Thomas Gould
Question:1163. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding an application by a school (details supplied). [74988/25]
View answerSchool Enrolments
Questions (1163)
Written answers
I can confirm to the Deputy that the school in question submitted an application under the department's Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme for an extension to their current building to facilitate prefab replacement of three mainstream classrooms.
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.
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.
The application from the school, to which the Deputy refers, will be considered in the above context and the school authority will be notified of the decision directly.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (1164, 1165, 1166, 1167)
Louis O'Hara
Question:1164. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the proposed removal of requiring assessment of need reports to access special educational places, when the new criteria and decision-making process for deciding access to special educational places will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75021/25]
View answerLouis O'Hara
Question:1165. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the proposed removal of requiring assessment of need reports to access special educational places, who will conduct the proposed educational assessments; will qualified psychological and disability professionals be required to input into the proposed “educational assessments”; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75022/25]
View answerLouis O'Hara
Question:1166. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the proposed removal of requiring assessment of need reports to access special educational places, what consultation was undertaken with teachers and their representative groups into the effects that the proposed change would have on children with additional educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75023/25]
View answerLouis O'Hara
Question:1167. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the proposed removal of requiring assessment of need reports to access special educational places, how can an “educational assessment” be conducted without diagnostic expertise to determine the appropriate placement of children with complex educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75024/25]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1164 to 1167, inclusive, together.
The Department of Education and Youth is committed to an education-based, needs-led approach to accessing education services. The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers, through the provision of resources such as Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants. This is an estimated 25% of the total student population, or 240,000 children and young people with special educational needs, that are supported in mainstream classes.
It is important to note that since 2017 children and young people in mainstream classes have not required a diagnosis of disability to access mainstream supports from the 15,000 special education teachers in our school system. In addition, the Department has removed the requirement for any health-based information to support transitions from a primary to a post-primary special class and/or for additional SNA requirements.
Additionally, while a diagnosis is currently required to access a special class or a special school, this does not have to be linked to an Assessment of Need (AON). Department officials are working on a process to remove the need for a diagnosis to access specialist supports in our school system which would be the last remaining requirement for a diagnosis in the education system.
The Department of Education and Youth will bring forward a proposal through a memorandum for government in early 2026 to agree a process which is intended to result in the removal of the requirement for professional reports, such as Assessment of Need reports, from entry requirements for special schools and special classes and the adoption of a needs-based approach, subject to the availability of necessary resources.
There will be a comprehensive consultation process with the full range of education stakeholders and advocacy groups in respect of this proposed measure.
It is also important to note that the AON process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005 and is under the remit of the Health Service Executive (HSE). Assessment Officers working under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report and a determination is made as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act.
Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is a legal obligation on the education system to assist the HSE as part of the HSE’s AON process. In that regard, the NCSE nominates an appropriate person, a qualified teacher in the case of an AON pertaining to a school-going child, to assist the HSE by completing a Report of Education Need (RoEN) using information available or known to the teacher or school. This process was trialed and implemented in the 2024/2025 school year and was further refined in the 2025/2026 school year. The process is outlined in Circular 0069/2025 and will remain in place.
For clarity, there is no change to the AON process as it applies in schools.
The Department will continue to monitor and respond to future needs. As part of budget 2026, investment in special education has increased to €3 billion and allows for the recruitment of an additional 860 special education teachers, 1,717 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and the provision of an additional 3,000 places in special schools and special classes as well as the roll out of the new Educational Therapy Service.
This expansion reflects the Government’s commitment to inclusive education and ensuring every child with special educational needs receives the support they deserve.
Question No. 1165 answered with Question No. 1164.
Question No. 1166 answered with Question No. 1164.
Question No. 1167 answered with Question No. 1164.
Childcare Services
Questions (1168, 1169)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:1168. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider implementing an early screening programme for children with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75035/25]
View answerRuth Coppinger
Question:1169. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Departments plans to improve access to dyslexia supports for students in school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75036/25]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1168 and 1169 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
At present, there are four special schools, and fourteen special classes attached to mainstream schools to support students with a specific learning disability such as severe dyslexia. I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do. It is important to note they were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in schools.
In pursuit of a more inclusive education system it is important, as far as possible, to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children and young people can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes.
15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this objective. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support students with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.
The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
Of course, I recognise the importance of building the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools to meet the needs of all students. To support this, 338 places are funded each year for teachers to attend post-graduate special education needs programmes. The NCSE offers dedicated professional learning opportunities for teachers supporting students with additional needs. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post-primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.
