Written Answers Nos. 444-463
444. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child (details supplied) can access a suitable educational setting for the remainder of the 2025/2026 school year. [71570/25]
View answerMy department's Home Tuition Grant Schemes provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The Home Tuition Grant Schemes are governed by annual circulars which sets out the purpose, eligibility criteria and details of the scheme. Circular 0047/2025 provides information in relation to the 2025/2026 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/home-tuition-grant-scheme-2025-2026-special-education-component/.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
(a) Pre-School Children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria
(b) Children seeking a Special School or Special Class placement
(c) Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
(d) Students, enrolled in schools, with school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
In relation to applications in respect of students with school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, the principle that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school applies.
Eligibility is assessed having regard to, although not limited to, the following criteria
• The student’s attendance levels during the previous school year.
• A relevant medical /relevant professional report - a separate report may be requested in some cases if required.
In exceptional cases, in recognition of significant and immediate circumstances, the Department will consider home tuition hours to compensate for a period of absence occurring in the current school year on a case by case basis. Home tuition hours in these circumstances are provided on a once off basis to compensate for a period of absence from school. Therefore this period of absence will not attract home tuition hours if an application for home tuition is made in the next school year.
Generally, grant aid based on a range of between 2 and 10 hours tuition may be approved with the allocation reflecting the level of attendance in the previous school year, and whether the attendance was at primary or post primary level. As a general guide, up to 5 hours may be granted to children at primary level while students at post primary level may be granted between 2 and 7 hours, and students sitting their Leaving Certificate Examinations may be granted between 2 and 10 hours.
Regarding the student referenced by the Deputy, the parent has the option to appeal the decision not to grant Home Tuition in this instance. The appeals process was outlined in the decision letter. Officials from my Department have contacted the family to provide information on the Home Tuition Grant Scheme, including details of the application and appeals process, and to offer any additional assistance or information they may require.
445. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the SNA review application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71579/25]
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 attend mainstream classes with their peers, supported by special education teacher (SET) and special needs assistants (SNAs) as well as other resources. 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 will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
The NCSE is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line.
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.
446. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a proposed project by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71625/25]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question applied for a PE Hall in 2023 and were advised that there was no capital funding available for GP/PE halls as the priority for the Department was ensuring the availability of school places. Though the funding position remains the same the school in question have not applied to the Department since that time.
The Department recognises the limitations that a lack of indoor PE facilities places on the delivery of the PE curricula. However, it is important to note that almost 95% of the post primary schools, and over 70% of the primary schools that made 2020 Annual Schools Returns have indicated to the department that they either have a PE Hall, access to a nearby PE Hall, or a project in train that will deliver a new PE Hall. Practically all schools have outdoor play areas and many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools.
Investment and expenditure on PE Halls is an element of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. This is also the case where a major building or refurbishment project is being delivered for an existing school.
The main focus of the Department’s capital funding over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of critical additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics and children with special education needs.
Since 2020, my Department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
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 shortly 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.
447. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made over the past 12 months on each of her Department's Programme for Government commitments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71635/25]
View answerMy officials are working to consolidate the information sought by the Deputy in relation to the progress made over the past 12 months on each of my Department’s Programme for Government commitments. I will arrange to have the material compiled and forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
448. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration will be given to a request for a second special class in respect of a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71644/25]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children 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 through the Parent Notify process 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 expected that these special classes will be sanctioned in the coming weeks.
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 to 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.
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 from families before 1 October.
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 existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation as to where new specialist provision is required.
449. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to include Romanian on the secondary curriculum. [71645/25]
View answerLanguages Connect – Ireland’s Strategy for Foreign Languages in Education 2017-2026 aims to increase and diversify the range of languages taught and learned. As set out in the accompanying Implementation Plan which was informed by a lengthy and detailed consultation process, four new leaving certificate curricular languages were introduced from September 2020 – Lithuanian, Mandarin Chinese, Polish and Portuguese. These new languages were examined for the first time in summer 2022.
