Written Answers Nos. 141-160
141. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to expand the number of schools on the National Development Plan; her further plans to increase the funding allocated to the development of new school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40752/26]
View answerThe 105 projects prioritised to proceed to tender and/or construction across 2026 and 2027 represent a first tranche of large scale, extension and modular projects. However, further tranches will be prioritised to proceed at a later stage over what is a five year NDP plan with a total investment of €7.55 billion.
The projects selected for the initial tranche were already at Stage 3 (tender stage) and the most urgent projects at Stage 2b (detailed design) that had planning permission. Projects that were not already at this stage of readiness were not eligible for consideration for the initial tranche. The Stage 2b projects selected to progress were identified as meeting the most urgent requirements from a special education, demographics or building condition perspective.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, a department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027. This will include engagement with key stakeholders, including meetings with patrons in June. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities. A next tranche of projects to proceed to tender is expected to be announced in 2027.
Engagement with individual schools will also continue and will include consideration of issues such as any interim accommodation requirements and, in some cases, advancing enabling works to facilitate smooth progress to construction at a later stage.
It is important to note that the 105 projects on the initial NDP priority list represent a subset of the overall school building programme. In total, there are 260-300 projects under construction at any one time. Over the course of 2026, some 1,000 school projects of varying scales will be under construction. In addition to large scale, extension and modular projects, this includes climate action projects, summer works and repurposing of rooms for special education classes.
Since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has provided over €264 million in capital funding for schools in counties Carlow and Kilkenny. Over this period, a total of 70 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. 6 school projects to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 were included in the NDP Implementation Plan for Carlow-Kilkenny. There are currently 7 school projects under construction.
This summer, 10 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. In addition to this, 28 special classes have been sanctioned for September 2026.
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.
142. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the schools with Deis status in Dublin 8, 10 and 12 which applied and were refused Deis plus status; the reason they were refused; and the additional steps that will be taken to address the underlying issues for those schools. [40808/26]
View answerAddressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The new DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence this year and was launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, represents the most significant expansion of targeted supports since the establishment of DEIS. DEIS Plus is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to a cohort of 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, identified through a refined data-based model that draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage.
This approach ensures that additional resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact and forms a core element of the wider €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS Strategy and the DEIS Plus scheme. Approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS Plus schools will benefit from these targeted supports.
The DEIS Strategy to 2035 also acknowledges that students at risk of educational disadvantage are present in all schools. It therefore focuses on improving outcomes, encouraging innovation and ensuring schools can access the right supports when needed.
DEIS Plus was not an application-based scheme. As part of the DEIS Plus identification process, the DEIS Plus identification model was applied nationally to DEIS Urban Band 1 primary schools and DEIS post-primary schools. Using this model, schools were identified for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme through an objective and data-based approach that applies nationally available indicators consistently across all schools.
The department recognises that some schools are operating in the context of complex local pressures within their wider communities. While these challenges are often well understood locally, they are not always captured in datasets that can be fairly and consistently applied across the entire school system. A rules-based national model must consider all schools on the same basis; it cannot substitute locally held knowledge for data that are not available or comparable nationwide.
The DEIS Plus identification model was designed to identify schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. At post-primary level, the average proportion of students in DEIS Plus schools from areas with a HP Index score of -20 or below is 37.6%, compared with 9.8% across other DEIS post-primary schools. At primary level, the corresponding figures are 42.2% and 16.2% respectively. These figures illustrate the significantly higher concentrations of disadvantage present in schools included in the DEIS Plus scheme.
Following an assessment of the past three years’ enrolment data, only those schools identified as having the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage were included in the scheme. If a school was not identified for inclusion, this does not imply that there is no disadvantage within the school community. While many schools experience significant need, not all met the threshold for inclusion at this stage. Schools will continue to be supported through the range of additional resources provided through the DEIS programme and wider DEIS Strategy to 2035 measures.
Schools that were not satisfied with the outcome following the application of the DEIS Plus identification model to their school enrolment data had the opportunity to have that outcome reviewed through the formal appeals process. Schools had the opportunity to update their school enrolment data for the years 2023/2024, 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 on POD and PPOD where they identified that the information already provided was not an accurate reflection of their school enrolment for those years. Schools also had the opportunity to request that the application of the model to their existing data be reviewed.
