Written Answers Nos. 391-411
391. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average waiting time for a child with a diagnosis of moderate to severe or profound intellectual disability to be offered an appropriate school placement, by county, and by category of need, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37176/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
It is my department’s policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.
The department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools and students with special educational needs in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.
My department has significantly increased the resources available to support children with special educational needs in mainstream provision. For the 2025/26 school year there will be 15,000 special education teachers and over 12,500 special needs assistants (SNAs) in schools supporting students in mainstream classes.
For children with more complex needs special class and special school places are provided. My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. My department and the NCSE identify the need for special educational provision with consideration to demographical and statistical data and in regard to an areas existing school provision and future capability.
In addition, part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in a region.
Where the NCSE identifies need for a moderate general learning disability class, these classes are sanctioned, and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.
Looking forward my department and the NCSE have begun preparatory work in relation to planning for the provision of further new special class and special school places for the 2026/27 school year and beyond.
In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department recently published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of new measures introduced to support forward planning going forward and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child. An earlier date of 1 October has been set in which parents must do so. This notification will provide the NCSE with valuable insights as to which children will continue to require a special class as they progress to post primary level and details on students who require a place for the first time. The earlier date will also allow for earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, and it is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes by 31 December 2025.
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.
392. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the extension to a school (details supplied), which was approved in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37184/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the departments pipeline of school building projects under the Department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme to provide one music room, one construction room with prep area, and one home economics room. The project has been devolved to the school authority for delivery.
Approval to Stage 2b (planning stage) of the architectural design process was granted to the school authority in the fourth quarter of 2021.
A Stage 2b report was received in late June 2025 and is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
Upon completion of this review process my Department officials will communicate with the school authority regarding the next steps to advance this significant project.
393. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current average waiting time for a psychological assessment through NEPS in DEIS versus non-DEIS school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37188/25]
View answerI would like to thank Deputy Clarke for her question on my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme. NEPS provides psychological support to all primary, post-primary, and special schools. The DEIS programme provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all schools, such as the introduction of free school books and free hot school meals.
NEPS provides access for all schools to:
• psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident,
• a casework service for individual students where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA),
• a school staff Support and Development Service to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools, and
• ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
Where a school does not have an assigned psychologist due to a vacancy, a psychologist from the local NEPS team undertakes the role of advisory psychologist to respond to queries that the school may have. These schools continue to have access to Critical Incident response, advisory support, and the Support and Development Service delivered by their local NEPS office. Individual student casework can be accessed via the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
NEPS does not operate waiting lists. In common with other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS operates on a consultative model of service. NEPS psychologists work with schools using a problem-solving model to help schools identify need and interventions to support those needs. Under this model, NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum-based assessment and intervention process whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention for pupils with learning, emotional or behavioural difficulties. This model means that pupils do not need a psychological assessment or a diagnosis of a disability in order to access additional support in school.
The NEPS casework service involves the provision of a psychological service for a student, with the psychologist working with the student, teachers and parents, and other professionals if appropriate, to identify need and plan for intervention to support the student in school. Schools prioritise those students with most need. NEPS support is broader than the allocation of assessments and that the number of assessments carried out by an assigned psychologist for a school is not fixed. Additional supports for children with special educational needs are embedded in all primary and post primary schools. Schools allocate their Special Education Teaching and SNA supports based on need in the school setting, so that those with highest level of need can access the highest level of support within the school in a timely manner.
Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level.
My department invests over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme which supports approximately 260,000 students.
The DEIS programme is targeted at schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. Schools that were included in the most recent expansion of the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. Schools were not required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS programme and the model was applied fairly and equally to all schools. A detailed paper on the refined DEIS identification model is available on gov.ie.
The DEIS programme is based on the premise that in order to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of educational disadvantage, extra resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need.
As Minister, I am determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. A new DEIS Plan will be published in 2025. This plan will focus on improving the opportunities and achievement levels of children at risk of educational disadvantage, developing more innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage, and working towards a more flexible system of supports to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time.
394. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average processing time for the home tuition grant scheme applications for children without school placements; the number of applications delayed beyond 30 working days in the past year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37189/25]
View answerThe Home Tuition Grant Scheme is a short-term measure available to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. An Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) is assigned immediately to support families where children are temporarily without a school place, are without an offer of a school place and are actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school. For home tuition to be approved, parents, with the assistance of EWOs, are required to submit the required application form fully completed together with supporting documentation such as refusal letters from schools. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardian of the child who is to receive tuition.
Application forms which are fully completed with the appropriate documentation attached are processed on average within 8 working days of receipt.
