Written Answers Nos. 244-264
246. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of management in a school (details supplied) in relation to the failure of her Department to maintain support levels and resourcing to match their significant growth in student numbers. [66359/26]
View answerAfter Fórsa accepted the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement about salaries and leave for grant-funded school secretaries, the secretaries who accepted the agreement were added to the Department of Education and Youth’s payroll from September 2023.
Work is currently underway to develop an allocation model for school secretaries which will inform schools of the level of resources permitted within each school, which will be subject to available funding via the annual estimates process. Further information will be provided to schools when it becomes available. The department will be engaging with Management Bodies in due course.
The key factor for determining the level of teaching resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing arrangements include a provision whereby schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. The school referred to by the Deputy has been allocated three posts on this basis for the current school year. Such posts are initially allocated on a provisional basis, pending confirmation of the school’s enrolment on 30 September.
The special education teacher (SET) is an additional resource provided to all mainstream schools to support students with an identified additional learning need based on the continuum of support framework.
When annual SET allocations are published, if a school believes they have been allocated insufficient SET resources to meet the identified and recorded special education needs of their pupils they can request a review by the NCSE. If the NCSE identify that additional SET resources are required, the school will receive them.
Schools must allocate their SET resources on the basis that the pupils with the highest level of learning need receive the greatest level of SET support. The identified needs and action plan to support the pupil should be recorded in the student support plan and a critical component of the plan is the parent/guardians input along with the views of the pupil.
In the case of Cherrywood Educate Together National School, the school submitted a SET review to the NCSE when allocations for 2026/27 were published, and they recommended an increase in SET hours.
The schools SET allocations for mainstream classes has increased from 87.5 SET hours per week for 2025/26 school year to 140 SET hours per week for this school year, this is an increase of 60% in SET resources.
In the case of SNA resources, the school has an allocation of 10.33 SNA posts. If the school believes that they require additional SNA resources to meet the care needs of pupils, they should contact their local NCSE Special Education Needs Organiser to discuss this matter.
247. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the mechanisms in place to support schools that are experiencing rapid growth due to significant population increases in their locality; and the way they can be supported to manage this growth in terms of resources. [66358/26]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that it is open to all schools to apply for the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream and special education classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
I can assure the Deputy that my department has a robust forward planning process which considers population and enrolment data in order to plan for school provision and respond to population changes.
My department uses a geographic information system which facilitates the analysis of data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit, school enrolment data, residential development activity and information about existing school capacity to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed.
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.
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.
The 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.
248. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of parents and management in a school (details supplied) in relation to the lack of secondary school places available for children attending this primary school. [66357/26]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs is an absolute priority of mine.
Primary school enrolments at national level have been in decline for a number of years and this downward demographic trend is also now apparent at first year post primary level. There are, however continued pressures in some areas where there is high demand with continued population growth and housing development driving the need for additional school places.
While my Department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
Duplication of applications
School of choice
Single sex schools
External draw
Notwithstanding the above, in some areas demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
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.
The school building project referred to by the Deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including classrooms for children with special educational needs. The project, which has planning permission, will be delivered under 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.
Further analysis has since been conducted on the necessity for the establishment of the planned new school taking into account a number of factors including the pace of delivery of the expected additional residential development in the Cherrywood SDZ area, associated enrolments and the capacity in existing schools in the school planning area.
My department is satisfied that existing demand can be accommodated at present by the existing and growing schools in the school planning area. As a result, the establishment of the planned new post primary school has been deferred.
Earlier this year my department published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects. As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender.
In accordance with the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted.
However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. School admissions policies, including the selection criterion to be used where the school is oversubscribed, must comply with the 2018 Act, be non-discriminatory and be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. All schools must clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied and schools can prioritise selected feeder schools should they wish to do so. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. The department does not seek to intervene in the selection criterion that is applied by schools.
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(ii) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due a reason other than the school being oversubscribed.
It may be of some assistance to know that TUSLA’s Education Support Service (TESS) which is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. TESS can be contacted at 01-7718500. For ease of reference, I have provided you with a link to the relevant phone numbers for the Education Welfare Officers who are part of TESS assigned to various areas around the country. www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/local-area-offices.
249. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours has been negotiated with the relevant teacher unions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66383/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
250. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours can be outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66381/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
251. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school (details supplied) who applied for the climate action summer works scheme in 2025 will be included in Tranche 2 funding given they are struggling with single pane leaking windows and receiving very high energy bills and are depending on this funding. [66380/26]
View answerThe purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works.
It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time. This is aimed at managing market capacity and maximising value for money opportunities for school authorities.
In November 2025, my Department announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. 297 projects were approved to proceed and involve primary, post primary and special schools, along with projects in all counties and across all categories of works.