As the DEIS Plus appeals process is currently under consideration, it would not be appropriate to comment on individual schools or on the status of any individual appeal until that process has concluded.
My department and I will continue to engage with school communities and education stakeholders regarding the implementation of the DEIS Strategy to 2035 and the range of supports available to schools serving communities experiencing educational disadvantage. Any future allocation of resources will be considered over the lifetime of the DEIS Strategy to 2035 and in the context of available resources.
143. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will progress a large-scale school project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39176/26]
View answerThe major building project referred to by the Deputy will be delivered under the Department’s ADAPT Programme. The ADAPT Programme uses a professional external Project 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 the development of a 32 Classroom Primary School with 4 classrooms for pupils with Special Educational Needs including Pyrite Remediation, the Refurbishment of Existing Buildings and the construction of a New Build Extension and all associated site works, including associated play areas.
The major building project is currently at an early stage of architectural planning – Stage 1 – Preliminary Design, where the design team assess the site and current buildings, and prepare their initial sketch schemes.
A preferred design option, including the scope and extent of works to be carried out will be established during this early stage, to be then further detailed and developed and fully cost-planned, before seeking statutory approvals, including planning permission.
Interim Stage 1 architectural workshops were held between the Design Team and the Department in Q4 2023, and the Design Team submitted their Stage 1 report to the Department in late Q4 2023.
Upon review of the report, a further detailed architectural workshop was held between the School Authorities, the Project Manager, Design Team and the department in February 2024.
Following that meeting, the Design Team were requested to consider the department’s comments in relation to the site and design options presented.
Department Officials and Design Team members have met on site at St. Patrick’s National School in attempts to develop appropriate design solutions that will best meet the needs of the school, and being cognisant of the 3rd party occupiers at the same site.
The Design Team are to prepare a revised Stage 1 submission, which upon receipt, will be reviewed, and a Stage 1 Stakeholders meeting will then be arranged.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6.9 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal. 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.
This investment has delivered real benefits for school communities.
A total capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth has been confirmed 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.
As part of the NDP Implementation Plan for the education and youth sector, a first tranche of projects to progress to tender and/or construction during 2026 and 2027 was published in January 2026.
Prioritisation will continue to identify further tranches of projects to proceed to tender and construction over the NDP period, with stakeholder consultation to commence in June 2026.
Our 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.
I would like to advise the Deputy, over this period, my Department has provided €1,906.47 million in capital funding for Dublin schools. A total of 261 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. 20 school projects were included in the NDP Implementation Plan to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027.
There are currently 54 school projects in Dublin under construction. This summer, 53 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme.
In addition, since 2020 a total of 529 special classes have been sanctioned in Dublin, of which 128 were sanctioned for September 2026.
144. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps being taken to address the shortfall in available special school places for the upcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40762/26]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support students with complex needs. To meet this need, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary.
I recently announced the establishment of four new special schools for the upcoming school year 2026/2027; a vital step in ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs have access to the specialist supports and environment they need to thrive and reach their full potential.
The four new special schools will be located in Balbriggan and Citywest in Co. Dublin, Bray in Co. Wicklow, and Monasterevin in Co. Kildare.
When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.
In planning for increased special school places, my department and the NCSE review all of the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand.
Part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education that meets their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children and young people seeking a special school place in a region.
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 achieve their full potential.
145. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total costs incurred in Clare for land rental and prefab rental for primary and for post primary schools for the years 2020-2025; the total duration for which each school has had prefab accommodation; the comparison cost of long-term rental against the cost of permanent construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40523/26]
View answerThe costs of rental accommodation in Co Clare for 2020 to 2025 is provided on the attached document. There are currently 24 rental contracts for Co. Clare for prefabs and land, of which 22 contracts relate to rental of prefabs and 2 contracts relate to rental of land. These contracts relate to 9 schools in Co. Clare.
The other details requested by the Deputy are not readily available at this time but will be the subject of a new strategic review of school rental accommodation by the department.
