Written Answers Nos. 161-180
161. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the primary school survey will allow for an assessment of the need for a Gaelcholáiste in Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70625/25]
View answerThe Primary School Survey was launched by my department on 4 November and will close on Tuesday 16 December. 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, including language of instruction (Irish or English). The results of the survey will help my department plan how education is provided at primary level.
My department is inviting parents, guardians, primary school staff and primary school Board of Management members to complete a survey.
The survey – the largest of its kind ever undertaken in Ireland – is school specific and aims to assess parental 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.
As 92% of primary schools provide education primarily through English my department is seeking clear information from parents and guardians of children who currently attend these primary schools or who will attend these schools in coming years, on whether they would prefer their school to provide education through Irish.
The survey preferences on providing education primarily through the English language or through the Irish language will inform potential future local consultation around opportunities to increase the provision of education through Irish.
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.
162. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if all students with dyslexia and dyscalculia will be afforded extra time in State exams in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70745/25]
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.
163. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth given the rise in demand in mental-health needs, social isolation and cost-of-living pressures, if her Department plans to expand youth services, in terms of staff, geographical coverage, types of services such as mental-health support or community-based mentoring over the next year; the proposed additional allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70784/25]
View answerI am pleased to announce that, arising from Budget 2026, an additional €8 million in current and capital funding has been allocated to support the sustainability and development of youth services. This investment strengthens the foundation for inclusive, high-quality provision — ensuring continuity, expanding reach, and enabling services to respond to the evolving needs of Ireland’s diverse youth population.
The department remains committed to supporting youth work at both national and local levels, and recognises the importance of inclusive, community-based engagement in supporting the mental-health and wellbeing needs of young people across the country. The increased funding will enable both universal and targeted youth services to continue delivering tailored supports and safe, welcoming spaces for young people across the country.
While the policy responsibility for youth mental health rests with the Minister for Health, the youth sector plays a significant role in fostering wellbeing and resilience. In this context, the department’s largest targeted youth funding scheme, UBU Your Place Your Space - which received an allocation of over €51 million in 2025 - supports young people in a preventative and developmental way. UBU provides safe spaces, builds trusted relationships, and funds services that help disadvantaged and marginalised young people address challenges such as social isolation, while strengthening their overall wellbeing.
In Budget 2025, an additional €1.2 million was allocated for the establishment of ten new UBU services which will provide targeted youth worker-led support for up to 1,000 young people where they are most needed. Each ETB was invited to make a submission for one new UBU service in their area and following a competitive assessment process, the ten locations that secured funding for a new UBU service were as follows:
• Castlepollard, Co. Westmeath
• Laois Rural – UBU Laois Connect (including Mountmellick/Dangans/ Mountrath and Rathdowney), Co. Laois
• East Donegal/South Central Donegal (including Lifford, Stranorlar, Raphoe, Ballindrait, Castlefinn, Killygordon), Co. Donegal
• Carrick on Súir, Co Tipperary
• Johnstown and Urlingford (North Kilkenny), Co. Kilkenny
• Monaghan Town, Co Monaghan
• Deeside Region, Co. Louth/Co. Meath
• Castlebar and Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo
• Greater Kenmare, Co. Kerry
• Newbridge, Co. Kildare
Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector and was published in September 2024. The purpose of the strategy is to provide a platform for an effective, data-driven, and joined-up approach to the delivery of youth work and related services. In relation to supports being prioritised for mental health, Action 4 of the strategy commits to ensuring that schemes and services include a focus on a number of key policy themes for the next two years, one of which is promoting mental and social well-being among young people.
As part of Opportunities for Youth, Action 9 commits to mapping the availability and distribution of youth work and wider youth services across Ireland, charted against key demographic data. The department is undertaking a comprehensive exercise to capture the provision of youth spaces nationwide, encompassing both youth worker-led and volunteer-led services. Significant progress has already been made through the development of a mapping tool, with the first phase producing an internal dashboard that provides a structured overview of services by location and type. Work is now beginning on the external map, which will be accessible to young people, parents, guardians, and teachers. This initiative will inform future investment decisions, guide service expansion, and enhance accessibility by identifying geographic and thematic gaps in provision.
The department also supports 21 youth information centres (YICs) nationally. These centres provide young people with a trusted source of information on rights, opportunities, health, wellbeing, welfare and other matters, and are a means by which they can find their way to more specialised help when they need it. In 2025, the department allocated over €1.5 million in funding for YICs. One of the organisations in receipt of this funding is Spunout, Ireland’s national youth information website, which provides youth information online including on such matters as mental and sexual health, employment and training. Spunout also hosts an online youth information chat service. Spunout also receives additional grant funding from the department under the Youth Services Grant Scheme.
