Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:1301. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of DEIS schools that currently do not have a HSCL officer or do not have sufficient HSCL officers. [44217/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraEducational Disadvantage
Ceisteanna (1301)
Freagraí scríofa
Tackling educational disadvantage and supporting students to fulfil their full potential in life is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth, and for the Government. The DEIS programme is a key policy of Government to tackle concentrated educational disadvantage at school level. It provides a targeted range of supports and is additional to the universal supports provided to all schools, such as the introduction of free school books and free hot school meals.
The DEIS programme is based on the premise that in order to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of educational disadvantage, extra resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need.
My department invests over €180 million annually to provide additional supports to almost 1,200 schools in the DEIS programme which supports approximately 260,000 students.
Schools that were included in the most recent expansion of the programme in 2022 were those with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage as identified through the refined DEIS identification model. Urban primary schools having the very highest levels of disadvantage are classified with DEIS Urban Band 1 status.
Research published by the Educational Research Centre in 2013 The Achievements and Characteristics of Pupils Attending Rural Schools Participating in DEIS has shown that educational outcomes for pupils in DEIS rural schools are more positive than outcomes for pupils in DEIS urban schools. DEIS rural primary schools performed on a par with urban non DEIS schools in testing under the National Assessment of Mathematics and English Reading (NAMER). Therefore, the allocation model provides a lower level of resources to DEIS rural schools, reflecting these findings.
The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme is one of the key supports provided by my department as part of the overall DEIS programme. Tusla Education Support Service manage the HSCL scheme on behalf of my department. The scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention.
All DEIS urban primary schools and all DEIS post-primary schools are included in the HSCL scheme, which currently serves 687 DEIS schools, catering for approximately 207,000 children and young people. The scheme is delivered by 528 full-time HSCL coordinators, who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or in clusters of schools.
DEIS rural primary schools have access to a range of supports under the DEIS programme including a DEIS grant, the school meals programme, access to planning supports and a range of professional development supports provided through Oide, the new integrated support service for teachers and school leaders.
In addition to the above, a pilot project to support Traveller and Roma pupils, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, is in operation in 4 locations with 1 HSCL coordinator assigned in each location. A further 10 HSCL Coordinators support attendance, participation and retention among Traveller and Roma students, across 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools.
I am determined to close the performance gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools and introduce more innovative solutions to tackle disadvantage. A new DEIS Plan will be published in 2025, and any expansion to the role of the HSCL coordinator will be examined in the context of the new plan. This plan will focus on improving the opportunities and achievement levels of children at risk of educational disadvantage, developing more innovative approaches to tackling educational disadvantage, and working towards a more flexible system of supports to ensure that a school can receive the right support at the right time.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (1302)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:1302. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding amount provided to special schools which cater for children with MGLD and other learning disabilities. [44218/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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, including an over €30 million permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs through Budget 2025. This represents an increase of circa 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This will result in the standard rates increasing from €200 to €224 for primary schools and increase from €345 to €386 per student in post-primary schools from September 2025. Over the last two Budgets there has been a circa 22% increase in the level of capitation grant rates paid to 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 €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 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 capitation rates are payable in respect of Traveller pupils and pupils attending special schools and special classes attached to mainstream schools to assist with the extra costs associated with the running costs of classrooms with a small number of pupils operating specialist provision. These rates depend on the particular level of need involved and can be found in Circular 0040/2025.
In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost-of-living supports issued in November 2024 to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. This funding was paid at a rate of €36 per pupil in primary schools and €55 per student in post-primary schools.
Schools should also ensure that they are availing of the available OGP procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure.
The Department of Education is aware that costs and funding can pose a problem for schools, and is constantly working to address this matter, and to enhance the financial and other supports available to schools. While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education will continue to seek and prioritise the funding required to meet the ongoing costs of running schools.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cashflow management. Contact details for FSSU can be found on www.fssu.ie.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (1303)
Sinéad Gibney
Ceist:1303. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to ensure the implementation of the public sector equality and human rights duty in the operation of her Department and any related state bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44243/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy will be aware, all public bodies have responsibility to eliminate discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and treatment and protect the human rights of staff and service users. This is a legal obligation, called the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, and it is provided for in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014.