While maximising the opportunities to achieve value for money involves matching, as best as possible, the accommodation requirement and duration with the appropriate accommodation solution, it is also important to note that the use of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) reflects the Government’s broader commitment to developing modern, sustainable infrastructure. MMC enhances the productivity, efficiency, and environmental sustainability of school accommodation delivery. The Modular Accommodation Framework is a key part of the Department’s strategy for the provision of good quality functional accommodation to meet the permanent accommodation requirements for prioritised individual schools. Offsite construction minimises disruption in live school environments, while factory precision and strict quality control deliver robust, low-maintenance buildings. Today’s modular buildings represent a major advancement from earlier prefabricated forms and, since December 2018, all new builds — including modular — must meet the Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) standard, ensuring high energy efficiency and sustainability.
As part of National Development Plan rollout, it is envisaged that there will be continued strong rollout of the Modular Accommodation Programme to meet additional permanent accommodation requirements that are deemed urgent and necessary by the Department and that cannot be met from within existing school capacity. While the intended lifespan of individual units may currently vary, modular units provided from the Department’s framework have a design life of 60 years.
|
County |
Clare |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|
Total (Rental of Land and Prefabs) |
425,046 |
579,881 |
620,824 |
773,309 |
909,684 |
812,008 |
4,120,753 |
146. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on a new school build (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39681/26]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is now at an advanced stage of Architectural Planning - Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals, which have been secured, and the preparation of tender documents.
The brief for the project is to provide a new 16 classroom primary school with an additional classrooms for pupils with special educational needs.
My Department received the Stage 2b submission report from the Design Team in March 2025. My Department commenced a detailed review of this report by the multi disciplinary team and comments were issued to the Design Team requesting clarification. The Design Team have addressed these comments and the responses to those queries are currently under ongoing detailed review.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6.9 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal. 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.
This investment has delivered real benefits for school communities.
A total capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth has been confirmed 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.
As part of the NDP Implementation Plan for the education and youth sector, a first tranche of projects to progress to tender and/or construction during 2026 and 2027 was published in January 2026. Prioritisation will continue to identify further tranches of projects to proceed to tender and construction over the NDP period, with stakeholder consultation to commence in June 2026.
Our 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.
I would like to advise the Deputy, over this period, my Department has provided €264.25 million in capital funding for Galway schools. A total of 89 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. 10 school projects were included in the NDP Implementation Plan to go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027 including Scoil an Chroi Naofa.
There are currently 18 school projects in Galway under construction. This summer, 20 schools are approved to undergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme.
In addition, since 2020 a total of 108 special classes have been sanctioned in Galway, of which 30 were sanctioned for September 2026.
147. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the pause on the review of special needs assistant allocations is still in place; when she expects that review to proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39412/26]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
Special education funding will exceed €3 billion in 2026 – up 58% since 2020 and the highest amount ever provided.
The number of special needs assistants (SNAs) allocated to schools nationally has increased by 45% between the 2020/21 school year and the present. By the end of the 2026/27 school year there will be close to 25,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
SNAs play a key role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
It is important to note that there have been increases in SNAs in all counties and across all education settings since 2020, including mainstream, special classes and special schools.
It has been agreed that there will be no reductions to special needs assistants for the next school year 2026/27.
All schools reviewed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and allocated additional resources will receive them in the upcoming school year.
It was agreed that the SNA redeployment scheme, the SNA workforce development plan and changes to a 2014 circular outlining the role of a SNA will be advanced before any further decisions are taken.
The priority will be to ensure that the child-centred approach to the provision of special education is retained and enhanced in these policy developments.
After these key documents are agreed and published, the NCSE can commence reviews of supports provided to schools for the 2027/28 academic year which will uphold the integrity of the process, which allocates supports based on the needs of children.
The 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.
148. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of applications currently with her Department for capital building works; the breakdown of these per county; if there is a priority list based on the state of the buildings themselves; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39848/26]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy, that my department’s website, www.gov.ie contains up to date information relating to the progression of projects throughout the country. The information is available for both additional school accommodation and large scale major projects. Since 2020, my department has invested over €6.9 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal.
The department will continue to build on this progress with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs under the €7.55 billion National Development Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. While the plan has a strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity, my department continues to engage with school authorities regarding applications from numerous avenues of funding under the NDP such as the Additional School Accommodation scheme, Climate Action Summer Works and Emergency Works schemes and Special Education Needs Repurposing scheme. The decision to initiate a large-scale project is department led in consultation with school authorities and primarily based on demographic projections on the future demand for school places to determine when and where to expand school capacity.
