Written Answers Nos. 193-212
193. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education to provide details of a potential property which has been identified for (details supplied); the details of the process; the timeline for this property to transfer to the Minister for the purposes of education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39970/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education can confirm that agreement has been reached to transfer the former Abbey Community College site, Wicklow town, to the Minister for Education.
The site will provide accommodation for Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School on a permanent basis.
A project to develop the site to provide the required accommodation for 600 pupils plus Special Education Needs Provision is on the department’s current school building programme.
The Chief State Solicitor's Office, acting on behalf of the department, is currently progressing the acquisition through the conveyancing stage.
Each acquisition is also very unique and dependant on multiple factors, many which may be outside of the control of the Department. In this regard, it is not possible to give a specific timeframe for the completion of this acquisition. However, the Department will endeavour to progress the acquisition as expeditiously as possible.
194. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education if she has considered the effects that the free schoolbooks scheme will have on small retailers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40005/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families.
Since Budget 2023, major investment totalling over €169 million has been allocated to provide free schoolbooks in primary schools and special schools for the last two years and in post-primary schools at Junior Cycle for the current year.
Under Budget 2025 I announced a further €51 million for the extension the free schoolbooks scheme to all students in Senior Cycle years in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This reinforces the Government’s commitment to expand the free schoolbooks scheme to schools nationwide.
The Department has published guidance documents for schools around the operation of each of the primary and Junior Cycle schoolbooks schemes, in continued engagement with stakeholders, including education management bodies, the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul, Barnardos, Bookselling Ireland and the Irish Education Publishers Association. Update guidance documents to include the Senior Cycle scheme in post-primary schools will be published in advance of the 2025/26 academic year in continued engagement with key stakeholders.
Junior Cycle Schoolbook Scheme funding issued to all post-primary schools in the free scheme in March, and Primary Schoolbook Scheme funding issued to all recognised primary schools in May to ensure schools had the financial resources in place to implement the scheme in advance of the start of the 2024/25 school year.
The published guidance contains information that highlights the importance of schools engaging with bookshops and booksellers proactively to ensure a smooth implementation of the new arrangements. It draws attention to the role that the Office of Government Procurement plays in promoting schemes to facilitate Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) participation in Public Procurement and includes direct reference to DPER Circular 05/2023 that refers to initiatives to assist SMEs in Public Procurement. It also outlines the schemes which schools may consider as part of their procurement process.
It is important to note that schools, like other organisations that receive public sector funding, have obligations that stem from both EU and national public procurement rules when sourcing goods and services. Schools must follow public procurement guidelines detailed in Appendix 4 of the guidance which is available at www.gov.ie/schoolbookschemes. The guidance does not place any additional responsibilities upon schools that are not already in legislation.
In consultation with key procurement partners, the Department has developed Procurement Guidance and procurement supports and resources to assist primary and post-primary schools. This includes a standardised quotation request template that schools can use to simplify the quotation request process. The procurement guidance, supports and resources are available on the Schools Procurement Unit website at www.spu.ie/schoolbooks-scheme/.
Officials in the Department also proactively engaged with counterparts in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the types of supports available to book sellers to ensure that they have access to training and information on the Office of Government Procurement eTenders system so that they are in a position to respond to tenders requests as and when they wish to do so.
The Department is also currently leading on the development of a procurement solution for post-primary schools to support both schools and booksellers in the procurement process for 2025/26.
As part of the preparation for the extension of the scheme to all Senior Cycle students, officials will continue to engage with Bookselling Ireland, who represent the majority of book shops. Additionally, as part of the on-going evaluation of the schemes, all schools will be asked to provide data on their expenditure in order to inform the guidance, implementation, costs and efficiency of the scheme for future years.
195. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education the status of the primary school site in Corballis, Donabate; if the ownership of the site has been transferred to her Department; when this school project will be delivered given the increasing population on the Donabate peninsula and the need for the provision of schools to be expedited with many children already travelling outside of the area to avail of a school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40016/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe officials in my department are in discussions with the current owner of the site to progress the transfer of the ownership of the site to the Minister.