Alongside the obligations provided for in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014, it should be noted that the work of my Department in the area of Human Rights and Equality has also been guided by a number of international Covenants, Conventions and Reports to which the State is a signatory and/or is subject to, and the Department regularly reports on the status and progress of relevant actions covered in such agreements. These include:
• UN International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
• UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD);
• UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);
• UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD);
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
• UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); and
• EU European Child Guarantee
Ireland's implementation of these conventions is subject to review by the UN and in the past 2 years officials from my department have formed part of the national delegation on reviews of both the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
In working to meet these conventions and providing regular reporting as required, my Department has demonstrated a consistent commitment to address matters pertaining to the key provisions of the relevant section of the 2014 Act, namely to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and treatment, and protect human rights.
Officials in my Department have also recently been in direct engagement with officials in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and work to develop a dedicated Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty Action Plan is ongoing.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (1304)
Sinéad Gibney
Ceist:1304. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to ensure the implementation of the public sector equality and human rights duty in the public procurement practices of her Department and any related state bodies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44247/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My department’s procurement practices are designed to adhere to the Office of Government Procurement’s (OGP) “Public Procurement Guidelines for Goods and Services” which contain considerable guidance on the importance of Strategic Procurement which encourages public bodies to take account of Social, Innovation and Environmental Considerations in its procurements. Furthermore, my department avails of OGP frameworks wherever possible which, having been established by the OGP, are assumed to implement the public sector equality and human rights duty. My department is also currently working to develop further training resources in line with the recently published Circular 17/2025 to encourage the use of socially responsible public procurement in its procurements which should further embed the implementation of the public sector and human rights duty in my department’s public procurement practices.
The information in respect of state bodies under the aegis, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. State bodies have been provided with the question and have been advised to respond directly to the Deputy.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
Ceisteanna (1305)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:1305. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average, median, maximum and minimum primary school class sizes for the Cork City and Cork County Council area from 2019 to date in 2025, in tabular form. [44252/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
[Attachment omitted]
National Council for Special Education
Ceisteanna (1306)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:1306. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of appeals to the NCSE, by county; and the number of successful appeals over each of the past five years [44253/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This 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.
As the National Council For Special Education (NCSE) manages the special education teacher allocation review process, I am forwarding your request to them for their direct replay.
Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.
The department understands that unique circumstances may arise in schools that may be difficult to reflect in a standardised method. Therefore, any school who has any concerns on their special education teaching allocation can engage with the NCSE. The NCSE will provide support to schools as required and will examine if the allocation is sufficient to meet the identified needs of all children and young people enrolled.
Where the NCSE identifies the need for additional resources, my department will immediately approve the identified increase.
School Facilities
Ceisteanna (1307)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:1307. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth to discuss the need to provide additional funding for sports halls in schools. [44254/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The provision of sports halls is part of the overall School Building Programme. The provision of GP rooms and PE Halls/Sports Gyms, at primary and post primary level respectively, and outdoor hard play areas, form part of the accommodation brief for all new school buildings. Almost 95% of the post primary schools that made 2020 Annual Schools Returns have indicated to the Department that they either have a PE Hall/Sports gym, access to a nearby PE Hall/Sports Gym, or a project in train that will deliver a new PE Hall/sports gym. Practically all schools have outdoor play areas and many schools use adjacent local facilities, including community halls, public parks, playing fields and swimming pools. The Department provides professional and technical support and guidance documentation to design teams appointed to progress school capital projects including PE and GP halls. Approved projects are assisted with professional advice based on the published technical guidance available on gov.ie as they progress through the various stages of architectural design.
Since 2020, this Department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects.? Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities.?
My department received €210m supplementary capital funding which brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the department to €1.6 billion.
Maximising existing capacity in schools to meet needs is very important.? The progression of prioritised individual projects to meet the most urgent needs in the 2026 to 2030 period that cannot be met through existing capacity across schools in the local area will be considered on a rolling basis from Autumn onwards following the finalisation of the NDP allocation.