Major capital works must also be considered in the context of climate action commitments. The plan for identifying opportunities to transform existing schools at national scale will be informed by the outcome of an Energy and Condition survey of all schools which is due for completion this year.The subsequent analysis of this significant amount of data will help determine priorities going forward in relation to retrofit and refurbishment projects. The process may ultimately identify a requirement for the replacement of some accommodation, but this is not expected to be widespread. This overall process is particularly valuable in facilitating a proportionate assessment of a school’s accommodation upgrade needs relative to all other schools and allow an effective prioritisation of capital investment.
In addition, my department is planning for the introduction of an increase in the minor works grant funding at primary level and December 2028/January 2029 is being set as the planned payment timeline for this. At that stage my department also plans to introduce a minor works grant at post-primary level. This will be the first time a minor works grant will be a standard feature at post-primary level and will be key in supporting a good maintenance regime. Engagement will commence in 2026 with relevant stakeholders to develop an appropriate methodology for targeting this increased investment on maintenance of the school estate that will be based on data from the Department’s energy and condition survey of the school estate. Engagement with school patrons is a fundamental part of the prioritisation process for progressing the school building programme more generally under the NDP Plan.
150. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that schools such as a school (details supplied) in north Dublin have received late notice regarding the future of the Summer Programme; whether she will ensure that schools receive Departmental communications earlier in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40715/26]
View answerDetails of the 2026 Summer Programme were communicated to all schools on the 6th May 2026.
All schools have been offered the opportunity to run a school-based programme for children with the most complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage. Where a school does not intend to run a school-based programme or there is no place on the programme for an eligible child, schools were invited to make an application for the home-based programme.
The online application portals for both the School-based and the Home-based Summer Programmes were open in parallel from the 6th May 2026 to the 15th May 2026.
As communicated to all schools at the outset, it is intended that schools will be engaged with on an individual basis in the week commencing the 25th May. During that period, schools will receive a follow-up email confirming the number of pupils approved to participate in this year’s programme, along with their school’s assigned staffing allocation. This approach ensures that each school receives clear, tailored information to assist with effective planning. As post primary schools are approaching the end of term, these schools will be prioritised and engaged with in the first instance.
In the case of the school referred to by the Deputy, Department officials have confirmed that their application to run the school-based Programme was received on the 7th May 2026 and they will be contacted in due course.
151. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will progress a new school building for a school (details supplied) to accommodate the needs of students in Blanchardstown village and Blanchardstown west school planning area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39175/26]
View answerI am pleased to confirm to the Deputy, that the school in question recently agreed a brief for 2 Special education classrooms in Modular accommodation. The Viability report was finalised and agreed with the school authorities and the project is now being progressed through the Modular framework by the department's assigned Project Managers.
I can also confirm that my officials received an application, on 05/05/2026, for Major Capital funding to provide a new school building from the school in question.
As the Deputy will be aware, my department recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. In line with the NDP Sectoral Plan, capital investment will be targeted and prioritised to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs, focusing on maximising the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance.
The proposal for a new school building will be considered in the context of a number of core factors including the school’s accommodation requirements, available accommodation capacity across schools in the area, demographics in the school planning area, school building projects already in train and projected demand for places in the school planning area.
The Deputy has met with the department's Forward Planning Section where extensive data was provided in relation to demographic demand for post primary school places in the Dublin west area.
The school in question is one of 3 Post Primary schools in the Blanchardstown_Village School Planning Area (SPA). These schools had a combined first year enrolment of 466 in 2025 and a total enrolment of 2697 pupils. This SPA also has 11 primary schools and enrolments in these schools have peaked with currently 24% less pupils in Junior Infants than in 6th class. It is envisaged that there is sufficient capacity to cater for every 6th class pupil seeking a post primary school place.
The neighbouring SPA of Blanchardstown_West will be served in the long term by 2 Post Primary schools, Coláiste Pobail Setanta and Hansfield ETSS with combined capacity here for at least 2,000 pupils. Hansfield ETSS has yet to enrol to full capacity.
This SPA has 7 primary schools and enrolments in these schools have also peaked with 18% less pupils in Junior Infants than in 6th class.
The department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis and in consultation with patrons to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. The Department led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities and will give a good picture of the nature of accommodation at all schools. This will facilitate good strategic overview and decision-making on relative priorities between schools for further investment in the existing school estate.
