Written Answers Nos. 121-140
121. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to accelerate the building project for a school (details supplied), as demand for school places in the locality continues to grow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70773/25]
View answerThe project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB).
The project brief provides for a 1,000 pupil post primary school plus a six classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) base .
The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process. This allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents. A Planning Permission application is currently with Laois County Council.
While at this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of this project, LOETB 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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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 current status of all projects is listed on a county-by-county basis at www.gov.ie. under item number 10 and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
122. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the action she has taken regarding the number of schools in County Donegal affected by defective concrete blocks, believed to be at least 12; the further action she plans to take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70830/25]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, in June 2025 My Department engaged with a number of schools affected by defective concrete blocks. As part of this engagement it was noted that the Department will take a programme approach to the issue at hand and this will inform the pathway for all affected schools.
My Department plans to conduct a site visit to the affected schools over the coming weeks and some of these visits have already taken place. My Department is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.
123. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth the purpose of the new primary school ethos survey announced in recent weeks. [70363/25]
View answerThe Primary School Survey, which was launched on 4 November, is due to close on Tuesday 16 December.
The survey – the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland – is school specific and aims to assess demand and preferences for different types of primary school provision including patronage/ethos, co-education or single-sex school provision and language of instruction (English or Irish).
Through the survey, my department is seeking clear information on the preferences of parents and guardians about the primary schools which their children currently attend, or will attend in coming years, on a number of important areas of primary school provision. The results of the survey will help my department plan how education is provided at primary level.
Parents, guardians, primary school staff and primary school Board of Management members have been invited to complete a survey.
I encourage all parents and guardian with children in primary school and all parents and guardians of children not yet in primary school to take this opportunity to complete a survey and “Have Your Say” about the primary school that your children attend now or will attend in the future. I also encourage all primary school staff and Board of Management members to complete a survey on your primary school.
The survey is not a final step. Where there is clear support for change to be considered, a further process of inclusive dialogue will begin.
The survey can be completed on [www.gov.ie/primaryschoolsurvey]
My department has robust arrangements in place to ensure the integrity and security of the primary school survey process. Arrangements for validating survey returns operate after survey returns are received as this facilitates ease of use for survey users.
Information regarding the survey can be accessed on [www.gov.ie/primaryschoolsurvey].
124. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will introduce extra time for students with dyslexia under the RACE scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70469/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates access to the examinations through its scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, otherwise known as the RACE scheme. The SEC has confirmed that, within the context of the comprehensive review that is underway, it is working on a scheme of additional time which will be piloted for the 2026 examinations. This information has been confirmed in the RACE Instructions for Schools 2026 issued in October. The details of the additional time scheme will be confirmed at a later date, and candidates and schools are encouraged to apply as normal for accommodations under the RACE scheme.
I have asked the SEC to respond directly to you with further detail about the RACE scheme and the ongoing review.
125. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that some schools are now facing up to a 60% crisis around getting a substitute teacher according to an organisation (details supplied), that is 336 schools saying they are finding this very difficult; the action her Department is taking to help alleviate this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61035/25]
View answerThis Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning. This remains a top priority.
As with other sectors, recruitment challenges exist in some schools. ?To address teacher supply issues including the recruitment of substitutes, the Government has implemented several measures that have led to:????
• An increase of 20% in Initial Teacher Education graduates (student teachers)?between 2018 and 2023.?
• The Teaching Council reported 94,928 teachers registered in the 2016/17 school year increasing to 122,743 teachers registered in 2023/24. Currently, the Teacher Council have reported that there are over 127,000 on the register representing a 34% increase in the number of teachers registered between 2017 and now. ????
• Recent data showed there were over 79,000 qualified teachers employed in Ireland with over 43,000 at primary level including special schools.?
There are a range of measures in place to address teacher supply including improving the availability of substitutes to schools.
Substitutable leave absences may be filled by schools in several ways.? A substitute teacher may be recruited locally by a school, and a claim for payment for the teacher may be submitted to my Department, via the Online Claims System. Alternatively, the absence may be covered by schools under a number of schemes, which are managed locally by schools.?