You will be aware that a building project for the school in question is included on the Department's Capital Program to be delivered as part of the National Development Plan (NDP).
The accommodation brief for the project is being finalised and the Department will be in further contact with the patron as part of this process.
The Department are actively seeking to advance the matter with the intention of finalising this acquisition as soon as possible.
Given the commercial sensitivities associated with land acquisitions generally, I am not in a position to comment further at this time.
196. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education to review correspondence on the matter of special needs assistants and the current process involved in getting permanency in their post (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40027/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpecial Needs Assistants (SNAs) make a very valuable contribution to our school communities through the provision of adult supports to enable students with significant care needs to attend school.
Reflecting significant investment in special education over recent years, there are more than 21,900 SNAs working to support students in mainstream schools and in special schools and classes. Budget 2025 provides for a further 1,600 SNA posts which will bring the number of SNAs to over 23,000.
The recruitment and appointment of SNAs is a matter for individual school authorities. The Board of Management of the school/ETB is the employer of SNAs, and my Department acts as paymaster on behalf of schools.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNA posts to individual schools. The number of SNAs employed in a school from year to year depends on the allocation to the school by the NCSE.
Payment Arrangements for SNAs during July and August are set out in Circular 0111/2007 which advises that standard SNA post holders are paid annually including for these summer periods. This circular also sets out information regarding situations where entitlement to benefits from the Department of Social Protection applies.
My Department has established an SNA Workforce Development Unit (SNAWDU) to ensure that sufficient time and attention is given to examination of the SNA role and any reform or development required. Work is currently progressing on the first Special Needs Assistants Workforce Development Plan with a scheduled completion date of September 2025.
The plan which includes a review of the SNA contract is being developed in direct consultation and collaboration with SNAs and other key stakeholders including school leaders, teachers, parents and students, giving all parties an opportunity to provide input and share views on the future development and direction of the SNA service.
Links to all of the relevant circulars and information on the progress of the SNA Workforce Development are available on the dedicated SNA Information Hub on the government website.
197. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education for an update on the progress and timeline for the provision of a new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40042/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020, the Department of Education has invested around €5 billion in schools throughout the country. Around 950 school building projects have been completed and 350 other projects are under construction, which includes 37 new school buildings. These 350 project currently at construction involves a total state investment of over €1.5 billion.
The Department announced earlier in the year that close to 90 projects, including 28 new school buildings, would be authorised to proceed from tender stage to construction over the course of 2024 and early 2025. In total around €800 million will be invested in these projects under the department’s Large Scale Capital Programme and Additional Accommodation Scheme for essential classroom accommodation.
This is a record level of investment in school buildings. It will expand the number of school places, significantly increase provision for special education and upgrade and modernise our school infrastructure. The impact of this will be felt in communities right around the country.
The building project for the school referred to by the Deputy will provide a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school and accommodation for children with special educational needs as part of a shared educational campus.
It is intended that the project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT Programme which 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 Project Manager was appointed in Q3 2023 and is in the process of preparing documentation for the tender process for the appointment of multi-disciplinary design team consultants.
It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the progression of the project to tender and construction stages until such time as the necessary statutory approvals have been secured.
My Department will keep the school and their patron body informed of the progression of this campus project and will continue to liaise in relation to interim accommodation pending delivery of the permanent accommodation for the schools.
198. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if she will consider including sensory pods in the sensory room grant given schools that do not have the space or capacity for a room dedicated to provide a sensory space, sensory pods are a suitable alternative for these schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40056/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraA sensory room in a school can enhance and promote the health and wellbeing of the whole school with a focus on both the culture and the environment. It is a designated area within a school that can support a student’s sensory preferences and needs and provide students with the individualised sensory input they need to self-regulate to be better prepared for learning and interacting with others.
Funding of €7,000 is made available by my Department's Loose Furniture & Equipment (F&E) Section for the provision of the start-up of a sensory room within a school. In order to be eligible for the grant, the school must demonstrate it has an NCSE approved ASD class and that there is a suitable room to house the sensory room (i.e. drawings of school layout with the sensory room and ASD class clearly marked). The sensory room must be a separate room from that of the ASD class and must have its own separate entry/exit. Only one sensory room grant is funded by my Department per school.