A decision on this application will be communicated to the school authority in due course.
152. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the Programme for Government commitment of bringing pupils teacher ratio levels down to European norms of 19:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39847/26]
View answerPriority was given in recent Budgets to reducing the pupil teacher ratios in primary schools which has brought the teacher allocation ratio to an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils in all primary schools, the most favourable ratio ever seen at primary level. Teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools have also been improved and now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively.
In 2015, teachers were allocated to primary schools at a general average of 28 pupils for every one teacher. In the same 10 year period, average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.9 to 22.2 and the pupil : teacher ratio shows the ratio of pupils to teachers improve from 16:1 to 12.8:1. In addition to the reductions in the teacher allocation ratio, a three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which was introduced in 2021, assists schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts. Further progress on this matter will be considered as part of the annual budgetary process.
153. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the number of appropriate school places at both primary and secondary schools in County Louth that will be available for students in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40551/26]
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 are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year.
In addition, I recently announced inclusive special classes as part of a new approach to supporting students with additional needs. This is one of many ways my department is actively engaging to meet the increased demand.
546 new special classes have been sanctioned to date, including 47 inclusive special classes. Further new special classes are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.
New special classes are being established in every county with 11 confirmed for Louth so far. Of these 8 are at primary and 3 at post-primary level.
Under the Education Act, 1998 each school must publish an Admissions Policy and an Annual Admissions Notice. The published admission policy sets out the selection criteria for admission to school. The annual admission notice sets out the number of places that are available and the timeline for accepting and processing applications for admission.
This information should be published on the school’s website and be available on request by contacting the school directly.
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 achieve their full potential.
154. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department calculates future demand for school places to ensure that families are accommodated in their local communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40074/26]
View answer156. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the mechanisms in place to ensure that areas that are experiencing significant population growth are accommodated with additional school places or new schools where required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40073/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 156 together.
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.
My department conducts demographic analysis at both school planning area and settlement level. More granular analysis is carried out in areas encompassing both high growth urban settlement areas and a more rural hinterland.
This granular analysis geocodes child benefit and enrolment data down to small area level, which provides my department with a basis of 19,000 building blocks that is used to produce demographic profiles for any area. Zero migration projections are then produced and provision for internal migration, driven by new residential developments, is added. Resulting in localised, informed school place demand projections.
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.
The department will continue to liaise with local authorities in respect of their 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.
In addition, my department’s longer-term planning for school infrastructure, an annual school capacity management process is undertaken to ensure that sufficient school places are available to meet demand each year at both primary and post-primary level, including for children and young people with special educational needs.
This process involves ongoing analysis of enrolment trends, demographic data and projected intake at school planning area level, as well as direct engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies. Each school planning area is kept under review on an ongoing basis, with particular regard to projected pupil intake, existing school capacity and emerging enrolment pressures.
155. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that have availed of the phone pouch scheme; and the overall cost of the scheme in Cork. [40072/26]
View answerIn June 2025, a policy was introduced to restrict students’ access to personal mobile phones during the school day in post-primary schools. In addition, to support schools to implement this policy approach, funding of €9 million was allocated in Budget 2025 for the provision of mobile phone storage solutions for students in post-primary schools.
69 post-primary schools based in Cork city and county received mobile phone storage solutions funding totalling €913,600.
To date, funding to the value of €7.1m has issued to some 519 post-primary schools at the end of 2025, when the application process closed.
While the funding, was primarily for the purchase of secure mobile phone storage solutions, it should be noted that the solution selected is a matter for individual schools, having regard to their own circumstances, enrolment levels, and operational needs.
This fund forms part of a broader suite of measures aimed at supporting student wellbeing, reducing distraction during the school day, and assisting schools in implementing their own mobile phone policies, in line with departmental guidance.
157. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil den Minister for Education and Youth cad atá á dhéanamh ag a Roinn chun tacú leis an éileamh méadaithe ar rochtain ar oideachas dara leibhéal trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [40656/26]
View answerÁirítear i gClár an Rialtais, 2025, Todhchaí na hÉireann a Dhaingniú, tiomantas do Ghaelscoileanna agus Gaelcholáistí a bhunú sa chás go bhfuil éileamh ann agus do thacaíocht a thabhairt do thuismitheoirí a roghnaíonn oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge dá leanaí.