The Supervision and Substitution Scheme allows for the supervision of students during breaks and before and after school and allows for substitution to cover certain categories of teacher absences. With effect from the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, participation in the Supervision and Substitution scheme is compulsory for teachers, save for those who had availed of the opt-out arrangements before this date.?All schools therefore provide cover for a significant number of substitutable absences, arising over the school year, through the Supervision and Substitution scheme.?
For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2025/26 school year, 587 substitute teacher supply posts have been allocated to 168 panels, covering 2,905 schools This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave. Absences covered by the teacher supply panels are recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leave to my Department.?
My Department has also continued the suspension of the usual limits on career break and job-sharing schemes to the current school year 2025/26 to increase the pool of teachers available to undertake substitute work in primary and post-primary schools.
Communications campaigns have also been run to encourage retired teachers to return to teaching and student teachers registered under Route 5 with the Teaching Council provide valuable substitution cover.
The Department is committed to addressing teacher supply introducing new measures to help teachers gain permanent roles more quickly and approving regulations recently to allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State. Promotion of the teaching profession as a career continues and workforce planning for teachers is underway.
The teaching profession is highly attractive, with strong demand for teacher education programmes with over 1,800 newly qualified primary teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025 with over 127,000 on the register. Salaries are competitive, currently starting at €44,879 for primary teachers arising to €85,000 under the current pay deal.??? Few teachers resign: less than 3% of the teaching workforce resign or retire annually from contracted teaching posts.
Around 6% of first-choice CAO applications from 2017–2024 were for teaching, showing steady demand. In 2025, first preferences rose by 9% for primary teaching. 85% of newly appointed primary teachers in 2024/25 are on full-time, mostly fixed-term contracts and 93% of teachers with 5+ years’ experience hold permanent full-time or pro-rata contracts.
My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders including teacher unions on teacher supply issues through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions. I am considering further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce and ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.?
126. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the location, pupil numbers and maximum capacity by class for ASD units in each primary and post-primary school in County Clare, for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69532/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.
407 new special classes were sanctioned 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 247 students enrolled.
A list of schools with special classes, broken by location and class designation is published annually by the NCSE on their [website].
The NCSE is currently collating the data and information received by 1 October through the Parents Notify process and are engaging with schools regarding where specialist provision is best placed for the 2026/27 school year. It is expected that many of these special classes will be sanctioned 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.
127. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish a list of schools that have been sanctioned to open special education classes for the 2025-2026 academic year but have not yet enrolled students; and the enforcement measures being taken to ensure these classes open without further delay. [70379/25]
View answerEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.
A full list of special classes in mainstream schools 2025/26 is published on the NCSE website. [www.ncse.ie] Parents have the right to choose the school they wish their child to enrol. Enrolments to schools are a matter for each board of management and parents apply directly to schools, therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held at a local level.
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. The NCSE is currently collating the data and information received by 1 October through the Parents Notify process and are engaging with schools regarding where specialist provision is best placed for the 2026/27 school year. It is expected that many of these special classes will be sanctioned 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.
128. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of panels which are in County Laois for substitute teachers; the number of teachers on each panel; the number of schools serviced by each panel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61036/25]
View answerIn Co. Laois, there are currently four schools that are considered base schools for the Supply Panel system. These four schools have a total of eleven supply panel teaching positions covering short term substitution needs across 79 schools in Co. Laois.
In addition to the above, there would also be receiving schools in Co. Laois near county borders, whose base schools lie in other counties.
In forming the Supply Panel clusters, my Department's GIS system identified the receiving schools based on distance from the base school. Teaching posts were allocated to each Supply Panel cluster based on the number of permanent teaching positions in the schools in the cluster and the distance to the base school.
The information requested by the Deputy is attached.
129. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the special school in Carraig na bfhear. [69854/25]
View answerThe 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.
Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.
407 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 54 are in County Cork, 37 at primary and 17 at post-primary level. This brings to 617 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county.
As you are aware five new special schools were established for the 2025/26 school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country, 16 of which are located in County Cork with approximately 1,061 students enrolled.