The Deputy will appreciate that the Department is required to manage the overall school building programme so that we target and prioritise areas that are under greatest pressure for additional school places. This reflects the Department’s fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child. A future strengthened focus on refurbishment of existing school stock will have different strands and will include a PE build/Sports gym and modernisation programme which will enable all students in post-primary schools to have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision and provide important amenities for local communities.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (1308)
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Ceist:1308. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth to discuss the recent changes to the allocation model for special education. [44255/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This 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 teachers provide additional teaching to children attending mainstream classes with special educational needs using a wide variety of teaching approaches.
The Special Education Teaching (SET) Allocation Model is a standardised allocation model that provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the teaching needs of students in mainstream classes.
When the model was introduced, it replaced a diagnosis led model with one based on need. This ensures the allocation supports all children that require a level of additional teaching support as identified through the Continuum of Support framework.
The allocations of special education teaching posts for the next school year were published on 11 February and all schools received an email notification from the NCSE of their allocation.
For the 2025/26 school year close to 15,000 special education teachers have been allocated to schools to support these children and young people.?
The allocation model uses a variety of statistical data to complete allocations. This data includes, enrolment data, data on educational needs profiles (literacy and numeracy) and data on educational disadvantage. This data is sourced from within the education sector to ensure it is validated and assured. The only external data used is the Pobal HP Deprivation Index which is used by Irish government departments for identification of disadvantage.
The 2025/26 school year will see almost 86% of schools either increase their allocation of hours or retain their previous allocation. Of schools who will see a reduction this is driven by demographic change in the geographic area and a reduction of enrolments in the school. The vast majority of these schools will see a reduction of under five hours.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (1309)
Robert Troy
Ceist:1309. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a school building project (details supplied). [44279/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school referred to by the Deputy was approved under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme to provide a two classroom special educational needs base and one special education tuition room. The project is devolved for delivery to the school authority.
A Stage 2b architectural report was received by my department and is currently undergoing an intensive review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Public Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
Upon completion of this review process, Department officials will communicate with the school authority regarding the next steps to advance this important project.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (1310)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:1310. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 461 of 15 July 2025, her Department's precise rationale for requiring DLD/SSD of an unknown origin for enrolment in special classes; if her Department will consider revising the enrolment criteria for DLD/SSD classes to align with their stated aim of ensuring that children with the greatest level of need are facilitated to enrol in the classes, given that SSD can arise from a known disability like Down Syndrome and can cause learning needs no less significant than those whose diagnosis arises from an unknown origin, and that the targeted support provided in DLD/SSD special classes is beneficial to both groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44308/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy is aware, in September 2024, the Department undertook a review of Circular 0038/2007. An updated circular, Circular 0024/2025 was published in March 2025. The term SSLD will no longer apply in relation to entry to these classes and will be replaced instead with Developmental Language Disorder – Speech Sound Disorder (DLD/SSD). The revised criteria sees, among other changes, the removal of reference to IQ as one of the entry criterion for these classes.
The updates to circular 0038/2007, were informed by robust engagement with the Speech and Language Therapy service in the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT) and HSE Speech and Language Therapists. As advised by these specialist services, the revised entry criteria for these classes are intended to ensure that the children with the greatest level of difficulty can access the classes.
Guidelines, a decision-making matrix and additional support from the NCSE have been provided to schools to assist them in ensuring that the children with the greatest level of need are facilitated to enrol in the classes.
Department officials also engaged with education stakeholders, including representatives of schools who provide these classes, to consult on the terms of the circular. The feedback from the stakeholders has been incorporated into the revised circular. The circular will be subject to review and this will involve the full range of education and health stakeholders.
In terms of co-morbidity, it is important to clarify that the criteria for access to the DLD/SSD class does not exclude children with any co-morbid conditions. The circular acknowledges that both the DLD and SSD of unknown origin diagnoses may have co-morbidities. A co-morbid condition is one that exists alongside another and is not causative. We acknowledge that there may be children for whom their SSD is of unknown origin but there are co-morbid conditions and there are others where the SSD results from a particular medical or biomedical diagnosis.
The educational provision provided in a DLD/SSD class is first and foremost an educational placement with integrated health-based speech and language therapy supports. It is an educational response to the impact of health needs within the educational environment.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (1311)
Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:1311. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the expected timeline for the delivery of a permanent building for the new secondary school serving the Dublin 9 area on the Swords Road campus; and the current pupil capacity at the interim site. [44351/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school building project referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department of Education and Youths’ Construction Programme.
