Relevant Matter
Matters involving public funds
Public Policy Area
Education and Training
Period
1 May, 2024 to 31 Aug, 2024
Specific Details
We continued to lobby all TDs and Senators, some members of NPF (National Principals' Forum) also attending a Cross Party Meeting in the AV Room in Leinster House @12pm on Wednesday 19th of June, with other school principals from across the country, to brief attendees on crucial matters relating to school funding, special education supports and leadership supports. We shared a presentation and briefing document on these issues and principals attested to the issues.
Intended results
To raise awareness, to prioritise these educational issues in the upcoming budget/ future general elections. Government Expenditure on Education per student is equivalent to 13% of per capita GDP, which is below the OECD average of 27% -Ireland ranks last out of 36 countries for investment in Education as a measure of our GDP, according to the latest OECD data. This needs to improve in order to provide the funding needed to run our schools & pay the staff paid directly by the Board of Management
We asked that the Department of Education faciliate school principals to upload our SEN (Special Education Needs) data to the existing POD (Pupil Online Database) annually so that our EXACT SEN needs school profiles are known by the Dept and NCSE and therefore accurate SET (Special Education Teaching) and SNA (Special Needs Assistant) allocations can be granted to schools annually. Without this data, the system will continue to fall short, placing huge pressure on all concerned,
Greater supports are needed for teaching principals charged with both full teaching and full administrative duties. A sliding scale for allocating release time to teaching principals needs to be devised, with the release time allocations granted being reflective of the size of the school in terms of pupils, staffing and SEN profiles. This needs to be reviewed urgently in order to safeguard principals' health and wellbeing, and prevent the high rates of burnout and step down currently happening.
The lack of assessments,huge waitists for theraputic services, etc, all compound the difficulties schools experience in trying to meet our pupils' needs, with often insufficient SET & SNA allocations. "The number of children with special needs at primary level in Ireland increased by 56% between 2017 and 2021" (NDA Annual Report 2022) - yet our SEN allocations have been largely frozen or reduced. We need a review of this situation, the collection of accurate data from schools & a roadmap.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Angela Dunne and NPF Admins
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
Yes
Current or Former Designated Public Official(s)
Jackie Cahill (Currently employed as a DPO)
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
Yes
What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners?
We sought principals to join us and represent themselves at the Meeting in the AV Room in Leinster House in June 2024, as we wished to have principal representation from every county in Ireland. We also sought testimonials from Principals in relation to school funding and SEN provisions. We also conducted a survey of Primary School Principals in relation to these issues.
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Mass communications
Email All Oireachtas Members
We emailed all TDs and Senators asking them to attend the Meeting in the AV Room in Leinster House on 19th June 2024 @12pm. This AV Room meeting was arranged by Jackie Cahill, TD, following a meeting in Tipperary of Primary Principals, who asked for the opportunity to raise and attest to these matters in Leinster House. Deputy Cahill agreed, once we had representation from other counties with us.
Meeting All Oireachtas Members
We presented at a meeting in the AV Room in Leinster House on 19th June 2024 @12pm. We provided a powerpoint presentation and also a hard copy of a briefing document.
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Email (11-20)
We followed up from this meeting by emailing ALL Oireachtas members with a digital copy of both the Powerpoint presentation & the briefing document. We followed up with individual politicians who reached out thereafter and put in PQs to Minister Foley on our behalf in relation to the school funding and SEN concerns we raised in our meeting and communication. We are still seeking a meeting with Minister Norma Foley to discuss these matters in an open, positive, professional and proactive manner.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Norma Foley
Minister (Department of Education)
Hildegarde Naughton
Minister of State (Department of Education)
Roderic O'Gorman
Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)
Anne Rabitte
Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)
Jackie Cahill
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)