Written Answers Nos. 401-420
401. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans to formally integrate SunSmart education, as developed by the HSE national cancer control programme, into the primary school curriculum; the timeline for reviewing and updating the curriculum to include structured, age-appropriate sun-safety education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69376/25]
View answer402. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has assessed the public health case for mandatory inclusion of the HSE SunSmart school toolkit within the post-primary SPHE curriculum; if so, the findings of that assessment; and if not, whether she will commit to such an assessment in light of rising melanoma incidence among young people. [69377/25]
View answer403. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans to issue a circular or directive to schools on the implementation of UV-safety and skin-cancer-prevention education; and if she will provide a date for when such guidance may be available. [69378/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 401, 402 and 403 together.
Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop the key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices in different aspects of their lives including the area of Health and Wellbeing. This is mainly done through the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) programme.
As part of the redevelopment of SPHE/RSE curricula, in line with the Programme for Government, an updated Primary Wellbeing specification, which encompasses SPHE and PE, is being introduced into schools in the current school year. The learning outcomes of the Health Education strand include that children should be able to ‘demonstrate an awareness of how to nurture their wellbeing by considering positive choices in areas such as food, hygiene, sleep, rest, and meaningful physical activity’ and ‘to demonstrate knowledge of the importance of seeking permission and following safety rules when dealing with substances and medicines'.
Following an extensive period of consultation, an updated specification for Junior Cycle was introduced in schools for all first years in September 2023. The ‘Making Healthy Choices’ strand of the specifications includes among its learning outcomes that students should be able to ‘consider the multifaceted nature of health and wellbeing, and evaluate what being healthy might look like for different adolescents, including how food, physical activity, sleep/rest and hygiene contribute to health and wellbeing’, and to ‘demonstrate skills and strategies to help make informed choices that support health and wellbeing and apply them in real-life situations’.
An updated Senior Cycle specification was approved and published in September 2024. Schools have until September 2027 to introduce the specification for students entering fifth year of the Leaving Certificate Established programme, to accommodate the necessary planning and preparatory work. The learning outcomes of the ‘Health and Wellbeing’ strand of the specification include that students should be able to ‘explore the determinants of good health’ and to ‘investigate ways a person can influence their holistic health, including physical activity, food, sleep, social connections, positive self-image and connecting with nature, and discuss how these are related’.
A suite of resources have been developed to support teaching the updated Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum. One of these resources, HSE's Making Healthy Choices Unit 2, specifically includes SunSmart activities and directly addresses the topic of how young people can protect against the risk of skin cancer.
Resources to support the new Senior Cycle SPHE curriculum are currently under development. Within one of these resources (Health and Wellbeing 6) there will be a lesson linked a learning outcome which indicates that students should be able to consider strategies for self-care that can help maintain health and prevent ill-health. This will provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of sun protection and the risks associated with sun-bed use.
Decisions on which programmes and initiatives, if any, schools participate in are taken at school level.
Other than the Stay Safe Programme in primary school and the use of its resources, it is the school’s decision whether particular SPHE resources are used.
404. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the circulars which have been sent by her Department to schools in relation to school uniform policies since November 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69426/25]
View answerSince the publication of Circular 32/2017, my department has made it clear that schools must take steps to ensure uniforms are affordable and accessible to all families. These measures aim to make a real difference, but we recognise that more can be done.
I have committed in Education Plan 2025 to commence work in 2025 to review Circular 32/2017. I am pleased to confirm that work has commenced on updating this circular and the revised circular will put a greater emphasis on reducing costs for parents.
A working group, which includes representatives from the National Parents Council and the education partners, is currently reviewing Circular 32/2017 to strengthen and update it. The working group will engage directly with parents, children and young people to ensure that the voices of those most affected are heard.
We are also commencing work to promote uniform swap shops across primary schools, helping families save money while contributing to our wider sustainability goals. This is in line with our commitment in the Programme for Government.
A central tenet of our education policy is that schools need to always engage openly with parents and students – to listen as well as to inform them. That is the principle at the heart of the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill, which is currently progressing through the Oireachtas.
When enacted, this legislation will require every school to consult with parents and students on key policies and activities, including school uniforms. It will set clear expectations for communication, transparency and respect between schools, parents, and students. It will ensure that families are genuine partners in decisions about their children’s education, including how schools manage costs.