My Department can confirm an application was received from the school in question however the school was not on the list of approvals in the first tranche. Given that funding is limited in any particular year it is necessary to prioritise applications. Under the new climate action summer works scheme which operates on a multi annual basis, like previous summer works schemes, applications from schools that are not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years.
It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be announced in October 2026.
Full details of the of the announcement and the list of schools approved in the first tranche, the Circular (0029/2025) for the scheme and guidance documents for schools can be found at the below link; www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/.
252. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours is under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66379/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
253. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours; if this is set out as a requirement in their contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66378/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
254. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours has been negotiated with the relevant teacher unions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66377/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
255. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours can be outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66376/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
256. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours is under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66375/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
257. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke Park hours; if this is set out as a requirement in their contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66373/26]
View answerThe 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 a year 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 continuous Professional Development 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.
258. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific funding streams available through her Department for national schools that wish to develop or upgrade outdoor facilities within their schools to encourage play, exercise and mobility. [66398/26]
View answerI should explain that applications relating to the provision of funding for issues relating to an existing school building can fall under a number of different delivery mechanisms including, most frequently, the Summer Works Scheme and the Emergency Works Scheme and could include the upgrade or provision of play areas.
The purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of the minimal scope of works required to remedy an emergency situation. The EWS usually provides an interim solution until such time as a comprehensive solution can be provided under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS).
The purpose of the SWS is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis and, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school.
The Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (which was previously named the Summer Works Scheme) places a strong emphasis on sustainability. Schools can now undertake additional measures such as insulation upgrades, LED lighting installation, EV charger provision, bike rack facilities to support active travel and other climate-focused works alongside traditional maintenance.
The newly announced Climate Action Summer works opened for applications on the 1st May and the application window closed on the 30th of June 2025, full details of the scheme can be found under Summer Works Scheme: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/. The EWS is open for applications year-round. It is open to the school to make an application under the most appropriate scheme.
259. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on a matter (details supplied). [66404/26]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth that has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the numbers of children and young people using the service have grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to over 181,000 pupils including over 24,000 pupils with Special Educational Needs in 2025 which equates to an increase of over 50%. Since 2018, investment in the scheme has more than doubled, from €200 million to €537 million.
The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024. The recommended changes to the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer.
In terms of progress on implementation of the recommendations arising from the Review of the scheme, a number of measures have been progressed. In terms of making improvements to the scheme for children with special educational needs, a working group has been established and an initial priority for this group was to make changes to the transport application form. The first stage of this project has been completed with the current stage continuing to development of an online application form which is anticipated to go live in Q4 of 2026.
The rate of the Special Transport Grant (STG) has been increased with effect from the current school year to 41.80 cent for the first 6,437 kilometres travelled and 31.78 cent per kilometre for each kilometre travelled thereafter.
Work is advancing on a number of projects including e-Ticketing and digital mapping, by Bus Éireann. These technology improvements will improve efficiencies in the scheme subject to significant financial investment.
An information pack regarding the employment of School Bus Escorts was issued to schools at the start of the 2024/2025 school year.
Pay rates for Bus Escorts were reviewed and increased, the latest increase was applied in February 2026.
It was outlined at the time the Review was published that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria would further increase demand for the scheme. Therefore, it was considered prudent to implement the changes on a phased basis.
As part of this phased rollout, 14 School Transport pilots commenced in the 2024/25 school year. A further 11 pilots were approved for the 2025/26 school year. For these pilots, the distance criteria for pupils are reduced to 2km for primary and post primary and the need for a pupil to be attending their nearest school is removed.
Due to ongoing challenges in the wider transport sector, including availability of drivers and vehicles, any expansion of services must be carefully planned and phased. While pilot projects are considered in select areas to test revised eligibility criteria, these pilots are limited in scope and capacity.
An evaluation of the pilots in the 2025/2026 school year is currently underway. The findings from the evaluation will inform the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme subject to the availability of resources.
It must be recognised that there has been significant additional investment in the scheme in recent years to accommodate the current service provided to over 180,000 children, further expansion will require further investment and reform. In terms of supporting rural families, where there are not enough eligible children to establish or retain a school transport service, families may be offered the Remote Area Grant (RAG). This grant helps eligible families with the cost of making their own transport arrangements when school transport cannot be provided. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.
260. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will review the requirement under the school transport scheme that pupils must attend their nearest school, having regard to ethos and language, to qualify for transport; whether she accepts that this can significantly restrict parental choice of school, particularly where concessionary places are unavailable due to capacity constraints; and if greater flexibility will be introduced under the scheme. [66421/26]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
With regard to ethos, the Department of Education and Youth classifies schools as being one of the following - of religious denomination, interdenominational or multi-denominational.