There are instances where application forms are incomplete or are missing the required documentation. In such cases, delays may be experienced in processing these applications. There were 3 cases where an application for home tuition was approved more than 30 days after receipt of the original application. In all cases this was due to delays in the submission of correctly completed forms and documentation.
Regarding home tuition for children seeking a special school or special class placement aged from 4 years upwards, the Special Education Section does not have precise processing times for applications submitted under this strand of the scheme (Form HTSEN1). Applicants are advised on the form that failure to fully complete applications, including submitting all required documentation, will result in processing delays. In some cases, incomplete forms will be returned to the applicant. Where fully completed forms have been submitted, applicants are requested to allow up to 15 working days for processing.
Most fully completed applications received by the Special Education Section under the 2024/25 scheme have been processed within the 15 working days timeframe, except for those applications received during the summer months for the new school year when volumes are particularly high. However, even in these cases, decisions were issued before the scheme's start date, thereby ensuring that tuition was not delayed. The estimated average processing time for home tuition applications under this strand is approximately 11 working days.
395. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons for a reduction in teacher allocation at a school (details supplied), how this will impact junior and senior infants at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37201/25]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally.
The school referred to by the Deputy is due to have a reduction in teaching posts for the 2025/26 school year due to a fall in enrolments. The primary school staffing arrangements for the 2025/26 school year are set out in Circular 0011/2025. These arrangements contain an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board.
The appeal submitted by the school was unsuccessful as the school is not projecting sufficient enrolment to retain the post. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.
The configuration of classes and the deployment of classroom teachers are done at local school level. The Department's guidance to schools is that the number of pupils in any class is kept as low as possible taking all relevant contextual factors into account (e.g. classroom accommodation, fluctuating enrolment etc.).
396. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of purchase orders processed by her Department in 2023 that were not included in the published reports of purchase orders over €20,000; the number of purchase orders excluded due to their value falling below the €20,000 threshold, and the total combined value of those purchase orders; and the number of purchase orders excluded because they related to transactions other than for goods or services, for example, grants-in-aid or reimbursements, in line with reporting conventions. [37229/25]
View answerMy Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy in a readily accessible format. Therefore, it has not been possible to collate this information within the time available to answer this question. Officials in my Department are currently gathering further information and I will arrange for information to be conveyed directly to the Deputy.
397. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with special educational needs in rural parts of the country that have to travel outside their area to receive appropriate education in cities or large towns due to lack of services in their own area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37250/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
As you are aware the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend their local mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided.
The location of special classes and special schools is determined by local demand. My department and the NCSE identify the need for special educational provision with consideration to demographical and statistical data and in regard to an areas existing school provision and future capability. In addition, part of the forward planning process as to where additional special school capacity is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special education place in a region.
Through the establishment of 400 new special classes each year and the provision of 16 new special schools, this is ensuring that more children and young people should have greater options in terms of accessing a special class or special school places in their local area. As more and more special classes are established and further new special schools are opened this will improve year on year.
Under a new parents notify process, parents are requested to notify the NCSE where a child or young person may require a special class or special school place. This new measure has ensured that the NCSE have a clearer picture of local need across all counties and can consider where new provision is required.
It is important that new provision continues to be established in as many schools as possible. This provides parents more options when deciding which schools to apply to, ensures that provision continues to grow in a diverse number of schools across regions and should help in reducing the distances that some children are travelling to access a special class place.
As more special classes are provided, particularly at post-primary level, it provides more options for children with complex special educational needs to attend their local schools. However, it is also essential that we work to ensure more children requiring a special school place can access their nearest special school.
Many special schools originally established under a particular designation of student need have and continue to diversify to provide an education to a greater number of students with different levels need. This is in keeping with my departments policy on an inclusive education and facilitates students with more complex needs to be educated in their local special school. My department will continue to support special schools in this endeavour.
In order to support children that are required to travel my department's School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs is available. This service generally operates on a door-to-door basis. In certain circumstances, there may be a requirement for specialised vehicles, or for individual services. In many cases, the support of a school transport escort is required to assist children while travelling on school transport services.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs and are committed to ensuring that no matter where a child is enrolled they have access to the required supports to enable them to achieve their educational goals.
398. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the parameters of the independent assessment into the feasibility of the over-70s' exclusion from the school transport scheme will be agreed; and the deadline for completion of the report. [37258/25]
View answerSchool Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. In the current school year over 173,000 children are transported daily in approximately 8,200 vehicles across 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The retirement age for school bus drivers has been set by Bus Éireann at 70 years of age, which also applies to all Bus Éireann road passenger services.
The policy and criteria also apply to drivers nominated by private operators who operate services as part of the School Transport Scheme, provided they hold the requisite license and satisfy an annual medical examination until they retire at age 70.
