Written Answers Nos. 217-231
217. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to resolve outstanding issues in respect of pension parity for school caretakers and secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73208/25]
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 and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation over the past number of weeks under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission 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.
218. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason counties Sligo, Mayo, Donegal, Roscommon, Leitrim and Cavan have been excluded from the current NCSE recruitment drive for senior and staff grade occupational therapists and speech and language therapists for the National Educational Therapy Service in special schools, with a view to extending the service to special classes in mainstream schools; whether this is part of a phased roll out; when OTs and SLTs will be recruited for Sligo, Mayo, Donegal, Roscommon, Leitrim and Cavan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72588/25]
View answerIn line with the programme for government commitment, the Education Therapy Service (ETS) has been established as a critical and important support for children and young people in their school environment. The ETS is an additional support for children with special education needs. It is to supplement and not replace existing children’s health and disability services. It is intended to commence initially in specials schools and rollout over time to special classes and mainstream schools. It is anticipated that the service will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out in special schools commencing in the 2026/27 school year.
As referenced, on the 28th November the recruitment campaign for therapists to the new ETS was launched. This campaign will initially see 90 occupational therapists and speech and language therapists consisting of staff and senior grades join their therapy team.
In line with the phased approach for implementation, the current recruitment campaign has included the following counties, Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford & Wicklow. This ensures that supports are provided to schools aligning with the current National Council for Special Education (NCSE) regional structure for therapy. As this is a national service it will grow and expand to include all schools. It is envisioned that there will be rolling recruitment campaign commencing in 2026 covering all counties to meet the therapy needs of the children in the school system. It is envisioned that further recruitment campaigns will also include additional therapy grades including therapy managers, clinical specialists and therapy assistants.
In addition, the NCSE have been developing an education -based therapy support service known as the previously as the Education Therapy Supports Service (ETSS), which will now be subsumed into the ETS. This service provides two strands of support to all schools: Sustained In-School Therapy and Regional Therapy Supports.
Sustained in-school support (SIT) is provided to schools for a defined period of 18-24 months in line with the School Inclusion Model. 22 schools in the Eastern region and 28 schools in the Western region are receiving support under SIT in the 2025/2026 school year.
Regional therapy support provides Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) with follow on/implementation support by NCSE therapists. The focus of this support is to build the capacity of schools and to embed the learning from TPL into their teaching practice, through In-school coaching and co-facilitation of interventions, strategies and resources. Regional Therapy Supports are available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year.
My Department and the National Council for Special Education (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.
219. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on all new school building projects in Longford and Westmeath, including those at planning, design, tender and construction stages.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72633/25]
View answer220. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the expected delivery timelines for new primary and post-primary schools in Mullingar, Athlone, Longford town and surrounding areas. [72634/25]
View answer222. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school building or major extension projects in Longford and Westmeath included in the 2026 capital programme. [72636/25]
View answer229. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if funding will be fast-tracked for additional classrooms or ASD provision in growing primary schools in Longford and Westmeath. [72643/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219, 220, 222 and 229 together.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, over 200 SEN Repurposing projects have been delivered maximising the use of existing accommodation while creating opportunities for inclusion and integration.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan.
Government departments are currently in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans. The sectoral plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published 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. A key focus of this investment is the delivery of integrated and inclusive provision for children with additional needs, through the development of new special schools, the expansion of special class provision, and the enhancement of existing facilities.
My department has invested over €41m in capital expenditure since 2020 in County Longford. This investment has supported the completion of 15 school building projects. Currently 2 projects are in construction.
My department has invested over €167m in capital expenditure since 2020 in County Westmeath. This investment has supported the completion of 31 school building projects including 3 new school buildings. Currently 9 projects are in construction.
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 must 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.
221. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether land acquisition for new schools in Westmeath and Longford is progressing on schedule, and if any additional sites are being considered. [72635/25]
View answerThere are currently no requirements to acquire land for school capital projects in Counties Longford nor Westmeath.
The acquisition of a site, in Longford town, to accommodate a new school facility for Mean Scoil Mhuire is no longer required following the decision to proceed with an amalgamation with St Mel's College and the development of an extended post primary school facility on the grounds of St. Mel's College with a capacity to accommodate over 1200 pupils including 6 classes for children with special education needs. This project is currently at Stage 1 "Preliminary Design" on the department's school capital programme.
223. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the implementation of the School Transport Review, including timelines for changes to eligibility criteria. [72637/25]
View answer224. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether capacity has been increased on school transport routes serving Longford and Westmeath for 2025/2026. [72638/25]
View answer225. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if funding has been secured to expand the school transport fleet and enhance coverage under the revised transport system. [72639/25]
View answer226. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth how the revised School Transport Review recommendations will address rural access issues in Longford and Westmeath. [72640/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 223 to 226, inclusive, together.
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The scheme has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the numbers of children and young people using the service have grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to over 180,000 pupils in 2025, which equates to an increase of close to 50%. To date in the 2025/2026 school year, 2,642 mainstream tickets have issued for county Longford and 3,797 have issued for Westmeath. This represents a 5% and 9% increase in tickets issued for the respective counties compared to the 2024/2025 school year.