The brief for the project is the delivery of a new 1,000 pupil post primary school and accommodation including 6 classrooms for children with special educational needs, as part of a shared educational campus in Whitehall.
The project will be delivered under my Department's ADAPT 4 Programme – Programme Innovate. This programme will be led by Integrated Project Teams consisting of highly skilled and experienced design professionals, architects, engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors and various other consultants to deliver the projects.
AECOM as the Programme Manager are overseeing the procurement and appointment of these Integrated Project Teams. Upon appointment, the Integrated Project Team will begin the initial stage of architectural planning – Stage 1, where a site and current building assessment is carried out, and initial design sketch schemes are created.
The school is currently located in Whitehall on a site separate from the proposed permanent school campus location. For the 2024/25 academic year, 103 pupils were enrolled and at present there is no cap on enrolments.
It is not possible to provide a timeframe for the construction stages at present.
Further details on the Department of Education and Youth’s capital programme will be published in Autumn 2025.
School Enrolments
Ceisteanna (1312)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:1312. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current number of children waiting on a school place in north Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44356/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I 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.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. A recent Government decision has approved €210m supplementary capital funding for my department which brings the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
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.
In that context my Department has put in place a number of measures to support post-primary schools in managing and coordinating their admissions processes including enhancements to the IT systems for registering enrolments so that duplicate acceptances of admission offers are effectively known in real-time at school level, and continuing the data-sharing arrangements with schools in areas of enrolment pressure, including in areas across North Kildare. The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification and addressing of school place requirements. The Department’s priority is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, meet local school place requirements.
The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary and new First Years at post-primary is a very large-scale operation that is transacted at close to 4,000 schools across the country, involving some 140,000 pupils. My department works with schools, patrons, and management bodies to ensure that there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children. In order to assist with the enrolment of children without a school place, the Department shares information on available capacity with the Tusla's Education Welfare Service. The Educational Welfare Services of the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers. Contact details are available on Tusla’s website.
The specific information requested by the Deputy is not available at this time. The availability of places is a matter for each individual school in the context of their Admissions legislation. While a very small number of applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2025/2026, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently announced the launch of a pilot Single Application System for admission to first year at post-primary schools for the 2026/27 school year in five towns experiencing enrolment pressures. The towns are Athenry, Celbridge, Clonakilty, Greystones, and Tullamore. The pilot marks a significant step towards fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a nationwide common application system and enable further improvements in the identification of pupils seeking school places.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (1313, 1314)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:1313. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with additional needs that are currently waiting on a school place for September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44357/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraShónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:1314. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with additional needs with an appropriate school place in September that fits their educational need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44358/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1313 and 1314 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the national agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. This year the NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming school year bringing to 3,742 the number of special classes in our schools.
There are new classes in every county in Ireland and with the number of special classes doubling in the last five years, this now means that there are more classes than ever ensuring greater numbers of children can access places in their local school. Furthermore the number of special class places in our schools will exceed demand.
Combined with 300 new special school places this brings to 2,700 the number of new school places for children with special educational needs.
This year, the approach taken was to maximise the use of existing accommodation in schools to ensure new special classes could open as quickly as possible for the 2025/26 school year. The NCSE also prioritised schools which did not have an existing special class. This has ensured that 80% of the new classes sanctioned are in schools with available accommodation.
Where schools require modular accommodation for new special classes, these projects are being fast-tracked by my department to deliver this accommodation as early as possible. In a small number of instances where a delay in new special class accommodation is expected such as where new modular classrooms are being provided, contingency arrangements are being made with the relevant schools with the support of the NCSE.
The NCSE has advised my department that the vast majority of children seeking a special school or special class place have now been assigned a school place. They are working very closely with the remaining families to ensure that they are being kept updated as the remaining special class and special school places are being finalised by a small number of schools.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.
Question No. 1314 answered with Question No. 1313.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (1315)
Mattie McGrath
Ceist:1315. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the proposed changes to the school transport scheme are in place and ready for implementation for the 2025-2026 school year. [44391/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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 future operation of 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 is proposed to expand access to the scheme so that an additional 100,000 pupils can be carried by 2030.
