Written Answers Nos. 388-407
390. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation further to Parliamentary Question No. 810 of 29 September 2025, the final cost of the works to install the netting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55341/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to the details outlined in Parliamentary Question No. 810 of 29 September 2025, I wish to advise the Deputy that the work is ongoing with an expected completion date in November 2025. A final cost cannot be provided until the final account is agreed and completed.
391. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if his Department and each body under its aegis discloses expenditure on external consultancy and adviser fees, by category (details supplied) in their annual report and or financial statements for each accounting year; if they provide direct web links to the most recent publications where these Section 1.5 disclosures are set out for his Department and for each aegis body; and if they provide the total consultancy and adviser fees by the Section 1.5 categories for each of the past five years for his Department and for each aegis body, respectively; and the internal controls that are in place to ensure that these category-level disclosures are made annually and that procurement of such services complies with applicable competitive tendering rules, in tabular form. [55372/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that a deferred reply will be issued to him in respect of this Parliamentary Question, in line with Standing Order 51(1)(b).
392. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for an update on his Department’s development of ‘green budgeting’ analysis of expenditure allocations in order to align with performance reporting, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55495/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s work on green budgeting initiatives seeks to better embed climate and environmental information within the budgetary process with a view to informing the policy choices and budgetary decisions Government makes, intending to improve outcomes.
The main outputs of this work are published annually with the Revised Estimates Volume (REV), in December of each year. As with previous years, my Department intends to include the results of its green budgeting analysis within the REV publication in December 2026, and to accompany this with a paper that outlines the analysis and results, including detailing the link between green budgeting and the performance framework.
This is on track for completion in Q4 2025, in line with the commitments in the Climate Action Plan 2025.
By way of background on this initiative, since 2019 the Department of Public Expenditure has tracked climate-related spending in its annual reporting on public expenditure, identifying investments and operational expenditure that contribute directly or indirectly to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. Progressive improvements have been introduced year-after-year, and Ireland is considered to be at the forefront of international developments in this space. Monitoring of climate and environment related expenditure was extended at REV 2024 to include six environmental criteria, as modelled on the criteria of the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities. We now also capture expenditure allocations which may have unfavourable effects on climate and environmental outcomes in this analysis.
As of the latest published assessment as part of REV2025, c.€7bn of Voted Expenditure was allocated to projects and programmes considered likely to have a favourable impact on the climate and environmental criteria selected for assessment. Some €2.1bn of expenditure was anticipated to have an unfavourable impact, including important social programmes such as the Fuel Allowance, those necessary but fossil-fuel intensive services such as security and defence provision, and necessary infrastructure investments such as those in roads and buildings, alongside our funding for broad based agriculture supports and subsidies for industrial growth leading to higher energy consumption. These programmes all involve some indirect but unfavourable impacts, and the impetus is on policy holders to consider the negative impacts of these spending programmes and to mitigate these impacts accordingly.
An element of the performance framework work ties in with the macroeconomic modelling on the impacts of climate change and climate action, reporting on carbon tax policies (published alongside the Expenditure Report at Budget 2026), and climate considerations in appraisal which combine to make Government action on climate change more transparent and effective and to raise awareness and understanding of the specific impacts of individual climate and environmental policies. Work to further align the green and performance budgeting workstreams will mean a strengthened link between allocation and outcome, and allow for better understanding of the climate and environmental impacts of expenditure allocations.
Ultimately, the additional information generated through these initiatives has the potential to support changes to policy making that will result in improved environmental outcomes, cost effectiveness and value for money.
Green budgeting initiatives and the wider performance framework play an important role in enhancing the level of accountability and transparency surrounding Government spending on climate action and the environment. They also generate insights that can be used to inform the evolution of climate policy, making sure that climate action is integrated within the budgetary process.
393. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on his Department’s work to support regeneration, repurposing and sustainable development of walking and cycling tracks and trails, and waterways, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Quarter 4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55498/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the EU Just Transition Fund, Fáilte Ireland has been tasked with the administration of €68 million for a Regenerative Tourism and Placemaking Scheme 2023-2026. Through this scheme, Fáilte Ireland is investing in the sustainable development of tourism in the Midlands with the aim of diversifying the regional economy by creating jobs, supporting habitats and biodiversity and sustaining communities.
There are two main elements to the overall scheme:
€38m towards the diversification of the regional economy through the sustainable development of tourism.
€30m towards the regeneration and repurposing of peatlands through the development of a network of trails.