Additional funding is being allocated to school transport services in 2026. This is to provide for the additional demand for pupils with special educational needs on school transport services and increased bus contractor running costs. It will also provide for additional funding on the School Transport Scheme fleet.
Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. The school transport fleet is made up of both contractors and Bus Éireann vehicles. Over 90% of services are provided by contractors operating on the School Transport Scheme. The school transport scheme is a demand led scheme based on the number of children who apply.
As part of the recommendations of the School Transport Review, fourteen School Transport pilots began in the 2024/2025 school year. I'm pleased to advise that these pilots are continuing in the current school year.
It was outlined at the time of the review’s publication that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria will likely increase demand for the scheme. On this basis, it would be prudent to implement the proposed changes on a phased basis to ensure its rollout is as smooth as possible.
In line with the review’s recommendations, the School Transport Section of my Department engaged with Bus Éireann to identify where more pilots could be successfully delivered for the current school year.
Eleven further pilots have been selected for the current school year. The Department has given approval to Bus Éireann to review where additional capacity may be available for concessionary pupils who paid on time and would become eligible if the revised school transport scheme criteria was rolled out fully.
As part of these pilots, the distance criteria for pupils is reduced to 2km for primary and post primary and the need for a pupil to be attending their nearest school is removed. Some of these pilots are operational and the remainder are going through procurement.
In the coming months, e-Ticketing will be introduced on all dedicated school transport pilot routes, with families being advised on how pupils should use their the new school transport cards. E-ticketing should enhance students’ experiences on school transport and should allow for greater visibility on seat usage. With better data, this should inform future route planning and should maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the system. These pilots will provide valuable insights on the impact increased demand will have on the scheme.
Provision of additional services as pilot projects will be subject to the availability of vehicles and drivers in each area. Implementation of the review recommendations will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.
227. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the latest pupil enrolment pressures and projected demand for primary school places in Longford town, Mullingar, Athlone, Edgeworthstown and Ballymahon. [72641/25]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas (SPA) 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.
Longford Town and Edgeworthstown are in the Longford Newtownforbes SPA. According to Child Benefit data in this SPA there are approximately 296 2 year olds, 317 3 year olds and 338 4 year olds that are likely to require junior infant places in the coming years. According to Child Benefit data in the Mullingar SPA, there are 433 2 year olds, 470 3 year olds and 438 4 year olds that are likely to require places in the coming years. The Athlone SPA has 375 2-year-olds, 365 3-year-olds and 448 4-year-olds that are likely to require junior infant places in the coming years. The Ballymahon SPA has 99 2 year olds, 98 3 year olds and 95 4 year olds that are likely to require places in the coming years
At primary level, enrolments for Longford and Ballymahon school planning areas peaked in 2018. Athlone SPA enrolments peaked in 2019 while Mullingar SPA enrolments are projected to have peaked in 2024 with enrolments projected to decrease thereafter.
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. The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of admissions legislation and their individual policies. Enrolment data for previous school years is available on the Department website. Provisional enrolment data for the 2024/25 school year is available on the Department's website at www.gov.ie.
The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers. Contact details are available on Tusla’s website.
My Department will continue to liaise with Local Authorities in respect of their County Development Plans and any associated Local Area Plans with a view to identifying any potential long-term school accommodation requirements across school planning areas.
228. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in towns (details supplied) that have reached or exceeded capacity for the 2025/2026 school year; and the interim accommodation planned. [72642/25]
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 €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.
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.
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 where there is high demand with continued population growth and housing development driving the need for additional school places.
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.
Data available to my Department highlights there are more first year places than sixth class children across the school planning areas of Athlone, Mullingar, Longford_Newtownforbes and Ballymahon. For the 2024/25 academic year 8.6% of first year places were unfilled in Mullingar, 15.3% were unfilled in Longford_Newtownforbes and 8.85% were unfilled in Ballymahon SPA.
There are currently a number of active projects at primary and post-primary level across the referred school planning areas that will increase capacity, including new school building projects for Marist College to cater for LTPE of 750 and four special education classrooms, this project is currently at Stage 1, and Gaelscoil an Longfoirt to provide 12 mainstream classrooms and two special education classrooms, this project is currently at Stage 2a. In addition, there is an extension project for St Finian's College to provide for LTPE 1,300 and six special education classrooms, this project is at Stage 4.
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.
My Department will continue to keep the school place requirements in the Athlone, Mullingar, Longford_Newtownforbes and Ballymahon school planning areas, as with other areas across the country, under review.
230. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether new forecasting data indicate the need for additional schools or expansions in midlands towns before 2030. [72644/25]
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.
There are no immediate plans to establish new primary or post primary schools in the midlands.
Details of large-scale projects being delivered under the school building programme may be viewed on my 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.
The department is awaiting revised National Development Plan housing targets from local authorities. This, along with the pace of delivery of additional residential development, updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and will inform the timing of school requirements in the midlands.
231. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on discussions with school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72703/25]
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 and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation over the past number of weeks under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission 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.