NEPS supports schools in implementing the Continuum of Support framework with each school taking responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and supports for children and young people with special educational needs. Under this model, a child or young person does not require a psychological assessment diagnosis in order to access additional support at school. This Continuum of Support framework recognises that children require different levels of support depending on their identified educational needs, and that needs may change over time.
Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist students. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.
The need for any additional provision or resources for schools to support students with dyslexia is kept under constant review by the NCSE.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Question No. 1169 answered with Question No. 1168.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (1170)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:1170. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth to procure decodable readers for use by children with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75037/25]
View answerWritten answers
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
It is important to recognise that teachers use a number of specialist programmes to support students with special educational needs. At all times, the focus of the department and the NCSE is on doing what is right for the child and underpinning any educational interventions with evidence-based approaches.
For that reason, the department does not promote one particular approach for meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and recognises that children with dyslexia or literacy difficulties may benefit most where a range of teaching approaches is employed by the class teachers.
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has developed guidance documents for primary and post-primary schools on Supporting Students with Literacy Difficulties/Dyslexia using the Continuum of Support model. These are designed to equip schools with knowledge of approaches and strategies required to support students who experience difficulties with literacy, using a response to intervention approach, in all school contexts.
The NCSE also provides support for teachers with training needs in special education, through the NCSE support service which manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training needs. This support service provides Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) to teachers of students with a variety of special educational needs. The NCSE continues to update current TPL courses for teachers and designs new TPL courses in response to the needs of teachers.
The Department provides funding under the Primary and Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme to provide free schoolbooks and core classroom resources to all students enrolled in primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. The key objective of the Schoolbooks Schemes is to ensure the costs of providing schoolbooks, workbooks and copybooks are borne by the State. When this has been realised, any surplus grant may be used to provide related classroom resources.
Special schools, primary and post-primary schools operating special classes are best placed to identify related classroom resources required for their individual setting and to meet the learning needs of their children and young people.
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.
School Facilities
Questions (1171)
James Geoghegan
Question:1171. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider issues regarding a new school campus (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75039/25]
View answerWritten answers
This school building project referred to by the Deputy is a campus project assigned to my department’s design and build programme which uses a professional external project manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender and construction.
The campus project will deliver a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation, including classrooms, for children with special educational needs and a 16 classroom primary school and accommodation, including classrooms, for children with special educational needs. The campus project is being delivered on a phased basis. The primary school building was handed over in Quarter 4 2025. The first phase of the post primary school is expected to be handed over in Quarter 2 2026.
The issue raised by the Deputy is currently under review and officials in my department will be in contact directly with the school and its patron body in due course.
Public Spending Code
Questions (1172)
James O'Connor
Question:1172. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of projects in her Department that were delayed in 2023 and 2024 due to the change of document from the Public Spending Code to the Infrastructure Guidelines, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75107/25]
View answerWritten answers
The revised Public Spending Code, effective from January 2020, set out clear rules and a full project lifecycle to help plan, assess and manage investment projects. The Infrastructure Guidelines, published in December 2023, were designed to simplify approval steps and help major infrastructure projects be delivered more quickly, while still ensuring value for money.
The introduction of the Infrastructure Guidelines did not adversely impact school building project delivery timelines. In practice, the consolidation of decision gates supported the efficient development of business cases. Additionally, as the estimated capital value of individual school building projects falls below the thresholds for engagement with the External Assurance Process and Major Projects Advisory Group review, these requirements were not applicable
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 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.
School Facilities
Questions (1173)
Marie Sherlock
Question:1173. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a ramp was not installed as per the building specifications for work conducted in a school (details supplied); and the timeline for the urgent completion of works in the school. [75127/25]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers to was granted capital funding for the provision of one special educational needs classroom under my Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
The programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.
KSN had been appointed from my Department’s Framework, to design and tender the project at the school in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department.
The Project Management team are currently reviewing options following concerns raised from school authorities.
The Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working closely with the Project Managers and School Authority and will communicate with the school authorities regarding timelines and progress on same.
Public Sector Pay
Questions (1174)
Matt Carthy
Question:1174. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the salary scale that applies to the Secretary General in her Department and to the head of each agency for which they are responsible; whether this scale has changed in the past two years or whether there are proposals to change this scale in the coming period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75193/25]
View answerWritten answers
The applicable pay scale is Secretary General Level II.