The overall scheme is being delivered through a range of funding programmes, which will run in parallel between now and the end of 2026, as follows:
Scheme A : Trail Network Development Scheme (delivered primarily through Bord na Mona)
Scheme B : Investment Grant-Aid Scheme for SMEs
Scheme C & D : Investment Grant-Aid Scheme for Local Authorities and certain State Agencies
Scheme E: Appointment of County Tourism Activators to Local Authorities
Scheme F : Enterprise Supports Scheme
The overall scheme will develop the midlands into a leading regenerative tourism destination, creating more reasons for domestic and international tourists to visit the Midlands while also sustaining jobs, businesses and local communities in the region. It will also support the transition of the Midlands to a carbon neutral destination through funding of sustainable tourism projects that are designed to have significant regenerative impacts on local communities and peatlands.
Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund, Scheme A: Trail Network Development Scheme will be the first to be developed under the Midlands Trails Network (MTN) which seeks to create a lattice work of connected walking and cycling trails across the midlands.
A development fund of €3.6million was awarded to BnM (formerly Bord na Móna) in June 2024 to bring 6 universally accessible trail networks across suitable parts of their landbank within the EU Just Transition Fund territory through the planning process. The network, once complete, could deliver up to 70 kilometres of trail, subject to planning consents. These new routes will connect with existing national and regional greenways and local community trails, creating enhanced opportunities for outdoor recreation, community engagement, and tourism growth.
In July 2025, I along with my colleague Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment and for Transport, Darragh O’Brien were pleased to announce that Fáilte Ireland has allocated a further €5.7 million to BnM for the construction of two new walking and cycling trails in Longford and Westmeath, the first 10km of trails in County Longford and 6km in County Westmeath. In addition a further 4 trail sections within the EU Just Transition Fund territory are also currently in the planning process and I hope to be in a position to make further announcements on this in the near future.
394. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his attention has been drawn to a work permit renewal (details supplied); if this will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54623/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA General Employment Permit Renewal application in respect of the individual concerned was received by the Employment Permits Section on 23 July 2025 and is currently awaiting processing.
As of 07 October 2025, the Department is processing Renewal Applications (All renewable permit types included) received on 15 July 2025. Applications are assessed in the order in which they are received and will be reviewed in due course.
Renewal applications are not prioritised, as the individual may continue working while their renewal is being processed, even if their current permit has expired. Exceptions may be considered only in cases where the applicant is due to leave the State and may encounter immigration difficulties upon return.
Applicants can check the current processing dates for employment permits on the Department’s website at the following link: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/current-application-processing-dates/.
395. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the position regarding the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54698/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 was published on 1 April 2025.
The Bill will deliver a new employment right by providing that, in general, an employer may not enforce a contractual retirement age which is below the State Pension Age (age 66) if the employee does not consent to retire.
The Bill completed Committee Stage on 2 July 2025.
The timeline for the enactment of the Bill is a matter for the Oireachtas, and the Bill is expected to resume progress during the Autumn session. Once enacted, there will be an appropriate lead-in time in advance of commencement of the legislation during which there will be a communications campaign to ensure employers and employees fully understand the implications of this new employment right.
396. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if there are any technical, legal, operational, or policy constraints preventing his Department, when publishing quarterly reports of payments or purchase orders over €20,000, from including additional columns that link each payment to its underlying procurement process specifically tender/contract title; name and address of the awarded contractor/supplier; contract award date; contract duration; expected contract value (excl. VAT); maximum contract value (excl. VAT); the unique identifier from the relevant contract award notice; and where such constraints exist, to provide details explaining his Department’s current process for reconciling each reported payment with the corresponding published contract award notice on eTenders. [55057/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to ensuring transparency around expenditure financial reporting with procurement records in a manner that is both practical and legally compliant. My Department complies with the obligation to publish quarterly reports of payments over €20,000 on our website and does so in machine-readable formats such as CSV and Excel. These reports are generated using data available from our Oracle financial system, which is primarily designed to support the administration of payments from an accounting perspective rather than procurement tracking.
Regarding, technical, legal, operational, or policy constraints that would prevent future enhancements, procurement policy is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. Should central requirements evolve to mandate additional procurement data, my Department will endeavour to incorporate them.
397. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if all contracting authorities under the aegis of his Department are in full compliance with Circular 05/2023, in particular the mandatory requirement to publish contract award notices for all contracts above €25,000; and if he will provide details of the monitoring or enforcement arrangements in place to ensure this requirement is met. [55074/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with Circular 05/2023 – Initiatives to Assist SMEs in Public Procurement, all contracting authorities are required to publish contract award information for procurements valued over €25,000 (exclusive of VAT) following the completion of the award process.
The specific information sought in the Question relates to the operational practices of each State body and is not required to be held centrally by the Department.
I have asked the bodies under the aegis of my Department to revert to the deputy on the matter.
398. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to provide a list of all studies, research and reports commissioned by his Department that were outsourced, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; the names of the companies to which each study, research and report was outsourced; the total cost for each; the number of reports finalised and presented to him that have yet to be released by his Department; the dates on which any such reports yet to be released were first provided to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55160/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.
399. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department and each body under its aegis discloses expenditure on external consultancy and adviser fees, by category (details supplied) in their annual report and or financial statements for each accounting year; if they provide direct web links to the most recent publications where these Section 1.5 disclosures are set out for his Department and for each aegis body; and if they provide the total consultancy and adviser fees by the Section 1.5 categories for each of the past five years for his Department and for each aegis body, respectively; and the internal controls that are in place to ensure that these category-level disclosures are made annually and that procurement of such services complies with applicable competitive tendering rules, in tabular form. [55365/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested in respect of bodies under the aegis of my Department is currently being collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.
400. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on his Department’s work regarding the prioritisation of high impact projects with higher decarbonisation potential as part of their ongoing engagement strategy with clients, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q4 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55512/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in my Department’s recently launched Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, industrial decarbonisation is not just an environmental, but also a competitive and economic imperative for Irish businesses. As the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment I have responsibility for the reduction of industrial emissions by 35% by 2030.
Ireland’s largest industrial emitters are primarily in the cement, alumina, food & beverage, pharmaceutical and chemicals sectors. Most of these companies are clients of Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland and both agencies are actively working with them to progress impactful decarbonisation plans.
Last year I announced that €300 million would be available until 2030 through the Environmental Aid Scheme to EI and IDA’s client companies. The Scheme offers capital grants to businesses adopting low-carbon, efficient, and sustainable production practices. It supports transformative projects in emissions reduction, energy and resource efficiency, and climate action integration. Eligible initiatives include facility upgrades, new low-carbon technologies, and improvements in circularity and water use.
Below is an update of IDA and EI’s work on projects which have a high decarbonisation potential.
IDA Ireland
The IDA has committed to ‘Driving Sustainable Change’ as part of its 2025-2029 strategy, ‘’Adapt Intelligently’’. Through its Client Development Program, IDA Ireland develops tailored plans with its clients based on size and emission intensity. A dedicated team works directly with high-emitting clients to engage corporate headquarters on sustainability, whilst leveraging Government supports to drive decarbonisation and competitiveness. IDA Ireland also focuses on new investors into Ireland, ensuring that emissions are minimised from the outset, recognising that carbon avoidance is critical to achieving Ireland’s long term sustainability objectives.
Since 2022, IDA Ireland has supported over 60 decarbonisation investments. These investments are expected to abate approximately 90,000 tonnes of CO2 and represent client expenditure of just under €1bn. As we proceed into Q4 2025, IDA Ireland expects to see a continued steady pipeline of projects coming through.
Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland has also been working closely with its client base to progress industrial decarbonisation. Following on from changes outlined under the White Paper on Enterprise, the agency now accords equal weighting to employment, exports, and carbon emissions when evaluating a project.
EI’s core focus is on their largest emitting clients – a small number of companies which account for over 85% of the overall emissions base. In addition to decarbonisation activities, complementary opportunities also exist to help large clients to optimise operations in areas such as water and resource consumption, waste and circularity.
EI has approved almost €80 million in funding to support the decarbonisation and sustainable transition of Irish businesses under the Environmental Aid scheme, Green Transition Fund and Shared Island Capital Grant. This funding has benefitted more than 500 Irish companies, directly reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 170,000 tonnes since 2022, with progress accelerating and 2025 projected to be the most successful year to date and anticipating support towards carbon emissions reductions in excess of 100,000t CO2.
The agency also continues to support companies of all sizes at every step of the decarbonisation and sustainability journey – from initial planning and capability building to investment, research and innovation, as they prepare for a low-carbon, more resource-efficient future. Whilst not large emitters, it should also be noted that SMEs can still cut their costs and increase their competitiveness by becoming more sustainable.