The Road Safety Authority, under the remit of the Department of Transport, committed to reviewing the upper age limit of drivers as it relates to larger vehicles/school buses. This review is now complete.
Under the new Programme for Government, a commitment has been made to "Carry out an independent assessment on the feasibility of removing the exclusion of drivers aged over 70 from the School Transport Scheme".
The Department is engaging with the Department of Transport and with Bus Éireann on this matter.
399. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider extending the teaching hours extension scheme, which currently applies to post-primary schools, to include primary schools also; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37261/25]
View answerThe purpose of the Teaching Hours Extension Scheme is to provide post-primary school
management with an alternative means of sourcing appropriately qualified substitute teaching cover to support teaching and learning in schools.
Due to the differences in the structure and operation of schools between primary level and post-primary level, it would not be possible to extend the Teaching Hours Extension scheme to primary schools.
At post-primary level, teachers can substitute for hours ,whereas primary school teachers substitute for a school day. Therefore, a primary school teacher on a full 25 hour contract would not be available to carry out additional substitution work.
400. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of families in Kilkenny and Carlow that currently avail of the free schoolbooks scheme; the annual cost of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37278/25]
View answerIn Budget 2025, my department announced that the free schoolbooks scheme would be extended to students in Senior Cycle years, including Transition Year, in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
This brings the total investment for schoolbooks to over €170 million for the new school year.
This means, for the first time ever, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme will be provided with schoolbooks and core classroom resources.
Book grant funding issued to post-primary schools in March 2025 and primary schools in April 2025 so that schools have enough time to implement the scheme in advance of the new school year.
My department has also allocated an administration support grant to schools for the forthcoming school year, based on the size of the school to assist with the additional work required in order to implement the scheme. Payment of the Administration Support Grant issued to post primary schools in March 2025 and to primary schools in May 2025.
The Schoolbook Schemes have eliminated the cost to families for all schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks at primary level, including special schools, and all schoolbooks and core classroom resources at post-primary level.
It continues to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to “Provide free schoolbooks to all children in the free education system and introduce changes as needed to the operation of this scheme.
The numbers of students who benefited from this scheme in the current school year in Kilkenny and Carlow and the breakdown of schoolbook scheme payments made to primary and post-primary schools in each county are detailed in the following tables.
Primary 2024/2025 school year
|
County |
Children Benefitting |
Number of Schools |
Book Grant |
Administration grant |
|
Carlow |
7,629 |
44 |
€610,320 |
€32,104.80 |
|
Kilkenny |
11,018 |
75 |
€881,440 |
€50,297.52 |
Post Primary Junior Cycle 2024/2025 school year
|
County |
Children benefitting |
Number of Schools |
Book Grant |
Administration grant |
|
Carlow |
3,914 |
11 |
€1,209,426 |
€22,830.08 |
|
Kilkenny |
6,000 |
15 |
€1,854,000 |
€31,569.72 |
401. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has considered the introduction of a post-graduate qualification in primary school teaching at University College Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37285/25]
View answerEach year, the number of students admitted to primary Bachelor of Education and Professional Master of Education (PME) programmes in State-funded Higher Education Institutes (HEI) is determined by my Department, having regard to teacher supply and demand issues, and available resources, noting that additional places have a direct cost implication for the Department.
Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes must be accredited by the Teaching Council for registration purposes. However, given my role in approval of numbers at primary and the funding implications of same (funding for Gaeltacht learning period in State-funded providers), the Council refer any HEI planning new primary provision to the Department for discussion.
Currently there are four providers of primary PME programmes which are:
Dublin City University
Marino Institute of Education
Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
Maynooth University (Froebel)
We cannot confirm any new courses that might be accredited in the future, but any additional primary programmes would be made public and notified to the HEI in question in a timely manner.
402. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the new Owenabue Educate Together primary school for Carrigaline, County Cork; the stage this project is currently at; and the remaining stages and estimated timeline for construction. [37290/25]
View answerThe major project referred to by the Deputy is being delivered under my Departments ADAPT Programme.
The ADAPT programme uses a professional external Project Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe during the stages of architectural planning.
The brief for Owenabue Educate Together National School is the development of a new 16 classroom Primary School and 5 classes for children with Special Educational Needs at Janeville, Carrigaline, Co. Cork.
The project is currently at Stage 1 - Preliminary Design (assessment of site and location suitability and initial sketch scheme).
As part of the Stage 1 process the Design Team submit a Stage 1 Report to my Department. A preferred design option, including the scope and extent of works to be carried out form part of this report.