Funding is provided to Foróige to support the Big Brother Big Sister Programme which is an internationally renowned youth mentoring programme that forms friendships between an adult volunteer and a young person who would benefit from extra support. They also aim to involve vulnerable young people in mentoring programmes to support their active and conscious development. Foróige’s allocation for Big Brother Big Sister in 2025 was €1,213,000.
Furthermore, the department provides funding to the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) to support its national youth health programme. This programme seeks to build capacity within the youth work sector to support young people's health and wellbeing. €86,952 has been allocated to this programme by the department in 2025.
The Budget documentation published sets out funding for key measures and actions?agreed for the coming year. As the Deputy may be aware, in line with standard practice,?the final allocation of funding for the department for 2026 will be set out in the 2026 Revised Estimates Volume (REV) which is?due to be published later this year. Further details on the 2026 allocations for the department will be available after the 2026 REV process is complete.
164. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has responded to correspondence sent by the principal of a school (details supplied). [70820/25]
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.
Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to offer advice, support and guidance as required to ensure students with special educational needs are supported to achieve their full potential. A list of SENOs , their contact details and the areas they cover is available on the NCSE website.
As the matter raised relates to a NCSE process. 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 matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.
The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.
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.
165. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a development (details supplied); if this includes a sports and recreation facility, noting the school provides education to approximately 1,000 students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68396/25]
View answerThe building project to which the Deputy refers has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a programme of school building projects.
The brief is to provide a new build replacement post primary school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils including both general classrooms, specialist rooms, and a 4 class Special Education Needs (SEN) base.
The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural planning design process with a full grant of planning permission received for the school in 2024. Stage 2b is being finalised at the moment. The length of time a project takes to go through each stage varies, depending on a number of factors, including scale and complexity.
In relation to the provision of sports and recreation facilities, Department officials have engaged with the NDFA and the school authorities in order to deliver the optimum design for the school, within the parameters of the brief approved. The project includes a PE hall, a fitness suite, changing rooms, outdoor hard play courts, and a secure hard and soft play area.
The Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical support in the delivery of this project. The NDFA 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.
166. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the engagements she has had with a trade union (details supplied) representing school secretaries and caretakers since becoming Minister; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70184/25]
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 Serviced Reform 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.
167. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a pensions deal for school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70818/25]
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 Reform 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.
168. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her department is taking to address the increase in absenteeism in primary and secondary schools, considering the results of a recent large scale mixed method study showed a growing trend of students missing school post Covid–19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67784/25]
View answerTusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my department since 1 January 2021.
TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands: the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people.
Parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child, who is attending a recognised school, is at school on every day that the school is open, unless there is a genuine reason for him or her not to attend.
TESS has developed a five-year plan for school attendance (2023-2028). The plan is targeted and collaborative and will focus on policy, practice, implementation of the Multi-Dimensional Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MD-MTSS) and the expansion of TESS services to schools and families, employing innovative ways to meet the needs of vulnerable learners. The plan is structured on five distinct themes of work where actions are outlined to improve attendance. Further information is available at [TESS_5_Year_Plan_for_School_Attendance_2023-2028.pdf]
Each school is required to have a set of attendance practices and strategies that promote good attendance among all students. As part of the five-year plan, TESS has published a series of attendance webinars to support schools. The seven webinars in the series are available for schools to view at;-
[National School Attendance CampaignTusla - Child and Family Agency]
During the 2023/2024 school year, all recognised schools also received a once off grant from my department aimed at promoting regular school attendance. Schools received an allocation based on their enrolment, with schools in the DEIS programme receiving either an increase of 1.5 times or twice the amount allocated per student, depending on the DEIS classification. The total amount allocated was over €6m.
In the current school year, TESS has delivered a national multi-media school attendance campaign, promoting the importance of regular school attendance for all students. Consultation with key stakeholders took place to build the key campaign messages. The multimedia campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of school attendance with parents and caregivers, to communicate the benefits of daily attendance at school and to signpost supports where families are experiencing school attendance problems.
My department, in collaboration with TESS, the National Parents Council and the HSE, has created a dedicated website landing page [www.gov.ie/schoolattendance] to direct the public to the available supports and advice.