The Department of Education and Youth welcomes the efforts of the Romanian government and communities in Ireland to support the maintenance of the Romanian language and acknowledges that where the home language is supported there are better academic outcomes, positive identity, the development of intercultural skills, more opportunities for the future, and children stay connected with their heritage and families, all of which are recognised as important for the well-being of children.
Romanian is included as a non-curricular Leaving Certificate examination in accordance with Article 149 of the Treaty of Nice which states that “Community action shall be aimed at developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member States."
|
Romanian |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Leaving Certificate Sits |
193 |
267 |
340 |
237 |
325 |
379 |
367 |
421 |
417 |
*Non-Curricular Romanian Leaving Certificate Examination Sits (SEC)
Having regard to Ireland's clearly articulated national response to the war in Ukraine, and the principles that have been developed for the school sector which are informed by that position, it is considered appropriate that Ukrainian as a non-curricular language for Leaving Certificate would be developed by the State Examinations Commission for the State examinations 2025. A total of 549 students received a grade.
The model for the non-curricular language examination papers is based on the First Foreign Language final written paper of the European Baccalaureate.
A follow on to the Languages Connect Strategy will be developed with work commencing in 2026.
Introduction of new Leaving Certificate subjects under Senior Cycle Redevelopment
Under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Programme, announced in March 2022, two new Leaving Certificate subjects, Drama, Film and Theatre Studies (DFTS), and Climate Action and Sustainable Development (CASD) have been introduced a number of selected Phase One schools from September 2025.
The curricula for all existing Leaving Certificate subjects and modules are also being revised in five annual tranches from 2025-2029 There is currently no plan to introduce Romanian (or any other new language subject) as a curricular subject into Senior Cycle under the redevelopment programme.
Ukrainian was introduced as a non-curricular examinable Leaving Certificate language (the same status as Romanian) from summer 2025 and 549 students received a grade.
The actual development of a new or revised subject specification takes around two years; with associated Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) to commence in the academic year prior to teaching and learning commencing in schools. This means that the total time required to introduce a subject from the time its development commences until it is taught in schools is a minimum of three years.
In determining the new subjects to be introduced under the redevelopment programme, a number of relevant factors were taken into account. These included consideration of:
• subjects that were suggested by students, teachers and others during the NCCA’s Senior Cycle Review, which ran from 2016-2020
• anticipated level of interest
• capacity to develop and deliver new subjects in addition to the revision of existing curricula
• providing greater choice for students to better reflect their range of interests and support the development of a wider range of talents and skills. In this regard the extensive range of language subjects already provided on both a curricular and non-curricular basis was a specific dimension to the consideration. In addition to Irish and English, the current language provision amounts to 14 curricular languages and 15 non-curricular languages, representing 34% of all curricular subjects and 52% of examinable subjects overall.
Foreign Languages at Primary level
• A new Primary Languages Curriculum (PLC) was published in September 2025 for introduction in primary schools on a phased basis from September 2026. The new PLC includes Modern Foreign Languages as part of the primary curriculum for the first time.
• Schools will be able to select the language used in the context of their resources and demographic. The curriculum will incrementally build on children’s existing knowledge and awareness of language in 3rd and 4th class progressing to a language competence model in 5th and 6th class.
• Language upskilling for primary teachers is currently underway.
• In advance of implementation of the new PLC, ‘Say Yes to Languages’ a language sampler module for primary schools is being facilitated by Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) on behalf of the department. Over 1,300 primary schools right across the country are participating in this ten-week module selecting 12 languages in 2025/26 including Romanian in two schools.
• PPLI have provided training to the participating teachers and tutors. They have also provided the schools with a range of exciting and engaging resources which are also available on-line on the languages connect website. languagesconnect.ie/primary/ Four schools implemented Say Yes to Languages using Romanian in 2024/25.
