Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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449. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what supports are in place to assist schools in Kildare in accommodating children from migrant families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44692/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality, and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. In Ireland, all migrant children, including children of international protection applicants, children of migrant workers and unaccompanied minors can access primary and post-primary education.

Tusla’s Education Support Service (TESS), the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) and the Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) continue to successfully coordinate state and community agencies to assist with the enrolment and transition of Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian IPAS pupils, and children arriving under the IRPP, where required. These teams ensure that clear, accessible information flows are in place between schools, local education support services and national support structures to assist migrant families access the necessary supports.

International Protection Applicant figures fluctuate daily due to new arrivals and transfers to accommodation centres. Children are enrolled in school as quickly as possible, and those awaiting placement are actively supported by IPAS, TESS and REALT.

I have been advised by officials in my Department that as of 29 October 2024, there are 3 IPAS centres in Kildare with primary/post primary school going children. There are approximately 60 school going children residing in these centres, all of which are enrolled in schools. 75% of these children attend primary schools and 25% are in secondary schools.

Supports and resources accessible in all schools to support the needs of migrant children have increased significantly over the last number of years with the rise in the numbers of IPAS arrivals and particularity in response to the thousands of children and young people arriving from Ukraine since the outbreak of the war in 2022. My Department can confirm that there are 18,113 pupils from Ukraine formally enrolled in schools across the country.

The Migrant Integration Strategy published in 2017 sets out the Government’s commitment to the promotion of migrant integration as a key part of Ireland’s renewal and as an underpinning principle of Irish society. The Strategy provides a framework for a range of actions to support migrants to participate fully in Irish life; these actions are designed to support the integration process, as well as to identify and address any remaining barriers to integration.

A key element of the Strategy’s vision is for migrants, and particularly their children, to benefit fully from the education system. Education-related actions include enactment of the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016, and to keep the adequacy of language supports in schools under review. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) who have responsibility for the Strategy is working on the development of a new Migrant Integration Strategy and officials in my Department will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders in relation to its development and implementation.

My Department has adapted to the dynamic landscape of student enrolment. This has been particularly effective in the context of the pace and volume of newly arrived students fleeing the war in Ukraine and the ongoing increase in students, who require EAL supports to fully access the curriculum. Provision of additional supports and resources aim to ensure that all school-aged migrant children have access to a high-quality inclusive education within the mainstream setting in order to benefit fully from our school system.

The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile and also encompasses the English as an Additional Language (EAL) allocation that schools were allocated in previous years. All schools are advised in the first instance to review whether the needs of newly enrolled pupils can be met from within existing allocations.

My Department has prioritised enhancing English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, recognising the critical role of language proficiency in successful integration and academic achievement. These supports to schools, based on application process, are provided for new-entrant pupils (i.e., pupils arrived in the country in the last 2 years with an EAL requirement). Similar to previous years, supports may also be provided for schools with a high concentration of pupils that are not classified as new-entrant pupils but who have an EAL need i.e., those pupils with less than 3 years EAL support and register less than B1 in an English proficiency test.

Such policies enable flexible resource allocation to ensure that the resources follow children in the event of them changing schools. Schools may also apply for further language support by an application process during the school year, should their circumstances change.

In 2022, additional temporary special education supports were put in place to support schools with large Ukrainian enrolments. Resources are also provided to support schools that have enrolled a significant number of children seeking international protection.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed a range of supports and resources for refugee and migrant children, including well-being resources for students. These include advice on supporting children with special education needs and supporting children at a time of war.

The total overall budget for my Department in 2025 will be €11.835 billion. Since 2020, funding for school-level education has increased by around €3.1 billion (36%). Budget 2025 provides an increase of €982 million in core funding, an increase of 9%, and builds on significant increases in recent budgets.

My Department will continue to provide a range of resources and funding to support pupils and students from Ukraine who have enrolled in our schools, including additional English language supports. Under Budget 2025, a total of €140 million has been allocated to these education supports, and these additional funds build on significant increases in recent budgets and further enhance the investment in Ireland’s primary, post-primary and special education system.

As part of the capitation package in Budget 2025, I have secured over €30 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This represents an increase of circa 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This increase is on top of the circa 9.2% increase from last year’s budget. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.

In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost-of-living supports will issue in 2024, to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity.

The enhanced summer programme prioritises the most vulnerable children in our society, those with the most complex special educational needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to access the additional support that they need during the summer. The number of children taking part in the summer programme has increased from 13,000 children in 2019 to over 52,000 in 2023. This Budget now provides funding to maintain the enhanced summer programme on a more permanent basis going forward.

As part of the Budget measures for 2025, over €10 million of additional funding is also being allocated for social inclusion programmes targeted at the most vulnerable children at risk of education disadvantage and to prevent early school leaving. This includes providing supports and resources to children who attend alternative education settings. Funding is being made available to commence the implementation of the Traveller and Roma Education Strategy, and other measures to support engagement with education for Traveller, Roma, migrant families, and families experiencing poverty and deprivation.