Sa chomhthéacs sin, ar an 6 Samhain 2025, d’fhoilsigh mo roinn ‘Polasaí don Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht’. Leagtar amach sa pholasaí fís mo roinne go mbeidh oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge ar ardchaighdeán ar fáil do chách, i suíomhanna ionchuimsitheacha agus ilchultúrtha.
Bunaíodh Tascfhórsa ar Mhúnlaí Soláthair don Oideachas lán-Ghaeilge i mí na Samhna 2025 mar phríomhghníomh faoin bpolasaí. Is é ról an tascfhórsa ná deis a sholáthar le haghaidh comhoibrithe idir mo roinn agus príomhpháirtithe leasmhara chun conair a fhorbairt le soláthar oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge a mhéadú.
Táthar ag súil go gcríochnófar obair an tascfhórsa laistigh de bhliain amháin. Cuirfidh sé moltaí faoi bhráid mo roinne maidir le réimsí amhail na critéir le haghaidh soláthar oideachais trí mheán na Gaeilge, conas tacú le scoileanna atá ag aistriú chuig oideachas trí mheán na Gaeilge agus sásraí chun leathnú soláthair a éascú.
Tá breis agus €500m infheistithe ag mo Roinn le 6 bliana anuas, áfach, chun foirgnimh scoile nua a thógáil agus saoráidí a bhí ann cheana a nuachóiriú do scoileanna trí mheán na Gaeilge ar fud na tíre. Chuimsigh an infheistíocht seo tógáil 10 bhfoirgneamh scoile nua do scoileanna trí mheán na Gaeilge le linn na tréimhse seo. Tá 9 bhfoirgneamh scoile nua do scoileanna trí mheán na Gaeilge á dtógáil faoi láthair.
Leanfaidh mo Roinn de thacaíocht a thabhairt do Sholáthar Oideachais Lán-Ghaeilge le linn na tréimhse 2026 go 2030, mar chuid d’fheidhmiú céimneach an NDP.
158. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has plans in place for changes or reforms in the youth sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40712/26]
View answerOpportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector, published in September 2024. The strategy aims to build awareness of and strengthen youth services and ensure that youth services remain accessible and of value to young people across Ireland. Department officials have drafted an operational action plan to support implementation of the strategy, and consultation with stakeholders involved in the delivery actions is taking place in advance of the finalisation and publication of the plan. The department has received significant input already from the sector, which is reflected in the plan.
The implementation of Opportunities for Youth, and the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders, will be supported through a new National Youth Sector Reference Group (NYSRG), as well as a group comprising representatives from departments and agencies that provide funding to or interact with the youth sector.
The establishment of the NYSRG is being informed by a process of stakeholder mapping and will focus on the design of a consultative forum, that will concentrate on the identification of policy priorities, outputs, and outcomes. The Group will include representatives from across the youth sector, including academics and youth representatives. This will support a balanced and transparent input from across the wider youth sector into national decision-making. A key pillar of this will be the representation of the views of young people, including young people of diverse backgrounds, so that they can influence decision-making in respect of youth work services.
The aim of the Interdepartmental and Interagency Group on State-funded Youth Work Services will be to develop a renewed and whole-of-government vision for the role of state-funded youth work services, including the role of youth work within the wider landscape of provision for children and young people. In turn this will improve coherence and complementarity across schemes and ensure a joined-up approach to supporting young people. This group will comprise relevant departments and state agencies that provide support or funding to youth services, to achieve greater cooperation, coherence and, where appropriate, integration of services.
This will be an important enabler for the further development of a shared understanding of the State’s vision for youth work services in the context of the evolving needs of young people. This includes the role of cross-government funders within a delivery and policy landscape that has altered significantly since the enactment of the Youth Work Act, 2001.
It is intended that, informed by progress to date, further actions for delivery in 2027 and 2028 will be identified after the first phase of delivery. It is anticipated that actions during the second phase will include a review of the Youth Work Act, 2001
Under Action 8 of Opportunities for Youth, work has begun on a review of the UBU scheme. The review will assess how the scheme operates, the extent to which the scheme is meeting its objectives, and whether the processes and procedures that underpin the scheme are fit for purpose.
