is the reason for the implementation of these temporary emergency measures.

An allocation of additional temporary SET hours and SNA posts are made automatically to schools based on a sliding scale of enrolments. The school referred to by the Deputies has received its allocation of SET hours and SNA posts in line with the relevant scales.

My Department has also been engaging with the school to which the Deputy refers to ensure that adequate accommodation will be in place. 

In relation to funding for schools, my Department provides funding to all recognised schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs including heating, lighting, water charges etc. and the Ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. These grants may be regarded as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities.

All recognised Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Free Education scheme benefited from a once-off cost of living measure to support increased school running costs. This additional capitation funding in 2022 represented an increase of circa 40% of current standard and enhanced capitation rates. The additional grant was paid in December at the rate of €75 per pupil at Primary level and €113 at Post-Primary level. Enhanced rates were also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs. Schools can use this to cover additional energy costs and other increased day to day operating costs. In the context of the current cost of living crisis the Department would expect this very significant additional funding being made available to schools will be sufficient to meet increased running costs.