TESS teams are working collaboratively with schools and communities to provide interventions, including the implementation of a new Multi-dimensional - Multi-tiered System of Support (MD-MTSS) framework, known as Anseo, which provides schools with tools to effectively plan to improve school attendance. The implementation of this model is intended to create practices, structures, and tools that will assist schools in improving attendance outcomes for schools and students. It will develop and strengthen responses for young people experiencing school avoidance behaviours. The model was successfully piloted in four schools before being rolled out to sixty additional schools from the start of the current school year. It will be rolled out to further schools in early 2026.
169. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools from Waterford who sought summer works scheme funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65667/25]
View answerIn November 2025, my colleague the former Minister, Helen McEntee TD, announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS). 297 projects were approved to proceed across a spread of primary, post primary and special schools, which included projects across all counties and all categories of works. The investment in the first tranche of applications is in the region of €90m.
Under this scheme, approved applications from schools that were not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.
Full details of the Climate Action Works Scheme including details of the first tranche of approvals can be found at [gov.ie - Summer Works Scheme]
The full list of applications received for the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme and a breakdown of categories that schools applied for in county Waterford can be found below:
|
County |
Climate Action |
Roof Works |
Electrical |
Mechanical |
Science Labs |
Toilet s |
Windows |
Curricular Requirements |
Fabric Defects |
External Environment |
Totals |
|
Waterford |
0 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
1 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
49 |
170. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to assist schools stuck at stage 2b in the school building project process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70428/25]
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.
There are 5 core stages involved in the delivery of a school building project. The stages range from Preliminary Design right through to completion and handover Stage 2b includes obtaining all statutory approvals, preparing a set of fully detailed Tender documents, and preparing an accurate pre-tender cost plan. During the planning application, Requests for Further Information (RFI) from the Local Authority and possible third party appeals to An Bord Pleanála can considerably lengthen the process.
My Department’s Design Team Procedures set out the requirements to be followed at each stage in the process and the Department’s Planning & Building Unit employ a rigorous and structured approach to permitting a project to move from one stage to the next. This includes robust interrogation of project scope, design and cost by Department delivery teams at each stage.
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.?
171. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she will take to increase special education classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66532/25]
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.
Budget 2026 has provided funding for 3,000 new special educational places within our education system and extensive research was completed over the summer to identify schools with available accommodation in which new classes can be established. The NCSE is now matching these schools with known local demand based on the parent's notify process.
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.
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 the process. It is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes by 31 December 2025.
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 ahead of the 1 October closing date.
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.
172. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions her Department will take to address demand for special classes and ensure sufficient placements and support for children with additional needs. [70814/25]
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.
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.
The Parents Notify 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.
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 the process. This new timeline was publicised widely and communicated to schools, special education advocacy groups and parent representative bodies. The NCSE also undertook work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process. Consequently the NCSE report a significant level of engagement from families ahead of the closing date.
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. The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the Parent’s Notify process are already enrolled in school and are being supported by special education teachers and special needs assistants.
Once the analysis is complete, the NCSE will be equipped to engage with schools to open new special classes in relevant areas. It is expected that many of these special classes will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for students with special educational needs and consequently demand for specialist provision is subject to ongoing review.
173. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the progress of the building application for a school (details supplied); and the expected timeline for advancement of the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70427/25]
View answerThe school referred by the Deputy has been approved to enter the Department's pipeline for school building projects, to provide four mainstream classrooms, one construction room and a four classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) base under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority.
The project received my departments approval to Stage 2a (detailed design) of the architectural planning design process in May 2025. This stage must include the development of the design along with an accurate cost plan which best meets the design as agreed at Stage 1. It is now within the remit of the school to progress this project.
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.
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.
174. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to implement the recommendation of the review on school transport to enable an additional 100,000 students to be carried on the school transport scheme by 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69895/25]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth
Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the future operation of the scheme include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer. It is proposed to expand access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030.
A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024/2025 school year where the Department began testing the feasibility of a number of approaches through a series of pilot programmes; these pilot programmes are held in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann.
A total of 14 pilot projects are underway in the current school year. These pilots are being evaluated to provide valuable insights into the impact of increased demand on the scheme, the potential for integrating public transport with school transport services, and opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of transport.
Existing pilots are continuing for this school year.? They are being monitored over the year and a further evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025/2026 school year.? The findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme.
Work is also underway to identify where further pilot programmes may be conducted. A number of approaches are being examined including the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify how many additional children would become eligible and where they are located. A digital mapping project of all existing school bus routes has been developed and there is ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transport, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority in regard to planned expansion of public transport routes to explore where integration may be possible.