The Department’s pay structure is set centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
Changes to this scale in the last two years are tabulated below.
|
Date Effective |
Status |
Periodicity |
Nature of Adjustment |
Salary |
|
01 Aug 2025 |
Current |
Annual |
Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 - 1% Increase - 1st Aug 2025 |
€248,673 |
|
01 Mar 2025 |
Historic |
Annual |
Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 - Greater of 2% or €1000 |
€246,211 |
|
01 Oct 2024 |
Historic |
Annual |
Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 - Greater of 1% or €500 |
€241,383 |
|
01 Jun 2024 |
Historic |
Annual |
Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 - 1% Increase |
€238,993 |
|
01 Jan 2024 |
Historic |
Annual |
Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 - Greater of 2.25% or €1125 |
€236,627 |
The information in respect of state bodies under the aegis, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. State bodies have been provided with the question and have been advised to respond directly to the Deputy.
Departmental Advertising
Questions (1175)
Matt Carthy
Question:1175. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount expended on advertising and promotion in her Department, and within each agency for which she is responsible, for 2022 to 2024, by year and budgeted for 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75211/25]
View answerWritten answers
Each year, the Department of Education and Youth runs awareness campaigns to make people aware of education-related services and initiatives. Campaigns are planned by the department and use a mix of agency support and in-house materials. Amounts fluctuate depending on the campaign and timings.
In 2023 for example, was the first year of the School Transport Campaign which had an advertising budget of approx. €500,000. There was also a campaign to inform parents and schools about the Primary Schoolbooks Scheme, which had an advertising budget of €150,000.
Other recent examples include the Primary School Survey campaign for parents and guardians; Teaching Transforms campaign, which promotes teaching as a career; and School Transport campaigns in 2023, 2024, and 2025 informed parents about how to access school transport.
These campaigns use different channels like online videos, digital media, radio, and print in both national and regional newspapers. All messages are shared in English and Irish at the same time.
|
2026 (Allocated) |
€350,000.00 |
|
2025 |
€377,525.00 |
|
2024 |
€563,630.12 |
|
2023 |
€800,434.04 |
|
2022 |
€364,842.68 |
Teaching Council
This year, the Teaching Council budget reflects an enhanced campaign to promote teaching as a profession, in line with the Council’s statutory remit under Section 7(2)(a) of the Teaching Council Act 2001 (as amended). This investment will also underpin efforts to promote the supply of teachers to the education system.
This expanded initiative will include:
Paid Articles: Strategic placement of articles and features in regional and national magazines and newspapers to highlight teaching as a rewarding and trusted profession.
Event Participation: A presence at major national events such as the National Ploughing Championships and Higher Options, with enhanced promotional activities to showcase the Council’s work and the benefits of teaching as a career and profession to aid teacher supply.
Multi-Channel Campaign: An enhanced approach across online, digital, and print media to reach diverse audiences, strengthen public awareness of teaching as a profession, and emphasise the importance of regulation in maintaining public confidence and trust.
This investment is designed to deliver a higher-impact, nationwide campaign that elevates the profile of teaching, supports the Council’s role in promoting the profession and promotes the supply of teachers to the system
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2026 (Allocated) |
€51,000.00 |
|
2025 |
€5,924.99 |
|
2024 |
€3,187.12 |
|
2023 |
€4,601.55 |
|
2022 |
€3,283.02 |
Education Research Centre
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2026 (Allocated) |
€15,000.00 |
|
2025 |
€10,000.00 |
|
2024 |
€9,295.84 |
|
2023 |
€3,792.55 |
|
2022 |
€1,341.20 |
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2026 (Allocated) |
€1,500.00 |
|
2025 |
€1,000.00 |
|
2024 |
€9,077.65 |
|
2023 |
€885.60 |
|
2022 |
€7,492.54 |
Departmental Staff
Questions (1176)
Matt Carthy
Question:1176. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of press, media or communications staff currently employed in her Department and within each agency for which she is responsible; the cost of these staff for 2025 and the expected cost for 2026; whether there are proposals to increase the number of such staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75229/25]
View answerWritten answers
The department’s Communications and Stakeholder comprises its press office, digital communications, and website functions.
The Communications unit focuses on:
• Press office (7 day on-call service; media monitoring, queries, interviews, and press releases)
• Event management (Department events and Minister announcements)
• Content production (videos and online content for website, social media, digital platforms, publications, and design)
• External comms (school comms and campaigns)
• Internal communications including staff newsletter
• Stakeholder engagement
All communications are issued simultaneously in English and Irish.
The staffing of the unit is tabulated below:
|
Grade/Role |
Headcount |
|
Principal Officer - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
1 |
|
Assistant Principal - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
3 |
|
Higher Executive Officer - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
3 |
|
Executive Officer - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
4 |
|
Clerical Officer - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
2 |
|
Temporary Clerical Officer - Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Unit |
1 |
|
Total |
14 |
All staff are assigned to the salary scale commensurate with their stated grade. Salary scales are set centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
The information in respect of state bodies under the aegis, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. State bodies have been provided with the question and have been advised to respond directly to the Deputy.
