Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
539. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of school days that have been lost nationally and in DEIS primary schools in Tallaght, Dublin 24 to teacher training and in-service days in the past two academic years. [37719/26]
View answer540. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current Department policy on scheduling CPD during term time; and if it includes any exemptions or protections for children with additional needs. [37720/26]
View answer541. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason teacher training cannot be scheduled exclusively outside pupil contact time evenings, weekends or the paid summer period when repeated mid-term closures are causing serious disruption and regression for children with disabilities in schools such as Knockmore, Tallaght, Dublin 24. [37721/26]
View answer543. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of times per academic year primary schools are permitted to close for teacher training and staff days; and if she will cap the number of such closures in order that children, especially those with additional needs, are not repeatedly removed from routine within the same term. [37723/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 539, 540, 541 and 543 together.
I propose to take PQs 37719, 37720, 37721 & 37723 together.
My Department views teacher education as a continuum from initial teacher education to induction and ongoing professional learning.
The Department promotes the quality of teaching and learning through the provision of quality initial teacher education programmes, professional learning experiences (PLE) and other support for school leaders and teachers. This is achieved through the teacher education programmes, Education Support Centres and Oide – the department funded support service for teachers and school leaders.
The volume and nature of professional learning provision in any academic year is dependent upon needs identified in relation to curricular reform, implementation of priority educational policies/strategies, and the target cohorts of teachers involved.
In the development of professional learning experiences (PLE), Oide works across its divisions throughout the scoping, research, design and quality assurance phases of all professional learning resources. There is strong consultation with education professionals across the sectors to ensure that content and delivery meet the needs of teachers and school leaders. Oide's teacher professional learning activities involve the provision of bespoke professional learning experiences for diverse audiences within schools.
The provision of professional learning for teachers and school leaders during the school year takes place through a wide range of delivery models. The significant majority of these are engaged in outside of contact time with children and young people.
However, in some circumstances there is a direct benefit to the quality of education when education professionals can engage in professional learning experiences as a whole school team and immediately translate these into their everyday practice in schools and classrooms.
In the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 school year, my Department sanctioned two whole school closure days to support the major programmes of curricular reform being introduced across primary and post-primary schools (in the context of primary school the first such reform since 1999). In the 2025/2026 school year, my Department sanctioned one additional whole school closure day for whole school staff training on new Child Protection guidelines and procedures.
The sanction of whole school closure days is very carefully considered by my Department to ensure that the benefits to the quality of educational experiences for young children outweigh any disruption to their time in school.
The redeveloped primary curriculum is currently being introduced to all primary and special schools on a phased basis over at least six years. From the 2026/2027 school year, schools will select a minimum of one curriculum area each year and each specification will take two years to fully enact. Schools can choose the order in which they enact the curriculum areas, however, the Wellbeing specification must be one of the first three specifications selected.
To support for the enactment of the five curriculum areas, I have sanctioned four whole school closure days for the 2026/2027 school year. Three of these days will be led by Oide. One further school-led closure day will support whole-school collaboration on the enactment of the redeveloped primary curriculum to include curriculum planning, collaboration and review.
These school closure days were communicated to schools in Circular 0052/2026 which issued on 05 May.
From the 2028/2029 school year, schools may opt to take a consolidation year. This will allow them to pause for one year to strengthen and embed curriculum areas already in progress.
The Child Protection Procedures for Schools 2025 were published in May 2025.
The procedures were developed in close collaboration with the education partners — including management bodies, trade unions, the National Parents Council, and were informed by the views of children, young people and parents.
All recognised schools are required to take a closure day in the period September 2025 to December 2026 to facilitate mandatory in-person training for all school staff on the revised procedures. This arrangement was agreed with the education partners.
The Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary and 36 hours at primary, worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated professional learning to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