From the start of the 2025/26 school year, all children and young people enrolled in primary, post-primary and special schools in the Free Education Scheme will receive schoolbooks and core classroom resources at no cost – a significant step that will benefit almost one million students.
Schools also have flexibility in their use of digital devices but are advised to consult with parents and the wider school community when developing these policies.
In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all primary schools meaning that approximately 3,200 schools and 550,000 children will be eligible for hot school meals.
These measures are all part of my department’s ongoing commitment to reduce financial pressure on families and ensure every student is supported to achieve their full potential.
405. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in the Shannon area who need a place in an autism class in secondary school for September 2026; the number of school places available to them in the Shannon area; her plans to increase the number of places to provide for all children requiring them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69434/25]
View answer406. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in each county who need a place in an autism class in secondary school for September 2026; the number of school places available to them in each county; her plans to increase the number of places to provide for all children requiring them, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69435/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
407 new special classes were sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 7 are in County Clare, 3 at primary and 4 at post-primary level. This brings to 83 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 2 special schools in County Clare with approximately 250 students enrolled.
The NCSE advise that a small number of specialist vacancies still exist within County Clare for this school year. Any family seeking a placement is urged to contact the NCSE via the contact details available on the NCSE's website: https://ncse.ie/seno-contact-information Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to provide the location of these vacancies and advice as to the supports available to students with special educational needs.
As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.
In October 2022, my department wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of students progressing from primary school. Last year my department issued a circular to all schools setting out new measures to support the forward planning of special education provision. Included in this circular was a reminder of the need for post-primary schools to continue planning for this level of provision.
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 through the Parent Notify process that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child. This year to facilitate earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year an earlier date of 1 October was set for parents to complete this process.
The NCSE is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process to plot demand for special class places for the 2026/27 school year. The NCSE will also consider vacant places in existing special classes and places that will become available through the regular transition of children from primary for post-primary schools. Once this analysis is completed the NCSE will be equipped to engage with schools to open new special classes in relevant areas. It is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes by 31 December 2025.
I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children made known to them after the October deadline. However, it is critical that the NCSE has as much local information as possible as early as possible to effectively plan new provision.
407. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of an additional accommodation project application by a school (details supplied); when they can proceed to the next phase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69462/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my department’s pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide four mainstream classrooms, eight SET rooms and a four classroom Special Education Needs (SEN) base. The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority.
The project is currently at Stage 2a (Developed Design). Following a review of the revised architectural plans submitted by the school authority, the Department requested clarification on several Mechanical and Electrical design queries before moving to the next stage.
The school authority provided its response in October 2025, and this is now being reviewed by the Department’s Professional & Technical team. Once this review is complete, the Department will contact the school directly.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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.
My department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in the year. This 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.
408. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Youth when emergency works can be carried out for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69475/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for external environment works.
As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope works only to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.
The school's original application was refused as the application did not fit the remit of the Emergency Works Scheme. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will only be considered if additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application is submitted to the EWS team.
409. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth to report on her Department’s Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Schools; and the way in which it will address historic abuse perpetrated by both lay and religious teachers. [69511/25]
View answerThe report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders was published on 3rd September 2024 and the Government approved the principal recommendation of the report, to establish a Commission of Investigation.
The report of the Scoping Inquiry made a number of further recommendations, including that the terms of reference of the Commission of Investigation be extended to all day and boarding schools. A high level Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) was convened to examine those recommendations and to prepare draft terms of reference for the Commission of Investigation.
The report of the IDG was published on 8 July 2025 and Government accepted its recommendations. The Minister for Education and Youth announced the establishment of the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools and that Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, a judge of the Court of Appeal, would be appointed as Chair of the Commission, effective from 1st October 2025.
Under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2024, the Commission is independent in the performance of its functions and it is a matter for the Commission to determine the approach it will take to investigating the handing of historic child sexual abuse in schools within its terms of reference. The Commission will have a five-year timeframe in which to complete its investigation and furnish a report to the Minister for Education and Youth.
The Commission is now in its establishment phase and is currently undertaking essential preparatory work. When it is ready to hear from those who may wish to provide it with information, this will be widely advertised.
The Deputy may wish to note that the Chair of the Commission has recently published the following update: www.gov.ie/en/commission-of-investigation-into-the-handling-of-historical-child-sexual-abuse-in-schools/publications/commission-of-investigation-into-the-handling-of-historical-child-sexual-abuse-in-schools/#an-update-from-the-chair-of-the-commission-mr-justice-michael-macgrath-4-december-2025.
410. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the options individuals affected by historic sexual abuse in schools have for seeking redress from the State or from the relevant school, religious order or patronage body. [69513/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a Commission of Investigation has been established by the Government to investigate the handling of historical child sexual abuse in all day and boarding schools. The Chair of the commission was appointed effective from 1st October 2025 and is currently undertaking initial technical and preparatory work on the systems and processes required to support the work of the Commission. The Commission is independent in the performance of its functions and, when it is ready to begin its engagement with survivors of child sexual abuse in schools, this will be widely advertised.
The high level Inter Departmental Group (IDG) that was established to advise government on the recommendations of the Scoping Inquiry, advised in its report that further work needs to be undertaken on any potential redress scheme that may be established in the future. This work will continue in parallel to the work of the Commission, which does not have a role in relation to redress.
It is open to any individual to pursue litigation through the courts and individuals affected by historical sexual abuse can seek independent legal advice in this regard.
411. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria by which schools will be selected for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme; the timeline for the finalisation of the scheme; the date on which it will be published; the additional resources that will be provided to schools under the scheme; whether a shortlist of schools has already been drawn up; and when schools will be formally notified of their inclusion. [69599/25]
View answerTackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as the 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 €16.5 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.
To inform the development of the DEIS Plus scheme, a design advisory group was established with school principals, Home School Community Liaison officers, and School Completion Programme coordinators - professionals who work directly with children experiencing high levels of disadvantage.
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.
The process to identify schools for inclusion in DEIS Plus 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 we intend to publish in early 2026. Future allocation of overall resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy and the availability of resources.
412. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of building work applications, extensions, and new school building projects currently underway in County Louth; the name of the schools concerned; and the stage each project is at within the Department’s assessment, design, and approval processes, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69601/25]
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 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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. 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.
My department has invested over €116m in capital expenditure since 2020 in Louth, of which €110m relates to school buildings. This investment has supported the completion of 25 school building projects. Currently 7 projects are in construction, of which 1 is a new school building. In addition, 7 further projects are at an advanced stage of delivery, of which 3 are New School Buildings.
The current status of all projects is set out under item number ten at the following link (www.gov.ie). This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
414. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a pre-school early intervention class held in a primary school (details supplied) is being re-classified as a primary autism class; the number of children that will be affected by the re-classification of this class; and the supports available to children who would have attended the early intervention class, had it not been re-classified. [69745/25]
View answer415. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes across the State that have been reclassified as a primary autism class on a county-by-county breakdown. [69746/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. Deputies are welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.
There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the Access and Inclusion Model (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. There are 159 early intervention classes nationwide, 3 of these were newly sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year
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. The vast majority of young children with additional needs are therefore 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. A professional recommendation for placement in such a class is also a requirement.
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 enrol a new cohort of children yearly.
Budget 2026 has secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places and the NCSE is currently examining where these places are best located for the 2026/27 school year.a
Where the 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.
417. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a funding request submitted by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69750/25]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application from the school in question under the Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
The purpose of my Department’s ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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.
My department will publish our sectoral NDP Implementation Plan shortly. This 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.
The application is currently being assessed and when finalised the school authority will be contacted directly with a decision.
418. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the issues with the pilot secondary school enrolment scheme in Tullamore that has seen some students offered multiple places while other students have been offered none; the reforms she plans to make to this scheme in light of these failings; the reason her Department did not follow the model in Limerick; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69760/25]
View answerThe Apply to School pilot was introduced to simplify and improve the admissions process for post-primary schools in five pilot areas. This new system provides families, for the first time, with a single online application and introduces synchronised, streamlined timelines for schools to manage admissions, issue offers, and update a central database to record accepted places.
I wish to advise the Deputy that schools continue to operate in line with the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 and their own Admissions Policies. Under this process, some applicants may receive more than one offer, while others may not receive an offer until later in the process. The centralised system helps identify duplicate acceptances and supports families in achieving certainty on school places earlier.
As part of this process, a second round of offers issued on 4 December. This ensures that any places that become available after the first round are allocated fairly and that every child is considered.
The Deputy will appreciate that there can often be significant overlap across areas and schools, and the nature of the admissions processes is quite complex. As a result, there can be multiple iterations, where applicants may accept a place but subsequently be offered and accept a place at a second school, freeing up capacity at the first school accepted. In that context, it may take some time for my department to fully review the availability of post-primary school places while the admissions process continues to progress.