EU Presidency
Questions (1177, 1186, 1255)
Matt Carthy
Question:1177. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost to her Department and to each agency for which they are responsible arising from Ireland’s presidency of the European Council; the line items or events for which a cost is expected to arise and the estimated cost for each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75247/25]
View answer
Darren O'Rourke
Question:1186. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth given the publication of the revised estimated volume in December 2025, if she can provide detail of where the allocation for the EU Presidency is coming from and for what it will be used for within the Department; if she can provide a breakdown of the spend in her Department on the EU Presidency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1214/26]
View answerDarren O'Rourke
Question:1255. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown of the capital allocated to the EU presidency in the Revised Estimates 2026 for her Department. [2167/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1177, 1186 and 1255 together.
Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2026 will be an important opportunity to shape Europe’s policy direction, lead important aspects of the EU’s work, and showcase Ireland’s engagement, expertise and values at the heart of the European Union.
My Department will host a range of Presidency events including an informal meeting of European Education Ministers in Dublin Castle. Responsibility for delivery of these aspects of the Education Presidency are shared with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science as both Departments contribute to the management of and representation of Ireland at EU level in this area.
The Government committed in the Programme for Government to resourcing and delivering a successful EU Presidency. My Department has been allotted a figure of €4,217,000 in the budgetary process for 2026 to deliver on Presidency plans.
Until decisions are made on the venues, accommodation, logistics and other costs that will be associated with each event that we propose to hold, it is not possible to provide a breakdown by each event. The following is the breakdown for each area of anticipated expenditure as we have it at this stage -
|
X9 EU Presidency |
Pay |
Non-Pay |
|
Admin Payroll |
742,000 |
|
|
T&S |
|
210,000 |
|
Youth Services |
|
1,475,000 |
|
Education |
|
1,790,000 |
|
Total |
742,000 |
3,475,000 |
Planning has taken place to date to ensure that costs are managed across all expenditure headings and prudent financial planning will continue throughout to ensure value for money. A number of resources are being procured centrally for use by all Departments by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of Public Works, such as venue options, catering, and transport. My Department will utilise these resources and procure other facilities where necessary in line with procurement guidelines.
There is no provision for capital expenditure in this allocation.
EU Presidency
Questions (1178)
Matt Carthy
Question:1178. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the priorities of her Department and each agency for which they are responsible for, in respect of Ireland’s presidency of the European Council; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [75265/25]
View answerWritten answers
Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the eighth time from 1 July to 31 December 2026. This will be an important opportunity for Ireland to lead and shape the European agenda, and the Government has made a firm commitment to resource and deliver a successful Presidency in 2026.
Preparations are well underway to deliver a successful Presidency in the Education and Youth area.
The priorities and policy programme for our EU Presidency are currently being developed, and will take into account the EU’s Strategic Agenda for 2024-2029 and the work programme of the European Commission, as well as the evolution of the Council's agenda over the coming months. Some of the EU Education work priorities focus on tackling basic skills, science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills (STEM), and AI and digital literacy across the EU.
Progress in the period ahead on the EU Education Council's ongoing work will inform our education priorities specifically. Responsibility for delivery of aspects of the Education Presidency are shared with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality as those Departments contribute to the management of and representation of Ireland at EU level in this area. Priorities will also seek to reflect as relevant the responses to the public consultation exercise recently completed by the Government and our own consultations.
On EU youth policy, our work will be focused on progressing development of the next EU Youth Strategy, the hosting of the EU Youth conference and on advancing Council texts under youth goal 4, Information and constructive dialogue. We will work closely with our Trio partners Lithuania and Greece on delivering meaningful outcomes under this youth goal. Work in this area will be informed by consultation with young people.
We are also engaged with our EU Trio partners, Lithuania and Greece, on an agreed programme to provide a strategic framework to guide this work over the period ahead.
Our policy programme will be finalised and published in June 2026, shortly before the start of our Presidency term.
Education and Training Boards
Questions (1179)
Paul McAuliffe
Question:1179. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department considers that Circular 0072/2022 (or any related Circular) can lawfully be relied upon by a school/ETB to require teacher attendance prior to 1 September while delaying the date from which they are paid until 1 September; her views on whether such a practice would not be consistent with the Payment of Wages Act,1991, and that pay must commence from the date duty is required; and whether she will issue clarification to ETBs. [1150/26]
View answerWritten answers
The standardised school year runs from 1 September to 31 August. Primary schools and special schools are required to be open for tuition for all pupils for a minimum of 182 school days. While post-primary schools must be open for tuition for all students for a minimum of 166 school days.