At Post Primary level, eligibility for school transport is to the nearest post primary school/education centre subject to limited exceptions. The scheme has regard to ethos and language in that exceptions to eligibility for the scheme are considered in the case of minority religions and the Irish language. The scheme at Post Primary level provides transport for children of minority religion for whom there is less choice of school given the dispersed nature of these schools and also facilitates the viability of those minority religion schools.
The School Transport 2030 report was published in early 2024 following a comprehensive analysis and review of the scheme as it currently operates. The recommended changes to the schemes include expansion of the current eligibility criteria, addressing current operational challenges and moving towards better integration with public transport to ensure the best value for money to the Exchequer.
It was outlined at the time the Review was published that the proposed changes to the eligibility criteria would further increase demand for the scheme. Therefore, it was considered prudent to implement the changes on a phased basis.
As part of this phased rollout, 14 School Transport pilots commenced in the 2024/25 school year. A further 11 pilots were approved for the 2025/26 school year. For these pilots, the distance criteria for pupils are reduced to 2km for primary and post primary and the need for a pupil to be attending their nearest school is removed.
Due to ongoing challenges in the wider transport sector, including availability of drivers and vehicles, any expansion of services must be carefully planned and phased. While pilot projects are considered in select areas to test revised eligibility criteria, these pilots are limited in scope and capacity.
An evaluation of the pilots in the 2025/2026 school year is currently underway. The findings from the evaluation will inform the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme subject to the availability of resources.
It must be recognised that there has been significant additional investment in the scheme in recent years to accommodate the current service provided to over 180,000 children, further expansion will require further investment and reform. In terms of supporting rural families, where there are not enough eligible children to establish or retain a school transport service, families may be offered the Remote Area Grant (RAG). This grant helps eligible families with the cost of making their own transport arrangements when school transport cannot be provided. The Remote Area Grant is also payable for eligible children who may have to travel 3.2kms or more to or from a designated pick up/set down point.
261. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of post-primary teacher vacancies identified in each county in the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 school years, by subject; the number of positions remaining unfilled following an initial recruitment process; the number being filled by a teacher who does not hold the relevant subject qualification; and the number of subjects which schools have reported being unable to offer due to teacher recruitment difficulties. [66439/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.
As of November 2025, there were 34,626 full-time equivalent teachers employed in post-primary schools across the country and over 99% of allocated posts were filled.
While the Department does not have the data for the number of unfilled post-primary teaching posts in the 2025/2026 school year, by subject, data published by the Department for the vacancies by subject, as well as subjects for which teaching posts were filled by teachers not registered to teach the subject, for the 2023/2024 school year is available through the Survey of Teacher Unmet Demand in Post Primary Schools 2023/24 report, at this link: assets.gov.ie/static/documents/f30264cc/Survey_of_Unmet_Demand_School_year_2023_24.pdf.
The table below shows the number of post-primary teacher vacancies identified in each county, using the latest published data from November 2025.
|
County |
Unused Allocations 25/26 |
|
Carlow |
0.0 |
|
Cavan |
5.8 |
|
Clare |
9.9 |
|
Cork |
39.7 |
|
Donegal |
24.8 |
|
Dublin |
116.0 |
|
Galway |
19.2 |
|
Kerry |
14.5 |
|
Kildare |
12.3 |
|
Kilkenny |
1.6 |
|
Laois |
4.5 |
|
Leitrim |
0.3 |
|
Limerick |
5.8 |
|
Longford |
3.9 |
|
Louth |
12.3 |
|
Mayo |
14.6 |
|
Meath |
13.3 |
|
Monaghan |
2.5 |
|
Offaly |
6.7 |
|
Roscommon |
4.2 |
|
Sligo |
5.8 |
|
Tipperary |
9.0 |
|
Waterford |
14.1 |
|
Westmeath |
8.9 |
|
Wexford |
17.1 |
|
Wicklow |
15.4 |
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for individual school authorities, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012). In that regard, there are more than 3,700 individual employers (boards of management of primary schools and post-primary schools, as well as ETBs).
A number of measures have been introduced to address subject-specific teacher shortages:
- STEM Bursary: a €2k annual bursary for student teachers in STEM fields, including maths, chemistry, physics, biology, computer science and engineering, during the final two years of their undergraduate teacher education, with a requirement to complete at least 2 years of teaching post-qualification in a recognised post-primary school.
- Upskilling programmes: upskilling programmes for teachers are offered in high-demand subjects: Irish, French, politics & society, computer science, maths, physics and Spanish. These flexible programmes, free to registered teachers, boost teachers’ employment opportunities while addressing subject-specific teacher shortages.