The scale of the scheme is significant, and any changes will take time to plan and implement.
It was outlined at the time of the review’s publication that it would be prudent to implement the scheme changes on a phased basis.
A phased implementation of the review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024/2025 school year in conjunction with the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann . A total of 14 pilot projects took place in the 2024/2025 school year
These pilots are being evaluated to provide valuable insights into the impact of increased demand on the scheme, the potential for integrating public transport with school transport services, and opportunities to promote more sustainable modes of transport.
It is intended to continue current pilots for the upcoming school year. They will be monitored during the year and a further evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025/2026 school year. The findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme.
Work is also underway to identify where further pilot programmes might be conducted subject to resources. A number of approaches are being examined including the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify how many additional children would become eligible and where they are located. A digital mapping project of all existing school bus routes is being developed and there is ongoing collaboration with the Department of Transport, Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority in regard to planned expansion of public transport routes to explore where integration may be possible.
Implementation of the recommendations of the review will continue to be planned subject to resources being available to meet the increased demand.
School Enrolments
Ceisteanna (1316)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:1316. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current number of children waiting on a school place in south Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44411/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the national agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. This year the NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming school year bringing to 3,742 the number of special classes in our schools.
Of the 407 new special classes sanctioned 17 are in County Kildare, 14 at primary and 3 at post primary level. This brings to 148 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 6 special schools in Kildare with approximately 360 students enrolled.
There are new classes in every county in Ireland and with the number of special classes doubling in the last five years, this now means that there are more classes than ever ensuring greater numbers of children can access places in their local school. Furthermore the number of special class places in our schools will exceed demand.
Combined with 300 new special school places this brings to 2,700 the number of new school places for children with special educational needs.
This year, the approach taken was to maximise the use of existing accommodation in schools to ensure new special classes could open as quickly as possible for the 2025/26 school year. The NCSE also prioritised schools which did not have an existing special class. This has ensured that 80% of the new classes sanctioned are in schools with available accommodation.
Where schools require modular accommodation for new special classes, these projects are being fast-tracked by my department to deliver this accommodation as early as possible. In a small number of instances where a delay in new special class accommodation is expected such as where new modular classrooms are being provided, contingency arrangements are being made with the relevant schools with the support of the NCSE.
The NCSE has advised my department that the vast majority of children seeking a special school or special class place have now been assigned a school place. They are working very closely with the remaining families to ensure that they are being kept updated as the remaining special class and special school places are being finalised by a small number of schools.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.
Artists' Remuneration
Ceisteanna (1317)
Robert O'Donoghue
Ceist:1317. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the number of initial applicants for the basic income for artists payment; the number of initial applicants rejected for the basic income for artists payment; the number of initial applicants rejected for the basic income for artists payment, but were successfully able to appeal their rejection; the number of successful applicants for the basic income for artists payment, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40774/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government commits to assessing the Basic Income for the Arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I appreciate the importance of the Basic Income support for artists, which is why I recently announced that Cabinet has agreed to my proposal to an extension of six months to allow for further evaluation of the pilot data.
The primary objective of the scheme is to help artists deal with precarious incomes and to prevent talent from leaving the sector for economic reasons. While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants. This data shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators - affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation.
Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, produce more pieces of work, experience a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.
I know that the BIA support is hugely valued by artists in receipt of it, it has also been the subject of much positive commentary at home and in an international context and makes an important statement about the value placed on the arts in Ireland. I met with the National Campaign for the Arts in mid-May and further stakeholder engagement is planned for the coming months.
Over 9,000 applications were made under the scheme with over 8,200 assessed as eligible according to the published guidelines for the scheme. Eligible applications were then included in a randomised anonymous selection process to choose the participants. This process was overseen by EY acting as an independent verifier. Over 8,200 eligible applicants were included in the anonymised randomised selection to select the 2,000 BIA recipients and the control group of 1,000 participants.