• There are a range of Romanian resources for all levels available on the PPLI website here: [Romanian - PPLI]
Current supports for the Romanian language
Post Primary Languages Ireland (PPLI) supports the provision of Romanian language classes to encourage more students to maintain and develop literacy in their home or heritage language, by means of financial support to schools to recruit a teacher of Romanian where a critical mass of Romanian-speaking students attends. In 2024/25, funding was provided to three post-primary schools in Dublin, enabling them to deliver classes to over 150 students, as well as to acquire relevant materials. These classes supported students in their preparation for the non-curricular Romanian Leaving Certificate examination.
PPLI also provide support classes in Dublin on Saturdays with students of Romanian heritage taking the non-curricular language. 132 students were enrolled in these classes for the academic year 2024/25 and 111 in 2025/26.
PPLI are also working on the development of resources to support the teaching and learning of Romanian. In 2023 PPLI devised a Romanian language mat and Romanian Z-fold for use in the classroom to encourage communication in the target language. PPLI have also published a TY Beginners’ Module for Romanian.
A toolkit for acquiring foreign language books was developed as a collaboration between PPLI, Dublin City Libraries and Cabra Library and is now available to library branches nationwide. A foreign language category was introduced in the MS Readathon. A School Library Home Languages Funding Scheme facilitated by PPLI has provided 1385 schools (937 primary and 448 post-primary) with reimbursement for acquired materials in 80 different languages. Over 800 book titles in 27 languages have been provided to the JCSP Digital Library. All of the aforementioned include books and resources in the Romanian language.
450. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the new DEIS Plus programme; if the principal criteria to be applied will be the Pobal Deprivation Index and other small area data sets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71674/25]
View answer451. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school (details supplied) will be included in the new DEIS Plus programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71675/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.
Tackling 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 the DEIS Plus scheme, will be published early in 2026. The DEIS Plus scheme will provide additional support to schools with the highest levels of need, in line with the Government’s commitment. It will target a cohort of schools with high concentrations of children and young people experiencing intergenerational disadvantage where there is a significant gap in outcomes and there are barriers to those children and young people achieving their potential.
Schools will not be required to apply for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme. The process to identify schools for inclusion will be evidence-informed, using available data. The Pobal HP deprivation index will be one element of this.
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.
452. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school building projects and extensions currently underway in Limerick, by stage, and date the project entered that stage including the number of pupils currently in that school, in tabular form. [71679/25]
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, 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 shortly and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January 2026. 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 €287m in capital expenditure since 2020 in County Limerick. This investment in County Limerick has supported the completion of 54 school building projects, including 4 new school buildings and currently there are 8 school building projects in construction of which one is a new school building.
The table attached lists large scale school building projects in County Limerick.
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.
|
Large Scale School Building Projects Co. Limerick |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Roll Number |
School Name |
Townland |
School Level |
Project Type |
Current Stage of Project |
Start Date of Current Stage of Project |
Enrolments 2025/2026 |
|
64260M |
Laurel Hill Secondary School FCJ |
Limerick City |
Post Primary |
New School Building |
Stage 2a |
03/10/2024 |
725 |
|
64270P |
Laurel Hill Coláiste FCJ |
Limerick City |
Post Primary |
New School Building |
Stage 2a |
03/10/2024 |
343 |
|
19200M |
St. Vincent's Special School |
Lisnagry |
Special Education |
New School Building |
Stage 2a |
19/12/2024 |
100 |
|
81014R |
Crescent College Comprehensive |
Limerick City |
Post Primary |
Extension |
Stage 2a |
31/01/2025 |
922 |
|
20311F |
Red Hill School |
Patrickswell |
Special Education |
New School Building |
Stage 2a |
31/01/2025 |
62 |
|
64200R |
Coláiste Mhichil |
Limerick City |
Post Primary |
Extension & Refurbishment |
Stage 2b |
30/06/2022 |
346 |
|
64290V |
Ardscoil Mhuire |
Limerick City |
Post Primary |
New School Building |
Stage 2b |
30/05/2024 |
574 |
|
20405O |
St. Mary's NS |
Limerick City |
Primary |
Refurbishment |
Stage 2b |
08/04/2025 |
140 |
|
17937H |
Scoil Moin A Lin |
Castletroy |
Primary |
New School Building |
Stage 4 |
30/09/2025 |
847 |
453. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school development projects in County Cavan currently in stage 3 of the development process; and the date each project entered stage 3, in tabular form. [71680/25]
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, 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 shortly and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January 2026. 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 €86m in capital expenditure since 2020 in County Cavan. This investment in County Cavan has supported the completion of 24 school building projects, including 1 new school building and currently there are 4 school building projects in construction. At present no large scale, additional accommodation or modular school building projects are at Stage 3 in County Cavan.