The department is engaging in a Business Process Improvement (BPI) exercise as part of which engagement with education and training boards (ETBs) and youth service providers has taken place for their feedback on the scheme’s operations. It is expected that this part of the review will be completed in the coming months and will inform next steps.
Separately, consideration is being given to the review of the more qualitative aspects of the UBU scheme, and it is planned that this work will commence in 2026.
Action 15 of Opportunities for Youth, the national strategy for youth work and related services, commits to the delivery a reformed Youth Service Grant Scheme (YSGS) that is more responsive to the current needs of young people, facilitates youth organisations to more effectively deliver services to young people, and enhances the governance and oversight structures for the scheme. An action plan is being prepared for publication to capture the work done under Opportunities for Youth to date and the work for delivery in 2026. This action plan will include timelines for tasks under action 15.
Some important improvements have already been made to the YSGS as a result of the reform process including improvements to grant management documents. A key step in the reform was the opening of the scheme to new applicant organisations under a pilot version of a new application process for the first time in 2024. Five youth organisations were awarded funding under this pilot, bringing the number of national youth organisations funded under the YSGS to thirty-five.
Opportunities for Youth also commits to producing a Workforce Development Strategy, to include consideration of training needs and the requirement for high-quality, accessible and inclusive youth work services and opportunities. As part of the preparatory work to deliver the Workforce Strategy, and to establish baseline data and information, a workforce survey for youth workers was undertaken, followed by a workforce questionnaire for employers.
Consultations are underway which will build on the data acquired to date and provide a more in-depth understanding of the challenges experienced by youth organisations in workforce recruitment and retention.
159. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average and median cost of insurance per pupil at primary and secondary level; the actions she is taking to reduce the cost of insurance for schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40772/26]
View answerThe Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs.
The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years. The department has secured €39 million in Budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools from €224 to €274 and of €20 per student for post-primary schools from €386 to €406. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294. The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of mainstream capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. These increases will take effect from September 2026. This funding will benefit schools around the country in managing their day-to-day running costs.
The increases announced in Budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of Budget 2025. The last three budgets have resulted in an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools.
The department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities, except for the employment of relevant secretaries as per Circular 0036/2022.
The current standard rate of capitation grant is €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per student in post-primary schools. Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the capitation and the ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the Department of Education and Youth, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters.
The following summary data is taken from the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) data which was provided by individual schools and as such is subject to certain data quality limitations.
|
General Insurance Per Pupil Cost (€) |
2022/2023 |
2023/2024 |
2024/2025 |
|
Post-primary average |
46.53 |
48.93 |
48.75 |
|
Post-Primary median |
41.15 |
42.09 |
40.19 |
|
Primary average |
63.06 |
66.53 |
70.63 |
|
Primary median |
44.79 |
47.80 |
49.45 |
160. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that have had SET hours reduced; and the overall gross reduction. [40071/26]
View answerThe primary responsibility for the education of all pupils, including those with special education learning needs, is the class teacher or subject teacher.
The special education teaching (SET) allocation provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the learning needs of students in mainstream classes who have been identified using the Continuum of Support framework as requiring additional support.
The SET allocation model is designed to distribute additional teaching resources across the entire school system. This is to ensure that additional teaching resources are available to support students with the greatest level of learning need.
It is important to understand that SET resources are distributed to schools based on learning needs across the entire system.
For 2026/27 school year there will be more than 15,000 Special Education Teachers (SET) allocated to support children and young people with special education needs in mainstream classes.
It should be noted that in the last 5 years in County Cork, the number of special classes has increased by 73%, the number of SNAs overall has increased by 32% and the number of special education teachers has increased by 18%.
As has always been the case, the allocation of SET resources to schools will see some schools gaining hours while others may see a reduction in hours where there is change in the enrolment number and local demographics.
In Cork, there has been a reduction in enrolments of over 2,200 in 231 schools. In 139 of this school the profile change was significant which resulted in a reduced SET allocation. These reductions have been reallocated to almost 100 schools in Cork whose profile of need have increased along with an additional fifteen new SET teaching posts allocated to support this need.
In addition, a total of 23 Cork schools submitted a SET Review request to the NCSE. These are presently being processed by the NCSE and each school will be advised of the outcome before the end of the school year.
My Department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality where every child and young person feels valued and actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
