Written Answers Nos. 451-470
451. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Education and Youth if multidisciplinary teams including counsellors, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists will form part of the DEIS Plus supports available within schools. [63087/25]
View answerCurrently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to introduce the DEIS Plus scheme and support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy.
The DEIS Plus scheme will provide additional supports to schools with the highest level of need, in line with Government’s commitment. It will provide targeted support to a small group of schools with the highest concentration of students experiencing intergenerational disadvantage. In order to form a student-centred design approach, the DEIS Plus scheme is currently being developed in collaboration with principals, Home School Community Liaison coordinators, School Completion Programme workers, and children and young people from schools experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage.
Details of the DEIS Plus scheme, including the allocation of funding, will be determined as part of the new DEIS Strategy, which will be announced before the end of the year.
455. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify whether a school (details supplied) will be assessed under the forthcoming DEIS Plus process; the emergency interim measures, financial or otherwise, that will be made available by her Department to support the school in the meantime; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63091/25]
View answerThe DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all schools, such as free schoolbooks and free hot school meals. Schools also have access other universal supports such as well-being supports for students through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), additional teaching hours under the English as an Additional Language (EAL) scheme and advisory support from the Department’s Inspectorate.
Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence in 2026.
The new DEIS Strategy will include a focus on developing more innovative approaches to addressing educational disadvantage in all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that schools can receive the right support at the right time. This will involve a more dynamic resource allocation model where levels of resources more accurately follow the levels of need identified by objective data.
The details of the DEIS Strategy are being finalised and will be published before the end of the year. Any future allocation of overall resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy and the availability of resources.
456. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a comprehensive update on the implementation of action 9 of opportunities for youth; the progress being made on the development of a comprehensive mapping tool; the timeline for the completion of same; the way in which GIS is being utilised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63102/25]
View answer457. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a comprehensive update on the implementation of action 9 of opportunities for youth in respect of the creation of an internal dashboard to support decision-making; the way in which this will work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63103/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 456 together.
Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector, published in September 2024. The strategy aims to build awareness of youth services, strengthen youth services, and ensure that youth services remain accessible and of value to young people across Ireland.?
Under Action 9, significant progress has been made on the development of a comprehensive mapping tool. This includes the creation of an internal dashboard. It is intended to create a dynamic map designed to serve as a central resource for young people and their guardians and educators to improve awareness of and access to youth clubs services across the country.
While the development of the internal dashboard is well advanced, finalisation and integration into the Department of Education and Youth since the transfer of functions will be key to its formal completion.
458. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 78 of 4 November 2025, the timeline for the completion of a stage 2a addendum report (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63107/25]
View answerThe outstanding information for the Addendum Stage 2a Report for the joint major building project for the schools referred to by the deputy was received in my Department on 31st October 2025.
Department officials will carry out a full review of the Addendum Report however, it is not possible, at present, to provide a timeframe for the completion of that review.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans in November. My department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
459. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the planned ASD classrooms at a school (details supplied); the reason construction works have not yet commenced despite assurances that they would begin in September 2025; the expected timeline for completion and opening of the new ASD class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63166/25]
View answerThe school to which the deputy refers to was granted capital funding for the provision of two Special Educational Needs Classrooms under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
The programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.
Rogerson Reddan (RR) has been appointed from the Department’s Framework, to design and tender the project at the school in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department. Works have commenced on site and is earmarked for completion in early Q2 2026.
The Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working closely with the Project Managers and School Authority to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines.
461. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school (details supplied) will get a special needs assistant care review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63194/25]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.
462. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the progress of the extension and refurbishment plans for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63195/25]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved to the Catholic Education an Irish Schools Trust (CEIST).
The project brief provides for a 600 pupil post primary school plus 3 Special Education Needs (SEN) classrooms.
In Quarter 1 2025, a Stage 1 meeting took place, and further information was requested to be submitted by the Design Team. This has been received and is currently undergoing review by the Department.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of this project, CEIST will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress on this important project.
In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
All Government Departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans in November. My Department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
463. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the Education Plan 2025; to outline progress made on the commitment to provide best practice guidance to schools regarding arrangements facilitating parental requests for children to attend school without attending religious instruction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63198/25]
View answerI have published Education Plan 2025 as part of my plan to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential.
This plan reflects my commitment and the Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that the education system is inclusive and responsive to the evolving and diverse needs of families across the country. There are over 100 actions in this plan. Key priority areas include:
Investing in special education• : Open 400 new special classes; ensure all patron bodies review their admissions policies for children with special educational needs; bring forward all timelines for the 2026/2027 school year; publish the review of the EPSEN Act; introduce a mandatory placement for student teachers in a special school or special class and provide high quality professional learning opportunities for existing teachers; complete the SNA workforce development plan.
Reducing costs:• Develop a new circular for schools with an emphasis on reducing costs for parents (e.g. school uniforms); roll-out free schoolbooks to all recognised primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme; support the roll-out of free school meals and pilot a new ‘Holiday Hunger’ project.