The expectation is that the school year will normally commence during the week in which the 1 September falls. However, a school year may commence in the week prior to that in which 1 September falls in circumstances where otherwise it would not be practicable for the school to meet the overall requirement of a minimum of 166 at post-primary level or 182 days at primary level. Teachers are not required to work anymore than their contracted days. A teacher is paid from the 1 September to 31 August following the standardised school year.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (1180)
Eoghan Kenny
Question:1180. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a timeline for the development of two new post-primary schools in Ballincollig, County Cork on lands acquired by Cork County Council has been published; if so, if the timeline will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1168/26]
View answerWritten answers
A joint major building project for Le Chéile Secondary School and Gaelscoil an Chaisleáin Ballincollig is currently being delivered as part of the Departments Adapt 4 programme - Programme Innovate.
The proposed development is for a new 1000 pupil post primary school including 6 classrooms for pupils with special educational needs, and a new 8 classroom primary school with accommodation including 2 classrooms for pupils with special educational needs at the site in question.
Programme Innovate will be delivered by Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.
This project is currently at the initial stage of architectural planning – Pre-Stage 1 where the Integrated Project Team carry out a site and current building assessment and initial design sketch schemes are created. Upon receipt and review of the Stage 1 report by my Department, the IPT and school authorities will be advised regarding project progression and next steps.
It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of this project until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.
Education and Training Boards
Questions (1181)
Pa Daly
Question:1181. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total amount of public funding expended on school book rental schemes from their introduction, circa 2010, up to the launch of the free schoolbooks scheme in 2023; to provide a breakdown of this expenditure by year where available; and to confirm whether this expenditure includes primary schools, post-primary schools, and Education and Training Board (ETB) schools, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1172/26]
View answerWritten answers
In Budget 2023, the department secured funding to introduce a free schoolbooks scheme in all recognised primary and special schools in the Free Education Scheme.
As part of Budget 2024, the department announced that the schoolbooks scheme would be extended to all students in Junior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme from the start of the 2024/25 school year.
In Budget 2025, the department announced that the schoolbooks scheme would be further extended to include students in Senior Cycle years, including Transition Year, in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
In total, €170 million has been allocated to provide free schoolbooks for some 940,000 children and young people enrolled primary, post-primary and special schools in the Free Education Scheme, from the start of the 2025/26 school year.
This means, for the first time ever, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme will be provided with schoolbooks and core classroom resources.
Prior to the Free Schoolbooks Scheme my Department provided a school book grant to all recognised primary and post-primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Under this scheme, my Department provided the following funding
The below expenditure includes book grants paid to all primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
|
Year |
Primary €m |
Post-Primary €m |
Total €m |
|
2010 |
6.87 |
7.80 |
14.67 |
|
2011 |
6.91 |
7.97 |
14.87 |
|
2012 |
6.98 |
8.09 |
15.07 |
|
2013 |
7.09 |
8.27 |
15.36 |
|
2014 |
7.20 |
8.41 |
15.61 |
|
2015 |
7.30 |
8.61 |
15.91 |
|
2016 |
7.39 |
8.75 |
16.14 |
|
2017 |
7.52 |
8.99 |
16.51 |
|
2018 |
7.58 |
9.11 |
16.69 |
|
2019 |
7.64 |
9.24 |
16.88 |
|
2020 |
7.63 |
9.45 |
17.08 |
|
2021 |
7.55 |
9.64 |
17.19 |
|
2022 |
7.93 |
10.23 |
18.16 |
|
2023 |
- |
10.65 |
10.65 |
Special Educational Needs
Questions (1182)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:1182. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of names of special schools across the State that have an early intervention class. [1191/26]
View answerWritten answers
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas email address.
The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) under the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, enables the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities/additional needs in the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to create a more inclusive environment in pre-schools, so all children availing of preschool, regardless of ability, can benefit from quality early learning and care. There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme over recent years.
It is important to note that a diagnosis is not required in order to access AIM supports and that while some children require additional supports at preschool level, many will transition into mainstream classes thereafter. This trend has also been noted as students’ progress from primary level to post-primary.
Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class. Generally, these classes are resourced at a 6:1 student/teacher ratio and two special needs assistants are allocated to each class.
Early intervention classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged 3 - 5 years old with a diagnosis of autism. There is also a small number dedicated to children who are deaf/hard of hearing. These classes are intended to provide early support to children before they start school and can aid their transition to junior infants.
A list of schools with special classes, broken by location and class designation is published annually on the NCSE website, www.ncse.ie.
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.