The Stage 1 Report was received in the Department in January 2025 and upon completion of the Departments due diligence review, the Stage 1 stakeholders meeting took place on 24th March 2025 where the Principal, a representative from Educate Together, all Design Team members, the Project Manager and Department officials were in attendance. The meeting concluded with agreement that the Design Team would explore further design layout options.
Further to this on the 30th of April an architectural workshop between the Design Team Architect and the Department Senior Architect.
The Department are currently awaiting the submission of a full Design Team Stage 1 Addendum Report.
As part of the NDP Review process, all departments, including my department, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026-2030.
It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the course of the summer period, and this will allow my department to plan its capital investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities.
The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from Autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised.
403. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the cost of updating the safety in school science guidelines. [37292/25]
View answerMy Department has produced a number of documents in relation to safety in school laboratories, including Safety in School Science and Safety in the School Laboratory. These set out the key principles of safety in a science laboratory. The fundamentals of safe science practice in schools remain constant and schools are supported to embed safe practice through these documents and guidelines.
The Health & Safety Authority (HSA), in collaboration with the education sector, has also produced detailed guidelines that provide practical assistance to school authorities including advice and recommendations on how to implement and operate Health & Safety, including Fire Safety, systems in their schools. The HSA website provides a number of useful resources for schools, including one published in 2024, for primary and post primary school staff and post primary school students to raise awareness of the safe use and management of chemicals in schools.
Oide, the support service for teachers, also provide support and training for teachers on safe science practice in schools. Most recently, in March 2025, Oide provided the webinar “An Introduction to Laboratory Safety in Schools,” aimed at post-primary teachers. The recorded webinar is available for teachers to access on Oide’s website.
The Board of Management of a School or Education and Training Board (ETB) is responsible, as employer, for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of its employees and of those directly affected by the work activities of the school.
Every Board of Management and ETB is required by law to have a safety statement for its school/s. The safety statement is a live written document which contains the detail of how safety, health and welfare is managed in a school. It includes the school structures, planning activities, practices, procedures, and resources for implementing and maintaining safety, health and welfare.
Monitoring compliance with best practice safety protocols is part of the ongoing management of a school and the costs associated with ensuring safety in school settings relate to the staff time involved in that regard. Similarly, the development or revision of guidance documentation would have associated staff costs relevant any such work undertaken.
Individual school authorities are best placed on a day-to-day basis to monitor safety and associated costs and ensure that their Health & Safety systems and practices will contribute to ensuring that schools are safe and suitable environments for the entire school community.
404. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of bringing secondary school science labs up to date and modernised for the new senior cycle reforms. [37293/25]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The SWS operates on a multi-annual basis for a number of categories which could include the provision or upgrade of science labs.
I recently announced details in respect of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) 2026 onwards. The Summer Works Scheme was renamed to reflect the strong climate focus and is now called the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. Supporting schools in the delivery of science subject provision is a priority for my department and this new scheme also provides an important opportunity for post-primary schools to undertake refurbishment, and improvement works to their science laboratories and will also include the provision of furniture and equipment for science rooms.
The CASWS has only recently closed for application’s and it is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time.
The CASWS will operate on a multi-annual basis with the first tranche of projects being announced in Q4 2025 for commencement in summer 2026. Under this scheme, approved applications from schools that are not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons (as above) in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.
The estimated cost of bringing post-primary school science labs up to date and modernised for the new senior cycle reforms, will only become apparent following appraisal by my Department of the applications that have been received.
405. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth to examine the case of a child (details supplied) in need of SNA support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37305/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs). The NCSE has advised my department that all schools have been informed of their SNA allocation for the 2025/26 school year.
As the NCSE is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, I have forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at: oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie
It is open to any school which feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students to submit to the NCSE a request seeking a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website: ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream
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.
406. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason SNA hours have been refused for a very vulnerable child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37323/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs). The NCSE has advised my department that all schools have been informed of their SNA allocation for the 2025/26 school year.
As the NCSE is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, I have forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at: oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie
It is open to any school which feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students to submit to the NCSE a request seeking a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website: ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream
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.
407. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and location of additional schools and funding secured in the Department's capital plan for the Donabate area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37324/25]
View answerSince 2020, my Department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision has approved €210m supplementary capital funding for my department which brings the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6bn.
As part of the NDP Review process, all departments, including my department, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026-2030. It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the course of the summer period, and this will allow my department to plan its capital investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities. Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important. The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from Autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised.
There are a number of active projects at primary level in progress in the Donabate school planning area which will provide additional capacity. These projects include new school building project for Gaelscoil na Mara to provide 16 mainstream classrooms with provision for special education needs classrooms. In addition, there is an extension project active for SNC Naomh Padraig.