I want to reassure parents that there are sufficient first-year places in each pilot area for local children seeking a place. The Department will closely monitor the outcomes of the admissions process to ensure that all local children are accommodated and to identify any required solutions if necessary. The Apply to School pilot will provide early clarity and robust data to support this commitment.
As referred by the Deputy, common application systems are in place in a small number of specific areas, such as at post primary level in Limerick and Ennis, and for primary special classes in Dublin 15. There are a lot of benefits to the system, particularly in terms of identifying capacity pressures at an early point and avoiding duplication on waiting lists. My department is taking lessons from the implementation of these systems and feedback from the ongoing Apply to School pilot. This will inform development towards the Programme for Government commitment for a national system.
I can assure the Deputy department officials will continue to work in consultation with stakeholders to develop an evidence-informed, tested, equitable solution for a nationwide Common Application System and to deliver this in an incremental way that ensures the admissions process safeguards the best interest of children.
419. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an application under the emergency works scheme to facilitate disability accessibility works to a sports hall in a school (details supplied) will be reviewed. [69767/25]
View answerThe purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.
The school in question submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for life safety systems works. As this application pertains to facilitate disability accessibility works to a sports hall, the school would be required to meet the criteria set out in Appendix C of Circular Letter 0068/2020.
Once the relevant documentation has been received by the Department, the EWS team will review the revised application and will engage further with the school as appropriate.
The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.
420. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure there is better information about apprenticeships by guidance counsellors for senior cycle students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69803/25]
View answer421. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure that senior cycle students have the same accessibility to information on apprentices as senior cycle students pursuing CAO options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69804/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 420 and 421 together.
It is the objective of my Department, that all students will have the same accessibility to all information on all pathways. It is also the objective of my Department that Junior Cycle students will begin to receive age- and stage-appropriate information on pathways, and that this information will not be limited to senior cycle students. This objective is embedded in a wide range of work being undertaken within my Department including but not limited to the following:
National Strategic Framework for Lifelong Guidance
A National Policy Group for Lifelong Guidance was convened in 2022 and is chaired by my department. This National Policy Group published a strategic framework and action plan for lifelong guidance in Ireland in December 2023. A number of actions within these publications relate to the matter of career information, inclusion and parity of esteem for all pathways. For example, action 6.2 commits all NPG Departments, including my own, to “Promote the uptake of diverse pathways to education, training and the world of work.” With this framework and action at the fore of policy development in this area, the active promotion of apprenticeships and other pathways are a major theme in all activities undertaken by department.
Whole School Guidance
In order to meet the guidance-needs of students in our post-primary system, a model of whole-school guidance (WSG) has been formally developed and promoted through Teacher Professional Learning over the past decade. This model is advantageous for students (and their parents) as students’ educational and career development is supported by all staff members including but not limited to the guidance counsellor. In relation to accessibility of information on apprenticeships specifically, students can learn from all staff members. For example, a Transition Year (TY) Coordinator may discuss apprenticeship-options when a student is considering TY-work experience, a maths teacher may discuss apprenticeships when teaching trigonometry and a Year Head may organise a group-trip to a careers fair where apprenticeships are well represented. Each school has its own student-centred ‘Whole School Guidance Plan’ within which activities like this are described. As the guidance needs of each school community will vary, WSG programmes will vary from school to school. A WSG-plan will contain a WSG-programme which includes engagement with employers, experiential learning opportunities, and a focus on career-management skills which can further support informed choices and broaden students’ understanding of the diverse pathways open to them. This is a fundamental part of each WSG-plan.
Many WSG-plans are available to view via a school’s website.
Forthcoming Guidance Policy:
During 2025, my department has concluded a National Consultation on Post-Primary Guidance which will inform a number of policy actions in relation to Guidance. Draft guidelines for whole school guidance were published during this consultation. The draft guidelines contain a clear and detailed programme for guidance with learning objectives for all students, nationally to ensure consistency and standards within WSG-provision nationally. Early-intervention and access to information is highlighted within these guidelines and learning outcomes are identified for both junior- and senior cycle students. ‘Pathways’ is a clear theme within these guidelines and learning objectives focus on multiple pathways including apprenticeships. The final guidelines, which will incorporate points made by stakeholders within the national consultation, will be published in due course.