Of the over 9,000 applications originally made, 905 applications were deemed ineligible for the scheme and 149 of these applicants appealed that decision. There were 49 appeals where the original decision was overturned (these applicants were deemed eligible following appeal) and 97 where the decision that the applicant was ineligible was upheld following appeal. 3 appeals were withdrawn. The 49 whose original decision was overturned were included in the randomised selection for recipients and control group.
Share of applications by County:
|
Counties |
Count - Eligible Applicants |
% total - Eligible Applicants |
Count - Selected BIA Recipients |
% total - Selected BIA Recipients |
Count - Control Group |
% total - Control Group |
|
Carlow |
82 |
1.0% |
16 |
0.8% |
9 |
0.9% |
|
Cavan |
83 |
1.0% |
21 |
1.1% |
10 |
1.0% |
|
Clare |
246 |
3.0% |
54 |
2.7% |
30 |
3.1% |
|
Cork |
886 |
10.8% |
210 |
10.5% |
112 |
11.6% |
|
Donegal |
239 |
2.9% |
55 |
2.8% |
32 |
3.3% |
|
Dublin |
662 |
8.1% |
181 |
9.1% |
70 |
7.2% |
|
Galway |
612 |
7.5% |
149 |
7.5% |
74 |
7.7% |
|
Kerry |
217 |
2.6% |
53 |
2.7% |
24 |
2.5% |
|
Kildare |
286 |
3.5% |
83 |
4.2% |
34 |
3.5% |
|
Kilkenny |
162 |
2.0% |
28 |
1.4% |
20 |
2.1% |
|
Laois |
87 |
1.1% |
25 |
1.3% |
10 |
1.0% |
|
Leitrim |
98 |
1.2% |
23 |
1.2% |
12 |
1.2% |
|
Limerick |
225 |
2.7% |
60 |
3.0% |
20 |
2.1% |
|
Longford |
29 |
0.4% |
9 |
0.5% |
1 |
0.1% |
|
Louth |
138 |
1.7% |
31 |
1.6% |
15 |
1.6% |
|
Mayo |
174 |
2.1% |
47 |
2.4% |
16 |
1.7% |
|
Meath |
221 |
2.7% |
59 |
3.0% |
25 |
2.6% |
|
Monaghan |
58 |
0.7% |
14 |
0.7% |
8 |
0.8% |
|
Offaly |
72 |
0.9% |
16 |
0.8% |
6 |
0.6% |
|
Roscommon |
73 |
0.9% |
17 |
0.9% |
9 |
0.9% |
|
Sligo |
171 |
2.1% |
30 |
1.5% |
28 |
2.9% |
|
Tipperary |
136 |
1.7% |
32 |
1.6% |
11 |
1.1% |
|
Waterford |
174 |
2.1% |
34 |
1.7% |
17 |
1.8% |
|
Westmeath |
106 |
1.3% |
22 |
1.1% |
13 |
1.3% |
|
Wexford |
223 |
2.7% |
56 |
2.8% |
25 |
2.6% |
|
Wicklow |
340 |
4.1% |
87 |
4.4% |
42 |
4.3% |
|
Blanks |
5 |
0.1% |
3 |
0.2% |
0 |
0.0% |
A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot, and I intend to bring forward proposals for a permanent intervention in the context of Budget 2026 discussions, based on the evidence arising from the research programme and stakeholder engagement.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
Ceisteanna (1318)
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:1318. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the proportion of the country and the percentage of the population that now have 5G mobile coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40805/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In June the European Commission published their latest Digital Decade report which indicates that 89.9% of populated areas in Ireland are now served by 5G. This assessment was carried out at the end of 2024 and is anticipated that further improvements in 5G roll out have taken place across all operators in the last 6 months. In early July eir announced that they have now reached 99% population coverage for 5G.
Many of the 5G coverage improvements have been made possible by the release of additional spectrum to the mobile network operators. The Multiband Spectrum Award 2022 released significant amounts of new spectrum to the market for the provision of 5G services. That process concluded in January 2023 with the award of new spectrum licenses to the mobile network operators. In designing this spectrum award process the independent regulator, ComReg, commissioned independent economic analyses about the best approach to placing coverage obligations on the operators, and consulted widely with industry stakeholders, including the operators, and with my Department.