To address teacher supply issues more generally, the Government has implemented several measures that have led to:
- an increase of 20% in initial teacher education graduates (student teachers) between 2018 and 2023, and
- an over 30% increase in the number of teachers registered with the Teaching Council since 2017.
My Department has recently published revised arrangements for the award of a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) to teachers; teachers taking up their first contract in a viable post will be eligible for a permanent position after one year, subject to successful re-appointment through a competitive process.
Recently regulations were approved to allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State and incremental credit is also available to teachers returning from abroad, depending on the teaching experience gained.
A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government, is in development. Additionally, a project focused on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland, led by UNESCO and supported by the EU Commission, has published recommendations for addressing the main factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland. The project report, which was launched on 7th September 2026, can be accessed online at the following link: unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000399288.locale=en.
Recommendations include measures focused on subject-specific shortages at post-primary, substitute teachers, special education, Irish Medium Education, DEIS primary, cost-of-living concerns, data management and diversity in the profession.
262. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on concerns raised by parents regarding the Leaving Certificate scheduling which resulted in maths paper 2 and Irish paper 1 being held on the same day; whether she acknowledges that both Irish and maths are difficult for many students and would be best held separately and on their own; and whether she will examine this in advance of the schedule for 2027 being published. [66452/26]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of State examinations including the examination timetable.
In view of this, I have asked the SEC to respond directly to the Deputy.
263. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify when the construction phase will commence for the Cork Educate Together Secondary School at Douglas Co. Cork. [66487/26]
View answerThe major school building project for Cork Educate Together Secondary School, will deliver a new 600 pupil post-primary school building and accommodation, including classrooms for children with special educational needs.
The school is assigned to my Departments Design & Build delivery programme which uses a professional external Programme Manager to progress the project through the relevant stages of architectural planning, tender, and construction.
The project is currently at Stage 3 – Tender Award Stage. The date for return of completed tenders was 27th March 2026. Tenders were then reviewed by the Programme Manager and their Multidisciplinary Technical Team. The Tender Report was recently submitted for review to my Department by the Programme Manager.
Due diligence by my Department is a critical part of the overall completion of the Stage 3 process and is essential to ensuring quality and value for money, and that projects are progressed within overall budgetary parameters.
Upon completion of the tender process, an indictive timeframe of the completion of the new school building for Cork Educate Together Secondary School would be available.
The new school building for Cork Educate Together Secondary School is one of the priority projects for my Department.
My Department will continue to keep the school and its patron body updated on progress during the tender review stage.
264. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will clarify whether an existing permanent AP1 teacher must permanently relinquish their substantive, secure AP1 position to take up the new senior cycle redevelopment role, given that the availability of the new post is contingent on fluctuating school enrolment numbers and subject to a stated review in 2031. [66461/26]
View answer265. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will clarify the position under Circular Letter 0037/2026 regarding the new senior cycle redevelopment co-ordinator posts of responsibility; specifically, the status of an existing permanent Assistant Principal I (AP1) post holder who successfully applies for and is appointed to this newly created position. [66460/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 264 and 265 together.
As the Deputy is aware, in April 2026 my Department published Circular 0037/2026 providing for a new Post of Responsibility in schools to support the implementation of Senior Cycle: the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Co-Ordinator.
This post was committed to in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures (SCRISM) document published in May 2025, following extensive negotiations with both the ASTI and the TUI.
The SCR Co-ordinator post is additional to, and does not form part of, the normal cohort of school posts of responsibility. The post responds to the specific needs of a school in relation to supporting the full implementation of the senior cycle redevelopment programme determined by the Minister for Education and Youth. The post concerned is a permanent post.
The eligibility, advertising, selection and appeal processes outlined in circular 0003/2018 or any subsequent circular which supersedes it, are also applicable to the SCR Co-Ordinator post.
The further provisions of Circular 0003/2018 also apply in regard to the filling of the SCR Co-ordinator post, specifically paragraph 3.4 (viii) applies where an existing postholder applies for and is appointed to the Co-ordinator post.
The teacher allocation to a school will provide for the required timetable alleviation. This allocation will continue to be calculated on the total number of students enrolled in Leaving Certificate programmes across 5th and 6th year in the previous academic year.
The SCR Co-ordinator post will be reviewed by the Department during the school year 2030/31 as stated in Circular 0037/2026. The permanent nature of this Senior Cycle Co-ordinator post will not be subject to review, however eligibility criteria, the student enrolment thresholds and the levels of timetable alleviation amongst other matters such as the roles and responsibilities of the role will be reviewed and may be subject to change as a result. The review will take place during the school year in which it is envisaged all subjects will be examined on the basis of redeveloped specifications for the first time.