One of five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year, the school referred to by the Deputy serves the North City area of Cork City. The school has opened in interim spare accommodation in the Department owned school building, Gaelscoil de hÍde, Fermoy. The permanent location for the school will be in Carrignavar using the vacant former primary school building. This building is being repurposed to make it suitable for children with special education needs.
The NCSE as the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children with special educational needs remains available to offer advice and support to families as required. Parents and schools can contact the NCSE directly using the details available on the NCSE's [website].
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.
Question No. 130 answered with Question No. 112.
131. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a new secondary school to be built in Cork north west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70798/25]
View answer192. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding each primary school to be built in Cork north west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70799/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 192 together.
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, over 200 SEN Repurposing projects have been delivered maximising the use of existing accommodation while creating opportunities for inclusion and integration.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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 €746m in capital expenditure since 2020 in Cork of which €84m was in Cork North West. Of this €84m, €23m was invested in Post Primary Schools and €61m in Primary Schools. This investment in Cork North West has supported the completion of 7 Post Primary and 30 Primary school building projects, including 1 new Primary school building.
Currently there are 4 Primary school projects in construction, detailed in the table below.
|
Roll Number |
School Name |
Town |
Project Type |
|
13031I |
St. Joseph's Convent NS |
Charleville |
Extension |
|
04953H |
Ballyhass NS |
Ballyhass |
Extension |
|
17362F |
SN Breandan Naofa |
Mallow |
Extension |
|
17251T |
Oven's NS |
Ovens |
Modular Project |
The table below provides details of post primary school large scale projects.
|
Roll Number |
School Name |
Town |
Project Type |
Project Stage |
|
62310O |
De La Salle (Boys) SS |
Macroom |
New School Building |
Stage 2a |
|
70920O |
Colaiste Ghobnatan |
Machromtha |
Extension |
Stage 2b |
|
70960D |
Coachford CC |
Coachford |
New School Building |
Stage 2b |
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
132. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the proposed three-school campus project in Celbridge (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70800/25]
View answerThe Celbridge Campus Project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a bundled school building programme.
It is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural design process. Stage 2a (the developed design stage) involves the Design Team developing the designs, fully cost planning the campus project and preparing the necessary documentation to facilitate the lodging for statutory approval to Kildare County Council as part of the Stage 2b process.
The length of time a project takes to deliver depends on several factors, including scale and complexity and is subject to the time it takes to progress through the various design stages and the statutory approval process.
My department is committed to ensuring appropriate school accommodation is available for all children in the Celbridge area and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that this project - as for all projects on our school building programme - is subject to the due diligence required under the public Infrastructure Guidelines.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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 current status of all projects is listed on a county-by-county basis at [www.gov.ie]. under item number 10 and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
133. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary and secondary schools in Cork that are currently progressing through the application process for a new school building. [69855/25]
View answerThere are 36 large scale and 111 additional school accommodation projects for schools in County Cork currently at various stages of architectural design and delivery. Details of all these projects and their current status by county may be viewed on my Department's website at [www.gov.ie] and this information is updated regularly.
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 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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
134. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she supports school secretaries and caretakers being treated equally with teachers in terms of access to a public sector pension and leave entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70817/25]
View answerSchool secretaries and caretakers are at the heart of the school and are the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole.
My Department has been engaging with Fórsa over the past number of weeks under the auspices of the WRC, and with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Form and Digitalisation, in relation to a number of claims including a claim for a comparable pension entitlement.
The matter has now been referred to the Labour Court, and a hearing will take place on 12th January 2026. The parties remain in process, and my department remains committed and ready to engage with Fórsa to reach a resolution on this important matter.
As with any industrial relations process, where engagement is sensitive and complex, the matters under discussion are confidential until this process concludes.
135. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to reduce waiting times for school building projects in areas such as County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69831/25]
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.
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.
Delays can occur in large capital programmes for many reasons, including factors beyond my department’s control, such as the time taken to secure a site or securing relevant statutory permissions including planning consent. The Department also has to manage the rollout of projects within the parameters of its NDP funding.