Unfortunately sensory pods are not eligible for this funding at present.
199. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education the options available to parents in the Citywest area given the 60% reduction in first year intake of a school on the grounds of building works (details supplied) ; if she is aware of the preexisting shortage of secondary school places in the area, given it has experienced rapid population growth in recent years; the plans, if any, to increase secondary school capacity in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40059/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 for the Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, for school planning purposes, the Department of Education divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System (or GIS) to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit Data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform the Department’s projections of school place requirements.
Having considered the projected requirements in each school planning area, the Department then makes an assessment of the existing capacity within that particular area and its ability to meet any increased demand. Additional provision is made as necessary, where the existing capacity is insufficient for future needs.
The Department is aware of pressures at post primary level in the Newcastle-Rathcoole School Planning Area in part due to the proposed reduction by Coláiste Pobail Fola in the number of first year places being made available for 2025/26. However, officials from my Department are liaising with school authorities in regards to increasing the number of first year places in the school for September 2025 and further clarification will be provided as a matter of urgency.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in Newcastle-Rathcoole School Planning Area for the 2025/26 school year and into the future.
200. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if she will accede to a request for a projected enrolment post (arising from exceptional accommodation difficulties) from a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40069/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe key factor for determining the level of staffing 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. An additional teaching post has been sanctioned to the school referred to by the Deputy for the current school year under this process.
201. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she is in receipt of a request for Irish exemption; and if she will provide an update on the request (details supplied). [40070/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that a response has been sent to the correspondent as follows:
In recognising the linguistic, social and cultural importance of Irish and English in Ireland, both languages are included as core subjects in the national curricula for recognised primary and post-primary schools and centres for education in Ireland. This has been the case since the foundation of the State and the importance of the teaching of both languages in this way has been re-affirmed on a number of occasions by the State, including most recently in the 20-Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030.
The Department does not consider applications for exemptions from the study of Irish. As set out in the relevant circulars, an application is made to the school for its consideration. The only circumstances in which an exemption from the study of Irish can be granted are those set out in the relevant Circular, Circular 0054/2022 for primary and Circular 0055/2022 for post-primary. A student must study Irish unless they have been granted a Certificate of Exemption by the school.
Circulars 0054/2022 and 0055/2022 are for exemption from the study of Irish in recognised primary and post-primary schools only. 3rd level entry and course requirements are a matter for the individual institution.
The Government recognises the importance of a strong education system in supporting access for all students to Irish language and culture and its significant role in the revitalisation and maintenance of Irish in Gaeltacht communities and beyond. Department officials and agencies will continue to review and reform the learning and teaching of Irish as appropriate. It is an aim of Government to increase on an incremental basis the use and knowledge of Irish as a community language.
Indeed, the most recent curricular changes at primary and junior cycle level referred to above have emphasised not only the importance of learning both languages but also the wider benefits of bilingualism. The development of these new language curricula reflects this Department’s reassertion of its commitment to the Irish language.
The government website has further information on exemptions from the study of Irish including guidelines and FAQs and these can be accessed here:www.gov.ie/en/service/irish-exemption/. I trust this information is helpful to you.
202. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education to provide an update and completion timescale for an extension to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40079/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to your recent email regarding accommodation at Skerries Community College.
The school referred to by the Deputy was approved a project to cater for a school with 1,300 students. The building project for this school has been devolved for delivery to Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) under a service level agreement.
Significant technical challenges for the delivery of the project on the current site have been identified. Given the complexity of these challenges on the site, the Department continues to engage with DDLETB, as patron of Skerries CC, to advance the provision of required accommodation at the school, including for the facilitation of special classes.
It is not possible currently to give a time frame for the delivery of the accommodation however the Department has and will continue to work closely with the school authority, DDLETB to identify the most appropriate solution for the wider education community in the area.
203. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Education if she will introduce additional time in second level examinations for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40082/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
204. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education when her Department will release the circular pertaining to additional leave entitlements to special needs assistants, as agreed upon with a union (details supplied) some months ago. [40087/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraLeave entitlements for public servants are determined by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (DPENDR). Under Section 24 of the Education Act 1998, the Minister for Education, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, is authorised to determine the terms and conditions of employment for Special Needs Assistants employed in approved posts funded by monies provided by the Oireachtas.
Such terms and conditions of employment are normally outlined by way of a Circular Letter, following detailed consultations and negotiations which take place at the SNA Industrial Relations Forum. The SNA Industrial Relations Forum, provides a forum for claims and proposals relating to the salary and other terms and conditions of service for SNAs which is made up of Fórsa representatives, along with School Management Bodies representatives and the Department of Education.
The matter of additional leave entitlements for SNAs has been raised and is currently being progressed. On the 23rd May 2024, my Department published Circular Letter 0052/2024 titled ‘Leave for Candidates in General and Local Elections for Special Needs Assistants employed in Recognised Primary and Post Primary Schools’, which allows for a period of leave to an SNA who has put themselves forward as a candidate in a general or local election. Discussions are currently ongoing at the SNA Industrial Relations Forum in relation to leave entitlements for SNAs who have been elected public representatives.
In addition to this, a circular detailing Special Leave for Sporting Purposes for SNAs is currently in the latter stages of review and agreed entitlements will be notified to the relevant stakeholders by way of a Circular Letter, on conclusion of this process.
205. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made in relation to an application for an extension by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40088/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy, that my Department is in receipt of an application for capital funding, under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme, from the school in question.
The purpose of my Department’s Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
In order to meet these needs my Department has broadened its delivery streams and is utilizing Modern Methods of Construction, including Modular Accommodation, as well as traditional construction delivery methods. Modular accommodation has particular advantages in terms of overall timelines and also climate impact in that they do not generally have a reliance on fossil fuels.
In overall terms, it is important to have a range of delivery mechanisms for delivering school accommodation to support the current very strong and ambitious rollout of school building projects. This is particular relevant given the overall challenging construction sector market.
A number of factors are considered by my Department in determining the most appropriate construction method to meet a school’s accommodation requirements, including the timing and duration of that accommodation need, and other school-specific factors.
Officials in my Department have been engaging with the school in question.
The application from the school is currently being considered by my officials. Once the assessment process has been finalised the school authority will be notified of the decision directly.
206. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Education the extra supports and provisions available to students with dyslexia when sitting State examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40103/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
207. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education her plans or the plans of agencies under her aegis in the education field to increase post-primary school capacity or places to serve the general Knocklyon area of Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40107/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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 for the Department.
As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.
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 particular 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
In response to previous assessment of demographic demand in this area, my Department is progressing a new school building project for Firhouse ET Secondary School which will provide for capacity for 1,000 students and 6 classrooms for students with special educational needs. This project is currently at Stage 2b - Detailed Design.
My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
I can assure the Deputy that Department officials will continue to actively engage with schools and patrons to ensure that there is appropriate provision for all students in the Knocklyon area for the 2025/26 school year and into the future.
208. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the plans for a new school building (details supplied). [40109/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to confirm to the Deputy, that an application for major capital funding has been received from the schools in question.
Applications from schools for major capital works must be considered in the context of the demographic challenge facing the education system in the coming years. The priority of the Department continues to be the provision of required additional school places to meet demographic requirements as well as for children with special educational needs.
The Department is required to manage the allocated capital funding across all schools in the country.
The Department’s approach is to maximise the usage of existing capacity in the school estate and, in tandem with this, to manage the progression of the existing pipeline of projects within available budgets and in line with the Government’s Infrastructure Guidelines. This allows the Department to keep a strong focus on the provision of additional capacity to cater for demographics, new housing developments and the rollout of additional special classes for children with additional needs. This approach reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.
On this premise, the schools’ application was considered under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA).
The purpose of the Additional School Accommodation (or ASA) scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom accommodation and accommodation for pupils with special education needs is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation or at other schools in the area.
The potential to add accommodation to St. Pius X Boys’ National School was considered in detail by the Department’s Professional and Technical Section. My Department is considering the optimum way forward for the school in question following the report on the school's accommodation and school site. I can only seek to assure the Deputy that we will advance this matter as quickly as possible and that we are very conscious that where additional accommodation is required, a significant lead-in time is necessary for a variety of reasons.
209. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will address the urgent need for the introduction of extra time in State examinations, specifically the Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate exams, for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other learning difficulties; if she will acknowledge the significant disadvantage these students face without such accommodations; the steps she is taking to expedite the review process and implement this necessary support in line with practices in other European countries; if she is aware of correspondence from an organisation (details supplied) to her Department supporting this matter; the efforts she is making to address the urgent need for extra time in State examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40141/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
210. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if she will consult with the State Examinations Commission with a view to introducing extra time for Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate examinations for students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and other learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40156/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the state examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
211. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Education if she will initiate the process to put the Dublin/Monaghan bombings history into the history syllabus. [40164/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) provides the underpinning for the Junior Cycle. The Framework gives students the opportunity to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills – to equip them for further learning, for work, for responsible and active citizenship, and for healthy living. The Junior Cycle has been developed and implemented over several years, with the final phase of new subject specifications having been introduced to schools from September 2019. The Junior Cycle subject specification for History was developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and introduced from September 2018.
When schools in Ireland implement the Framework for Junior Cycle, they have the autonomy and flexibility to design programmes within the parameters of the framework, mindful in particular of the needs of their students and their teaching resources. This allows decisions on what is offered within these programmes to be at the discretion of the school, and students to have as broad a range of options to choose from as possible.
In the Framework for Junior Cycle, all schools are expected to provide opportunities for students to achieve 24 statements of learning over the period of Junior Cycle. These statements include valuing local, national and international heritage and understanding the importance of the relationship between past and current events, the forces that drive change, and understanding the origins and impacts of social, economic and environmental aspects of the world around them.
The current Leaving Certificate established History syllabus has a strand for Later Modern Irish History and this strand contains Topic 5 “Politics and society in Northern Ireland, 1949-1993”. Though specific events are not mentioned in the syllabus outside of a small selection of case studies, this Topic specifically covers the study of the Troubles and “Republican and Loyalist terrorism”, which allows teacher discretion as to what events to cover.
You may be aware that in March 2022, I announced an ambitious programme of Senior Cycle Redevelopment that delivers “equity and excellence for all” and will empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. This includes the development of new subjects and revised curricula for all existing subjects, which will be informed by extensive consultation in a co-creation process.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has published the schedule of revisions to subjects, which provides a clear pathway for the revision of all Leaving Certificate subjects and modules in five annual tranches from 2025 to 2029, available at the following link: Schedule of senior cycle subjects for redevelopment... (ncca.ie)
You may wish to include your observations during consultation on the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle History specification, to be introduced in schools in the 2027/28 school year. All consultations will be accessed via the NCCA’s ‘Have your say’ on their website Consultations | NCCA
212. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider the extension of the free schoolbooks scheme for secondary students to fee-paying schools, particularly in the Dublin 6 area, where there is a very limited availability of non-fee paying boys secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40185/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Education, I believe it is crucially important that children and young people are actively supported to access education in its fullest forms. This Government recognises that the cost of preparing children for school each September can be a cause of financial difficulty and worry for many Irish families.
As you are aware, on the 5th of March this year, I announced details of a new scheme which provides free schoolbooks to Junior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme.
Additionally, under Budget 2025 I announced the extension of the scheme to Senior Cycle students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme which will commence from September 2025.
The funding provided under Budget 2024 and 2025 is specifically to provide free school books to students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Private fee-charging post-primary schools are not in the Free Education Scheme.
Schools in the Free Education Scheme are paid a range of grants, payable on the basis of a school’s enrolment and may also apply for funding towards the cost of capital works.
What differentiates fee charging schools from all other post-primary schools is the capacity to raise funds through mandatory fees, while in receipt of exchequer funding. The fees charged are mandatory in that initial admission to the fee charging school or ongoing participation is contingent on the payment of fees.
Fee-charging post-primary schools are not grant funded in relation to book schemes which are, therefore, a matter for the school’s board of management.