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.
454. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in County Roscommon that have sought assistance from the financial support service unit of her Department in 2022 to 2025, in tabular form. [71681/25]
View answerThe table below lists the schools that have requested financial assistance from the Financial Support Service Unit (FSSU) for the years 2022 to 2025 for Co. Roscommon.
|
Schools seeking financial assistance in Co. Roscommon referred to the FSSU |
|
|
|
School Year |
Number of schools seeking financial assistance. |
Number of schools that received an advance in Capitation grant funding. |
|
2022/23 |
0 |
0 |
|
2023/24 |
1 |
0 |
|
2024/25 |
1 |
0 |
|
2025 (to date) |
0 |
0 |
Schools in financial difficulty are encouraged to contact my Department for advice and support. The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools, which may include an advance in capitation grant funding or other measures.
The Department is constantly engaging with a number of schools in this respect. Schools that have contacted the Department have been referred to the FSSU.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cashflow management. Contact details for FSSU can be found on www.fssu.ie.
455. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update regarding a school (details supplied); and the date it will progress to the next stage. [71716/25]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is being delivered as part of the Department's ADAPT Programme. The Adapt Programme uses a professional external Programme Manager to co-ordinate and drive the Design Team to achieve the best possible timeframe for the project through the stages of Architectural Planning to Tender and Construction.
The brief for this project is to provide a new permanent school building for the school referred to by the Deputy, and this project is designed to be delivered in 2 phases; Phase 1 will deliver accommodation for 425 students and Phase 2 will deliver the remaining accommodation to provide for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1,000 students, at the former Magee Barracks site in Kildare.
The project is currently at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The tender report has recently been received by the Department and is currently under review by a multi-disciplinary team.
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.
456. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has received proposals from a school (details supplied) in County Louth proposing internal modifications to the proposed new buildings; if she is aware of the fact that the new school building has been in process for several years; if she will include the project in her Department’ Sectoral Plan under the revised NDP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71753/25]
View answerThe major project for the school referred to by the Deputy is currently at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award.
The brief for the project is the development of a new 20 Mainstream Class primary school plus 4 classrooms for pupils with Special Educational Needs, along with one Home School Liaison Room (HSCL) on existing site.
My Department is currently reviewing Tender report no. 2 which is subject to due diligence by my Department which is a critical part of the overall completion of the Stage 3 process and is critical to ensuring quality and value for money.
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.
457. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth the options available in relation to funding school transport for children in transition year attending a football academy programme in Cork (details supplied). [71776/25]
View answerThe purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Children are eligible for school transport where they satisfy the distance criterion and are attending their nearest national school or post primary education centre, having regard to ethos and language.
In accordance with the terms of my Department's School Transport Scheme, school transport services operate during the standard school year and facilitate a child's attendance during normal school opening and closing times. Transport to the facility as outlined by the Deputy does not come under the remit of the scheme.
458. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the process for the acquisition of a site for a primary school in Donabate (details supplied) has been completed and the site is in her Departments ownership; the timeline for the delivery of this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71811/25]
View answerAgreement is in place to acquire this primary school site, officials in my department are in discussions with the current owner of the site to finalise the transfer of the ownership of the site to the Minister.
You will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Program to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP).
The accommodation brief for the project is being finalised and the Department will be in further contact with the patron as part of this process.