Potential delays are managed as effectively as possible, prioritising the most urgent projects where capacity is already fully utilised, and deploying modular accommodation where additional space is needed in the short term.
My department has invested over €234m in capital expenditure since 2020 in Galway. This investment has supported the completion of 82 school building projects. Currently 22 projects are in construction, of which 1 is a new school building. In addition, 27 further projects are at an advanced stage of delivery, of which 7 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.?
136. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education and Youth the solutions possible to serious congestion and traffic management issues that have arisen at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70260/25]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council.
The brief for this major school building project is to provide an 8-classroom school with an additional 4 classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) base included. The project has been devolved for delivery to Louth County Council.
The project is currently at stage 4 (construction) of the delivery process. The length of time a project takes to deliver depends on several factors, including scale and complexity and is subject to the time it takes to progress through the various design stages, and the statutory approval process.
The Department has been actively engaged with the Design Team and Louth County Council throughout the process and will continue to engage to provide practical advice and assistance on this important project.
The school had previously submitted a request for additional car park spaces which was reviewed by the Department but was not approved. The Design Team are required to construct and progress the project in accordance with the project brief as agreed in the Service Level Agreement and in accordance with any Local Authority planning conditions. The number of car parking spaces currently provided is in line with the approved planning requirements.
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.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
137. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she will take to address the shortage of SEN places in primary schools in Shankill, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68321/25]
View answerThe 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.
Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.
407 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 103 are in County Dublin, 81 at primary and 22 at post-primary level.
This brings to 705 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 40 special schools in County Dublin with approximately 2,643 students enrolled. Two of five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year have also opened in Lucan and Belmayne .
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.
This notification process will provide the NCSE with critical information on children who continue to need a special class as they progress to post-primary level as well as details on students who require a place for the first time.
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 envisioned that many of these special classes will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025.
This new timeline was publicised widely and communicated with schools and special education advocacy groups and parent representative bodies. The NCSE also undertook a lot of work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process and consequently report a significant level of engagement and contact from families before 1 October.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for students with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation as to where new specialist provision is required.
138. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the provision of increased accommodation for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70410/25]
View answerThe school under reference in Fermoy was established in 2018 under the patronage divestment process.
Fermoy was one of a number of areas surveyed in 2012/13 under the patronage divesting process, where there was sufficient parental demand supporting changes in school patronage. The areas surveyed were areas where demographics were not growing and therefore it was unlikely that a new multi-denominational school would be established for demographic reasons.
The clear policy on patronage divesting was to use existing educational infrastructure to facilitate provision of diversity in areas where there was no demographic imperative to establish new schools.
The reason for this approach was the imperative – equally valid now as it was then - to focus the schools capital programme on the provision of additional mainstream and special education school places at both primary and post-primary levels to ensure that every pupil can access a school place.
As part of the process of identifying a suitable accommodation solution which would facilitate the establishment of the school in 2018, my department liaised with Cork Education and Training Board. In order to facilitate the establishment of the new school, Cork ETB agreed to the co-location of the Educate Together school at the former Technical School in Fermoy, together with some of the ETB’s Further Education and Training services.
Prior to the establishment of the new school in 2018 under the patronage divesting process, my Department and Educate Together, as school patron, agreed that given the accommodation available at the property and the need for Cork ETB to accommodate some Further Education and Training services from the property, the school would be established as a four-classroom school and that the school would maintain this configuration in the accommodation in the former Technical School unless an existing school building was freed up for use in the area.
My department is currently liaising with Cork ETB in relation to the accommodation available within the building.
139. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding major capital works for refurbishment for a school (details supplied), as the school was initially built in 1911 and needs major renovations works to support the needs of the pupils in the area, particularly as the town of Mallow is growing substantially; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70783/25]
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.
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. The application from the school referred to by the deputy will be considered in this context.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published next week and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP Implementation 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.
140. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on a new school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70630/25]
View answerThe large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is the provision of a new 600 pupil school building including all associated ancillary accommodation.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the project was authorised to proceed to tender on 12 November. Tender submissions are expected in January 2026, to allow for the Christmas holiday period, but may be subject to an extension if requested.