E-ticketing is already being trialled in some of the pilot areas, and will be rolled out to all pilot areas for pupils on dedicated school transport shortly.
Additional funding is being provided in 2026 to further strengthen and enhance our School Transport Services, ensuring continued support for families, schools, and communities right across the country.
This funding will allow for further progress in the implementation of School Transport 2030, focusing particularly on vital technology improvements, including e-ticketing, which should enable smarter route planning and maximise seat utilisation further improving scheme efficiency and effectiveness.
Not only will eTicketing replace the current printed paper tickets, eTicketing should also provide accurate information on ticket utilisation, which is currently not readily available.
Implementation of the recommendations of the review will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.
175. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure that school secretaries and caretakers do not suffer hardship following retirement due to loss of income. [70740/25]
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 Reform 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.
176. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if applications for emergency works and additional accommodation for a school (detail supplied) will be supported, as the works are urgently needed by the school and its students, in particular students with ASD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70782/25]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the 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 is a devolved process and 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 currently has a small number of active applications under consideration by the EWS team. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of these works and will revert to the school in question with an update in this regard shortly.
Separately, in respect of the additional accommodation project it should be noted that Phase 1 of the reconfiguration works for the school referred to by the Deputy was completed in May 2024 and this resulted in new accommodation for the school including a new Technology/Graphics room, modern toilet block, disabled access toilet, a deputy principal's office and improved access to the permanent building of the school.
My department has had a number of discussions previously with the school authorities in relation to the proposed phase 2 element of the project and is exploring a number of options and the need for further discussions with the local county council. My Department will be in further contact with the school authorities directly on this matter shortly.
177. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the roll out and funding of the proposed DEIS+ scheme, as of December 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70182/25]
View answerTackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for me as the Minister for Education and Youth and for Government. 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.
A new DEIS Strategy, which will include a DEIS Plus scheme, will be published early in 2026. This strategy will focus on improving the opportunities and achievement levels of children at risk of educational disadvantage, developing more innovative approaches to tackling education disadvantage, and working towards a more flexible system of supports to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time.
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 to identify schools for inclusion 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. Future allocation of overall resources will be considered within the context of the new DEIS Strategy and the availability of resources.
178. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans for the introduction of additional special classes and supplementary supports for children with special educational needs where existing services are not currently sufficient; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70589/25]
View answerEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education 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 promotes that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
In 2026, over €3 billion will be spent supporting students with special educational needs. It will ensure that specialist capacity continues to grow by providing 3,000 specialist places. The majority of these places will be available in special classes within mainstream schools. In addition this funding provides for an increase our special educational posts by 860 special education teacher and over 1,700 special needs assistant (SNA) posts. This will mean we will have almost 46,000 professionals dedicated to supporting students with special educational needs in our schools. This is one of the highest annual increases in posts to date and demonstrates this government’s commitment to supporting students with special educational needs.
Budget 2026 has also provided for a number of new initiatives such as funding for the roll out of the Education Therapy Service (ETS), the introduction of extra special education teaching hours for post-primary schools to support coordination and transition efforts and a special school package to support the unique challenges these schools face.
The Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE will also, this year, look at the profile of existing special schools. This work will ensure children and young people with complex educational needs can apply to their local special school and not have to travel long distances to access an appropriate education.
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.
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.
179. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the delivery timelines of building works and school building programmes under her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70186/25]
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 Plans 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.
Project timeframes vary considerably 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.
Delivery of school building projects 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.
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.?
180. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that schools in County Galway have appropriate SET and SNA allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69832/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
By the end of this year there will be over 20,000 special educational teachers and 23,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
Budget 2026 provided an additional 860 SET posts and 1,717 SNAs. For 2026/27 school year there will be just under 21,000 special education teachers and almost 25,000 SNAs in our schools.
In the last 5 years in County Galway, the number of SNAs overall has increased by 25% and the number of special education teachers has increased by 16%.
Each year the SET allocations based on learning needs are advised to schools and if a school believes they have insufficient SET Resources they can apply to the NCSE for a review. On completion of the review the NCSE recommends if there is any additional resource required, these are approved immediately.
The NCSE allocates SNAs to our schools annually based on the care needs within the school. Once again when a school is advised of their allocation, the NCSE has a review process in place where schools believe that they need additional resourcing to support their care needs.
On completion of the review by the NCSE if a school is identified as requiring additional SNA support, the NCSE increases their allocation to meet this need.
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
