Louis O'Hara (Galway East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 370 of 18 February 2025, to clarify the data used in determining educational disadvantage; if numbers of students from the Travelling community is used as part of that data; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8824/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

In 2025 over €2.9 billion will be spent supporting children with special educational needs. This figure builds on previous years and represents over a quarter of the education budget. It will provide for, amongst other things, 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places. It will also increase our special educational posts by 768 special education teacher and 1,600 special needs assistant (SNA) posts nationwide.

The Special Education Teaching (SET) Allocation Model is a standardised allocation model that provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the teaching needs of students in mainstream classes.

When the model was introduced, it replaced a diagnosis led model with one based on need. This ensures the allocation supports all children that require a level of additional teaching support.

For 2025/26 school year close to 15,000 special education teachers have been allocated to schools to support these children and young people.

The allocation model uses a variety of statistical data to complete allocations. This data includes, enrolment data, data on educational needs profiles (literacy and numeracy) and data on educational disadvantage. This data is sourced from within the education sector to ensure it is validated and assured. The only external data used is the Pobal HP Deprivation Index which is used by Irish government departments for identification of disadvantage.

The 2025/26 school year will see almost 86% of schools either increase their allocation of hours or retain their previous allocation. Of schools who will see a reduction this is driven by demographic change in the geographic area and a reduction of enrolments in the school. The vast majority of these schools will see a reduction of under five hours.

However, unique circumstances may arise in schools that may be difficult to reflect in a standardised method. Therefore, any school who has any concerns on their allocation can engage with the NCSE. The NCSE will provide support to schools as required and will examine if the allocation is sufficient to meet the identified needs of all children and young people enrolled.

Where the NCSE identifies the need for additional resources, my department will immediately approve the identified increase so that it is available to the school ahead of the 2025/26 school year.

The expansion of the DEIS programme in 2022 was done on the basis of a refined DEIS identification model, which for the first time took into consideration the significant educational disadvantage experienced by learners who have self-identified as being of Traveller or Roma ethnicity, those who reside in centres managed by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and children who are experiencing homelessness. These cohorts were accounted for outside the HP index as it applies at small area level. The development of this model involved an extensive body of work by the DEIS Technical group, which included officials from my department and the Educational Research Centre.

Travellers and Roma pupils that enrol in a school have the option to self-identify on the basis of their ethnicity. Written consent from a parent/guardian is required. As not all Travellers and Roma may choose to self-identify as such, and as Traveller and Roma school data is based on self-identification, it is possible that the numbers of Travellers and Roma in schools are underestimated. The Department of Education collects data on Traveller and Roma children in schools through the annual primary and post primary-school census/school enrolment databases, POD (Primary Online Database) and PPOD (Post-primary Online Database), which collect pupil identity data and school enrolment data for all learners.

The primary online system collects data on date of first enrolment of a child in a recognised school in Ireland, including mother tongue and ethnicity. The post-primary online database collects details of country of birth and ethnicity. Questions on ethnicity are non-compulsory and based on voluntary self-identification.

A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie at .

Currently, action to address Traveller education outcomes is progressed through the Traveller and Roma Education Strategy (TRES) 2024-2030. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, TRES includes three two-year implementation plans to promote equitable access to education for Traveller and Roma communities.

Informed by research and consultation, TRES aligns with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth led National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II (NTRIS II) and focuses on four key pillars: Participation and Experience, Access and Outcomes, Partnership, and Delivering Change. Key actions include increasing school retention to Leaving Certificate level, promoting inclusion and cultural competence training, integrating Traveller culture into the curriculum, and enhancing workforce diversity.

The Implementation of TRES will be supported by two national TRES Coordinators and 15 Community Link Workers. The Traveller and Roma Education Forum, established in November 2024, will facilitate ongoing collaboration. A TRES Oversight Group has also been established and will ensure effective oversight and alignment with NTRIS II.

My department and the NCSE are 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.