Improving wellbeing in schools:• Take steps to tackle the use of smart phones in schools; provide €9 million in funding to schools to support new measures to tackle mobile phone use; roll out the new Neart post-primary programme, involving a partnership between NEPS and Jigsaw, providing a comprehensive suite of mental health and wellbeing resources, training and programmes for post-primary schools over the next two years; continue the roll-out and the evaluation of the Counselling and Mental Health in Wellbeing Pilot in primary schools.
Supporting schools:• Undertake an initial review of the costs of insurance in schools and circumstances around them; progress the Programme for Government commitment on capitation; roll-out the minor works grant and the ICT grant; launch the new Climate Action Summer Works Programme; progress the Programme for Government action to increase capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day today running costs and reduce the financial burden on families, as part of the estimates process.
Teacher workforce planning:• Take additional actions to improve teacher supply, including developing a workforce plan; ensure that teachers have earlier access to permanent contracts; implement the STEM bursary grant and the PME refund scheme; increase diversity in the teaching profession; allow newly qualified teachers trained outside Ireland to apply for registration and complete their induction in Ireland.
Curriculum reform:• Further progress Senior Cycle Redevelopment; publish and launch new primary school curriculum specifications.
A new Common Application System:• As a first step towards a nationwide common application system, introduce a single application system for school admissions to be in place in a number of pilot schools in 2026, ending the need for parents to make multiple applications to schools.
Tackling educational disadvantage:• Publish a new DEIS Plan in 2025; develop a new DEIS+ Programme to target the highest levels of educational disadvantage; develop initiatives to tackle disadvantage in non-DEIS schools.
Reducing absenteeism:• Introduce measures to reduce school absenteeism, including amending legislation to bring children under six years of age attending primary school within its scope to ensure earlier intervention.
• Supporting parents and students: Progress legislation to provide for a new parent and student complaints procedure; consult with children and young people on guidance for schools to support the establishment of student councils in post-primary and primary schools.
Nationwide survey of parents:• Launch a national survey of all primary school parents and pre-school parents to determine preferences for school type, including questions on teaching through Irish and multi-denominational patronage, to inform school planning in the coming years.
Youth services co-ordination• : Establish a representative group of relevant departments and state agencies that provide support or funding to youth services, to achieve greater cooperation, coherence and, where appropriate, integration of services.
Supporting school leaders and teachers:• Take actions to improve quality of teacher professional learning and school leadership supports for teachers and schools, including integrated teacher feedback; identify further actions to empower school leadership with training, mentoring and resources.
Hosting a Convention on Education:• Bring together all stakeholders in education for a Convention.
Focussing on Irish:• Publish a new policy on Irish-medium education outside of the Gaeltacht and an action plan for Irish in English-medium schools.
Improving school transport:• Conduct an evaluation of pilot projects in 2024/25 school year to inform further roll-out of a revised scheme; commencing the introduction of eTicketing, to improve customer service data on scheme usage and to assist in planning for an expanded scheme.
School buildings:• Deliver on the National Development Plan to provide school places and upgrade existing infrastructure with a particular focus on ensuring provision for students with special educational needs and adding school place capacity; develop further actions which can be taken to drive increased use of school facilities by communities outside of school hours.
The Plan commits to the publication of half year progress reports and will be annually updated.
464. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to ensure that every child with a disability can access a genuinely inclusive education in their local school with the necessary supports, staffing, and resources in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63213/25]
View answer465. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department plans to address the decline in the number of early-intervention and special classes for children with additional needs in Cork; her Department’s plans and timelines for expanding provision in the county to address the identified shortfall and ensure equitable access for all children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63214/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 464 and 465 together.
The Department of Children, Disability and Equality has responsibility for provision of services to children of pre-school age. The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) provided by that department, enables the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities/additional needs in the Early Childhood Care & Education Scheme (ECCE) programme.
Its goal is to create a more inclusive environment in pre-schools, so all children availing of preschool, regardless of ability, can benefit from quality early learning and care.
This is keeping with the general policy position of supporting children with additional needs to access supports and services with their peers and siblings in their local community.
There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme over recent years.
It is important to note that a diagnosis is not required in order to access AIM supports and that while some children require additional supports at preschool level, many will transition into mainstream classes thereafter.
To further supplement the provision of services for these children my department also provides a number of early intervention classes in mainstream and special school settings for children aged 3-5 years old with a diagnosis of autism. There are also a small number dedicated to children who are deaf/hard of hearing.
These classes are intended to provide early support to children with the most complex of needs before they start school and can aid their transition to junior infants. A professional recommendation for placement in such a class is also a requirement. Early Intervention classes are generally resourced with one special education teacher and two special need assistants (SNAs) to every six students.
The vast majority of young children with additional needs are supported to attend their local Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) setting and do not need to attend a primary school or special school to access early years support.
Where the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.
Many of the early intervention classes sanctioned to date have been reclassified as the children enrolled reach primary level age. This allows the children to remain in the class at the school they attended for early intervention, however, this it is not always the case, and some classes continue to enrol a new cohort of children yearly.