This acquisition is at an advanced stage but has not been completed. The department are actively seeking to advance the matter with the intention of finalising this acquisition as soon as possible. The capital project is progressing to the design stages while the acquisition is being finalised. It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.
Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
459. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the revised National Development Plan includes the capital provision for two primary schools and a secondary school in Ballymastone, Donabate given these sites have already been provided for in the Donabate Local Area Plan 2016-2026 with Donabate one of the fastest growing areas in the country; the timeline for the delivery of these schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71812/25]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth. In respect of post primary schools, new post primary schools must have a student enrolment capacity of 600-1,000 students and must be co-educational. A lower threshold of 400 students may apply to gaelcholáistí, having regard to the alternative of establishing an Irish-medium unit (aonad) in an English-medium school.
New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.
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. The Capital Programme details the school projects that are being progressed under Project Ireland 2040. The current status of large-scale projects being delivered under Project Ireland 2040, may be viewed on the Department's website at, www.gov.ie and this information is updated regularly. In addition, a list of large-scale projects completed from 2010 to date may also be viewed on the website.
Land at Ballymastone, Donabate (as the Deputy has referred to) has been designated for the future development of school facilities to serve the Donabate area. A significant number of new houses have been developed in Donabate in recent years and many more are planned. The rate and pace of delivery of these developments and the associated impact on the demand for school places is being closely monitored. This will inform the timing of school requirements in the area. Officials from the Department will continue to liaise with Fingal County Council regarding the pace of developments in Donabate. The department will also continue to liaise with the local authority in respect of its county development plan and any associated local area plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas including Donabate .
The project to develop a new primary school campus in Donabate is included in the department capital programme. This development will project capacity for 500 primary school pupils.
The existing Donabate Community College was developed to accommodate over 1,000 pupils. There is spare capacity in this post primary school.
460. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on a new building for a second level CETB Gaelcholáiste in Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71814/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter the department’s pipeline for a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. The project will provide one Multi-Media room, one Textiles room, one Graphics room, one Construction room, one Technology prep room, one Science lab & prep area and one Project store. The inclusion of a PE Hall or GP/Dining Hall depends on site feasibility, constraints, and input from the Local Authority and Heritage Officer. The project was devolved for delivery to the Cork Education & Training Board.
The Stage 1 report has been submitted and is currently under review. Once this review is complete, my Department will be in a position to provide clarity on the accommodation to be progressed. Given the complexities of this project, the evaluation will require a comprehensive review from both technical and cost perspectives to ensure full compliance with cost requirements, procedural standards, and the defined project scope. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the public Infrastructure Guidelines.? Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
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.
461. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider the inadequacy of primary school places in Kildare town (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71816/25]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €382 million in school infrastructure across County Kildare. The department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.
As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very large-scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. While my department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
Primary school enrolments at national level have been in decline for a number of years and this downward demographic trend is also now apparent at first year post primary level. There are, however continued pressures in some areas, including Kildare town where there is high demand with continued population growth and housing development driving the need for additional school places. However, while there may be slight enrolment pressure at local level, enrolments in Kildare town are projected to have peaked in 2024.
My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
I want to assure the Deputy that my department will keep the school place requirements in Kildare school planning area under review.
462. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school’s application for a lift upgrade (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71844/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for a Mechanical & Electrical project.
The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of the minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation. The EWS usually provides an interim solution until such time as a comprehensive solution can be provided under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).
The school's EWS application was refused on the basis that works being sought did not qualify for funding under the EWS and were more appropriate to an SWS project. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will only be considered if they are submitted through the Esinet system and should contain additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application.
463. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will be made on a school’s application for emergency works (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71845/25]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for a roof works project.
The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of the minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation. The EWS usually provides an interim solution until such time as a comprehensive solution can be provided under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).
The school's EWS application was refused on the basis that works being sought did not qualify for funding under the EWS and were more appropriate to an SWS project. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will only be considered if they are submitted through the Esinet system and should contain additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application.