The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on the Department's website, at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/major-projects/, and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
408. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who travelled to school outside the Donabate area and the schools attended for the 2024-2025 academic school year, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37325/25]
View answerWe expect to publish final enrolment data for academic year 2024-2025 shortly and we will revert to the Deputy with the requested data as soon as it is available.
409. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify when the review of the template documents for new schools joining the hot school meals scheme in advance of procurement will be complete; to confirm that these documents will be available to allow schools apply for this scheme in advance of the school year commencing in September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37328/25]
View answerThe school meals programme was set up in 2003 and the hot school meals element was introduced in 2019. The Department of Social Protection (DSP) has policy responsibility, funds the scheme and has responsibility for administering it.
DSP established an Interdepartmental Working Group in December 2024. The Department of Education and Youth (DEY) is a key member of this group and has stepped in this year to assist schools meet their procurement obligations.
DEY is developing a comprehensive suite of tender documents (Call for Tender). This will ensure that all aspects of the implementation of school meals will be considered, including procurement requirements, food safety standards, building regulations and climate considerations.
The tender documents have been compiled following engagement with various state bodies including; the Department of Health, Food Safety Authority of Ireland, Health Service Executive, Health & Safety Authority, Department of Environment, Climate & Communications, DSP and School Management Bodies (primarily Catholic Primary Schools Management Association).
DEY and Schools Procurement Unit (SPU) will support schools in the publishing of their tenders. The SPU website currently advises schools to prepare for their procurement now. Schools can do this by identifying their preferred delivery mechanism by referring to the Department of Education and Youth Guidance SDG02 for Existing Primary Schools in Relation to Facilities for Provision of School Meals, which refers to building regulations and food legislation. Once schools have identified their preferred delivery mechanism they should contact their insurance provider to ensure there are no insurance implications. Schools can also establish what procurement process they will need to undertake for their school, based on factors such as numbers of students in their school.
I can confirm that the tender documentation for schools will be available in advance of the new academic year. This will enable schools to complete their procurement processes.
410. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the acquisition of land and the plans to move a school (details supplied); if she will provide a map of the land in question; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37366/25]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will deliver a new 8 classroom primary school with accommodation and 2 classrooms for children with special educational needs at Swords, Co Dublin.
The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Integrated Project Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning, to Tender and Construction.
This ADAPT 4 Programme – Programme Innovate will be led by Integrated Project Teams (IPT’s), consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.
AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of the IPT’s. The procurement process for the IPT for the tranche of projects, including this project is currently being concluded.
The acquisition of a 1.5-acre greenfield site at Fosterstown, Swords, Co. Dublin, intended to serve as the permanent location for River Valley Community National School (Roll Number 20528H), was completed on 3 April 2024, please find map set out at the link below.
It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.
My Department will keep the school and patron body informed of the progression of this project.
411. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the application for a new building for a school (details supplied; for an update on when a new school building will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37367/25]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, responsibility for delivering a major project for the school in question has been devolved to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education & Training Board (DDLETB). The Department of Education originally approved the construction of a standalone extension of just over 4,000m2 in area to include a 2-classroom Special Education needs base. Some works to the existing building were also included in this approval.
A number of significant issues have unfortunately arisen, including delays in obtaining statutory consents from the local authority and delays to the finalisation of the detailed design process for the project as it was originally approved. The project was brought to Stage 2b of the architectural process. However, at that point it was agreed between DDLETB and the department to proceed with an alternative proposal for the progression of the project as set out by DDLETB. This alternative involves the demolition and replacement of the existing building but also allows the provision of accommodation for another school on the site.
Based on a report provided by DDLETB, it was agreed following meetings between the department and DDLETB, that the project should be redesigned on that basis. My department undertook a Feasibility Study for a shared education campus and options in this study have been examined by my Department and the school patron, Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB). In this context, my department are currently progressing the technical analysis of how best to address the long-term requirements of the local school community on this site.
As the project is at an early stage in the delivery process, it is not possible to give a time frame for the delivery of the accommodation. However, the department has, and will continue to work closely with the school authority and DDLETB.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan (NDP), involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision has approved €210m supplementary capital funding for my department to support the provision of special education accommodation and meet school place needs. This brings the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6bn.
As part of the NDP Review process, all departments, including my department, are currently engaging with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with respect to NDP allocations for the period 2026-2030. It is expected that there will be clarity on these allocations over the course of the summer period, and this will allow my department to plan its capital investment programme for the 2026 to 2030 period in line with prioritised needs and reflecting, as appropriate, wider Government priorities. Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important. The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from Autumn onwards after the NDP allocations are finalised.