3,000 new specialist places will be created in our education system for the 2026/27 school year. The NCSE is currently examining the level of need by special class and special school type and where these places are best located.
However, it is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible. This is accomplished by providing additional special education teachers and special needs assistant resources to mainstream classes, providing schools with enhanced capitation grants, assistive technology grants, the school transport scheme, dedicated training and guidance and resource documents designed to support children with special educational needs.
466. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently grant an NCSE application to open a fifth special class at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63232/25]
View answer469. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application by a school (details supplied) to open a fifth special education class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63262/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 469 together.
Budget 2026 has provided funding for 3,000 new special educational places within our education system and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is currently examining where this provision is best placed for the 2026/27 school year.
In order to ensure new special classes can open as quickly as possible the NCSE prioritise working with medium and larger primary schools who do not already have a special class and have available accommodation to accommodate new special class. This approach maximises the use of existing space which can be reconfigured efficiently while also ensuring that new provision continues to be established. It also increases the number of schools with special classes providing parents with greater choice and reducing the distances that some children are travelling to access a special class place.
However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, my department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places.
In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning 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 was set for parents to do so.
This notification process will provide the NCSE with valuable information 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 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.
The NCSE will have a clear picture of the local demand for special class places for the 2026/27 school year after they review and assess all of the information which has been provided through the parents' notification process which closed on 1 October.
Once the NCSE has fully collated and assessed this information, the NCSE will be in a position to engage with schools across the country to open new special classes. The NCSE will also have due regard to any vacant places in existing special classes in an area and any places that will become available through the normal movement of children leaving primary or post-primary school.
I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children made known to them after the October deadline also, however, it is important for planning purposes that we set an earlier timeframe for which the NCSE has as much local knowledge and detail as possible in order to plan what new provision is required.
467. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a review of special education hours for a school will be considered (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63234/25]
View answer499. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the special education teaching allocation for a school (details supplied); if she will ensure that the school receives an allocation that accurately reflects the current needs of its pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63696/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 467 and 499 together.
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.
For the 2025/26 school year close to 15,000 special education teachers have been allocated to schools to support these children and young people.
The primary responsibility for the education of all students, including those with special education learning needs, is the class teacher.
The allocation of hours to each school is based on a unique profile of learning need in each individual school. 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.
The department is aware that unique circumstances may arise in schools that may be difficult to reflect in a standardised method. Any school who has any concerns that their allocation is insufficient to meet the identified learning needs of all children and young people enrolled based on the Continuum of Support framework can engage with the NCSE to request a review of their allocation.
I can confirm that the NCSE have advised that in relation to the school referred to by the deputy that the school submitted a SET review request. The NCSE further advised that the outcome of the review was no change to their allocation for 2025/26 school year and the NCSE communicated this outcome to the school.
The NCSE are available to support the school with the deployment of their SET allocation and the school may request this support via the NCSE school portal.
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.
468. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update in relation to the pilot school transport scheme; if she will provide details of the schools identified as pilot projects for the 2025-2026 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63241/25]
View answerAs part of the recommendations of the School Transport Review, 14 School Transport pilots began in the 2024/2025 school year. I'm pleased to say that these pilots are continuing in the current school year.
It was outlined at the time of the review’s publication that as the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria will likely increase demand for the scheme, it would be prudent to implement the proposed changes on a phased basis to ensure its rollout is as smooth as possible.
In line with the review’s recommendations, the School Transport Section of my Department engaged with Bus Éireann to identify where more pilots could be successfully delivered for the current school year.
Eleven further pilots have been selected for the current school year. The Department has given approval to Bus Éireann to review where additional capacity may be available for concessionary pupils who paid on time and would become eligible if the revised school transport scheme criteria was rolled out fully.
As part of these pilots, the distance criteria for pupils is reduced to 2km for primary and post primary and the need for a pupil to be attending their nearest school is removed.
Some of these pilots are operational and the remainder are going through procurement.
In the coming months, e-Ticketing will be introduced on all dedicated school transport pilot routes, with families being advised on how pupils should use their the new school transport cards. E-ticketing will enhance students’ experiences on school transport and allow for greater visibility on seat usage. With better data, this will inform future route planning and maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. These pilots will provide valuable insights on the impact increased demand will have on the scheme.
Provision of additional services as pilot projects will be subject to the availability of vehicles and drivers in each area. Implementation of the review recommendations will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.
470. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which schools qualify for the DEIS+ programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63299/25]
View answer471. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth when schools will be notified for the DEIS+ programme application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63300/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 470 and 471 together.
Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence in 2026.
The DEIS Plus scheme will provide additional support to schools with the highest levels of need, in line with the Government’s commitment. It will target a cohort of schools with high concentrations of children and young people experiencing intergenerational disadvantage where there is a significant gap in outcomes and there are barriers to those children and young people achieving their potential.
Schools will not be required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme. The process will be evidence-informed, using available data. The details of the DEIS Plus scheme are currently being finalised within an overall programme of work to tackle educational disadvantage and will be outlined in the new DEIS Strategy, which will be published before the end of the year.
