Jen Cummins: Publish Monthly School-Place Numbers Now
Jen Cummins addressed the Taoiseach calling for monthly publication of the number of students still awaiting appropriate school places. She urged transparency from the Department of Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education to reduce parental panic ahead of next September.
Jen Cummins told the chamber that parents across the country are desperately trying to secure appropriate school places and that there remains huge uncertainty about the level and scale of unmet need. She proposed that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE publish monthly figures, similar to the Department of Housing's homeless statistics, to provide clarity.
Cummins argued that the data already exists but is not being published, and that officials should be deployed to ensure every child has an appropriate place next September. She warned against diverting staff to create new units just to produce data and called for a balanced deployment of public servants.
She acknowledged work already underway, noting the early opening of the portal and the identification of around 6,000 children in mainstream classes needing additional supports. Cummins said the Department is working flat out with Ministers and the NCSE to secure resources and placements.
The speech frames monthly publication as a transparency measure that would quell parental panic and provide a clear picture of unmet need. Cummins positioned the proposal as a constructive request aimed at better coordination between departments and agencies ahead of the new school year.
Demand for transparency
Jen Cummins told the chamber that parents across the country are desperately trying to secure appropriate school places and that there remains huge uncertainty about the level and scale of unmet need. She proposed that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE publish monthly figures, similar to the Department of Housing's homeless statistics, to provide clarity.
Operational focus over new processes
Cummins argued that the data already exists but is not being published, and that officials should be deployed to ensure every child has an appropriate place next September. She warned against diverting staff to create new units just to produce data and called for a balanced deployment of public servants.
Progress and ongoing work
She acknowledged work already underway, noting the early opening of the portal and the identification of around 6,000 children in mainstream classes needing additional supports. Cummins said the Department is working flat out with Ministers and the NCSE to secure resources and placements.
Accountability and next steps
The speech frames monthly publication as a transparency measure that would quell parental panic and provide a clear picture of unmet need. Cummins positioned the proposal as a constructive request aimed at better coordination between departments and agencies ahead of the new school year.
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Transcript
Ceann Comhairle, Taoiseach, parents across the country are desperately trying to secure an appropriate school place for their children and there's still huge uncertainty around the level and scale of unmet need. I think we need really urgent, like that transparency is really, really important. The Department of Education and Youth, as well as working with the National Council for Special Education, should be able to give us the data of what that is, and I'm suggesting that they publish that on a monthly basis, like the Department of Housing does, to publish the number of homeless figures. That's to show transparency. We want to work constructively with you, with the government, with the NCSE, to quell the amount of panic that's going. So what I'm asking is, Taoiseach, is that if we were able to have the NCSE, the Department of Children and Youth, able to publish the number of students who are yet to have an appropriate school place on a monthly basis, we'd be very clear of what that would be. The data is there, it's just not being published. It happens in the Department of Housing, with the homeless figures. This is a way of showing that transparency and quelling that panic that's going on. I think what we need is all of our officials in the departments working flat out to make sure that every child gets an appropriate place next September. That, to me, is where we need staff deployed. We don't need new units to start producing data. There's a balance to be struck here in terms of the deployment of public servants. We're increasing the number of public servants on an annual basis, and the increase has been significant over the last number of years. I think the focus, to be fair to Minister Hildegard Nocton and Minister Michael Moynihan, has been very much on securing additional resources and then working with the National Council for Special Education to get the places. Now, they did open the portal early, in terms of October. That has resulted in far more significant numbers. I think about 6,000 children in existing mainstream classes being now identified for needing additionality, in terms of supports, and that is happening. I think the Department are flat out on that. Thank you, Taoiseach. Deputy Ruth Coppenter.