It was ultimately decided that a key focus for this spectrum award would be on delivering coverage to the population rather than simply putting a focus on geographical or area coverage. The award included legal commitments from the operators to provide: a 3 Mbit/s service to 99% of the population and 92% of the geographic area of Ireland; a 30 Mbit/s service to 95% of the population, 90% of motorways, and 80% of primary roads; and a 30 Mbit/s service to 345 specified locations, consisting of 40 business and technology parks, 65 hospitals, 24 higher education campuses, 14 air and seaports, 160 train and bus stations, and 42 top visitor attraction information points.
The roll out of networks using this new spectrum continues and I would expect to see continued improvements in 5G service as the operators work to meet their coverage and capacity obligations.
Telecommunications Infrastructure
Ceisteanna (1319)
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:1319. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his plans to prepare Ireland for the development and deployment of 6G technology; the part Ireland is playing in the European Union’s preparations for 6G technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40806/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
6G, or the sixth-generation of mobile communications technology, will be the next evolution of radio and mobile networking systems, building upon the foundation laid by 5G. The introduction into service of 6G services is not anticipated until 2030 at the earliest.
In the interim, mobile network operators are continuing to roll out 5G-based networks which are offering consumers faster speeds and new services. The introduction of 5G Stand Alone networks, which are a stepping stone towards 6G networks, is also progressing. Government has supported this through the OGCIO’s development of a National Low Latency Platform built around the latest 5G capabilities.
The specifics of what 6G technology will bring to consumers are still being researched and developed, both in Ireland and globally. The policy implications flowing from these technological advances are also being considered.
My Department participates in the work of the European Union’s Radio Spectrum Policy Group (RSPG), a high-level advisory group that assists the European Commission in the development of radio spectrum policy. The RSPG provides advice to the European Commission in the form of opinions and reports.
Under its work programme for 2024-2025, the RSPG established a work stream to develop a 6G Strategic Vision. In February 2025 the RSPG published an opinion on its Strategic Vision for 6G. This followed on from a 2023 Opinion on 6G. In preparing the Opinion on the Strategic Vision, the RSPG took into account input from all active stakeholders (research institutes, manufacturers, mobile network operators, spectrum users' associations, etc.).
The RSPG noted that 6G is more than just a new generation for higher data speeds - it is expected to bring possibilities for new innovations and services compared to 4G and 5G. The RSPG identified the limited new spectrum resources that could be made available to support the launch of 6G, including reuse of current harmonised Mobile phone and Broadband spectrum. Europe is also actively engaged in funding 6G research such as the European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU). Many Irish-based research performing organisations, both academics, SMEs and multinationals, are participating in SNS JU projects to build capacity in this area.
It is expected that 6G will provide additional capacity, support high data rate services, mobility and wide area coverage. The six usage scenarios for 6G, along with the representative capabilities associated with them, identified by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) are:
• Immersive Communication (Peak data rate, user experienced data rate, area traffic capacity, spectrum efficiency, latency, mobility)
• Hyper Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (Latency, reliability)
• Massive Communication (Connection density, area traffic capacity, energy efficiency)
• AI and Communication (Applicable AI-related capabilities, security and resilience)
• Integrated Sensing and Communication (Positioning accuracy, sensing-related capabilities)
• Ubiquitous Connectivity (Coverage)
The RSPG has been considering the early spectrum implications which might be expected from these usage scenarios. It has considered the possibilities for spectrum sharing in order to enable the 6G usage scenarios. It is likely that there will be a role for “non terrestrial networks”, such as satellite and other “high altitude” base stations where coverage can be provided for certain services.
Subsequent to the work on the opinion, the RSPG prepared an addendum to its work programme in May 2025 with the aim of preparing a 6G Roadmap. The work done by the RSPG is similar in approach to that taken for 5G a decade earlier, which was considered a successful approach by the European Commission. My Department will continue to support the work of the RSPG to bring forward this 6G Roadmap.
Telecommunications Services
Ceisteanna (1320)
Shane Moynihan
Ceist:1320. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide the direct Oireachtas helpline for the Commission for Communications Regulation. [40820/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) does not have a dedicated phoneline for Oireachtas members, however they do provide an exclusive email address which can be found below.
ComReg Oireachtas email address: oireachtas@comreg.ie