The Government offers a number of supports which SMEs can use to save on their energy costs, while improving their sustainability. The National Enterprise Hub provides businesses access to over 180 government supports and a team of advisors available to assist those who don’t know where to start or who just want to find out what they are eligible for.
401. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment for an update on his Department’s analysis of the price differential between the price of fossil fuels and the price of renewables, as committed to in the Climate Action Plan 2025 and due in Q3 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55513/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast year I published the Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat. It outlines the necessary trajectory to meet our binding greenhouse gas abatement targets for industry, and decarbonise our manufacturing sectors, including the cement, metals, food, drink and life sciences sectors. The Roadmap sets out the key policy interventions to decarbonise heat use by industry, including the supports available to companies, the regulations to promote decarbonisation, and the enabling measure that will facilitate the transition.
Alongside the publication of the Roadmap, I announced that €300 million is being made available to drive the decarbonisation of Ireland’s industrial emitters over the coming years. The fund is already being used by Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland to support client companies to reduce their industrial emissions between now and 2030. At the end of Q3 2025, 51 projects were approved at value of €170 million.
Reaching our decarbonisation targets will require businesses to make investments in new processes, shifting away from those that rely on fossil fuels and other unsustainable practices. We are working with them more closely than ever to ensure decarbonisation happens in a way that improves the competitiveness and resilience of our economy, rather than harms it.
There is now growing evidence of a decoupling of industry emissions from economic growth, with emissions having decreased by 4.6% in 2024 relative to 2023 and overall, by 13.6% relative to 2018. Fuel switching away from more carbon intensive fossil fuels to lower carbon and renewable fuels is driving this change. We now need a further shift to electrification in manufacturing processes and improved uptake of renewable bioenergy sources such as biomass and biomethane to deliver on the national abatement targets for industry.
In line with the Roadmap for the Decarbonisation of Industrial Heat, my Department has been assessing measures to address the ‘spark gap’ – the difference in the cost between of a unit of energy from fossil fuels and a unit of energy from electricity. While capital grants for heat pumps and other electrified heat technologies such as electric boilers are available through state agencies like Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and the SEAI, the higher operating cost of electric heat technologies can pose challenges to the business case for investing, even with efficiency gains.
This is not solely an issue being faced by industry, but also by other heat sectors that we need to decarbonise to achieve our binding climate targets, including the residential, public sector, and commercial buildings sectors. In order to fully understand this issue across all sectors, and to examine the cross-cutting nature any potential solutions, my Department has been working with the Heat and Built Environment Taskforce and the National Energy Affordability Taskforce to consider the potential steps that could be taken to alleviate this challenge. It is a complex policy problem and will require careful consideration. Engagement with colleagues across the Government system is ongoing.
My Department, and key state agencies, are continuing to work with industry to unlock further decarbonisation opportunities and to ensure that all businesses in Ireland are activated and engaged in the green transition. This is a crucial to ensuring that Ireland’s economy remains competitive, resilience and sustainable as we progress towards our target to be net zero by 2050.
402. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the new school building project for a school (details supplied) has gone to tender; and if the commencement for works is still on track for Q1/Q2 2026. [54563/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra418. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the tender process has concluded for the construction of a school (details supplied); if she will ensure that a public or written notice will be issued regarding the appointment of a successful contractor(s); if the project remains on schedule to commence construction in Q1/Q2 of 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54686/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 402 and 418 together.
The large scale capital project for the school referred to by the Deputy is the provision of a new 600 pupil school building including all associated ancillary accommodation.
The Department previously advised a new grant of planning was received in December 2023, with a number of conditions attached. Decarbonisation measures were included in a revised project scope in line with Climate Action objectives.
The design team have finalised the pre-tender checks and documents in line with revised Technical guidance documentation from the Department of Education and Youth and a report was recently submitted to the Department of Education and Youth for review.
This review is now being undertaken in the context of the Department’s NDP allocation and the finalisation of the NDP Implementation Plan. The GC Reachrann project is one of the 80 projects intended to progress to construction over the 2026/27 period as part of our 2-year rolling capital programme. This NDP Implementation Plan is due to be submitted to DPENDR by end October and it is hoped to publish it as early as possible in November to give good clarity to schools and stakeholders. The inclusion of projects that are to progress to tender, such as GC Reachrann, in the NDP Implementation Plan reflects a programmatic approach in line with DPENDR's requirements.
403. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the guidelines for children who are opted out of religious instruction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54564/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires, where schools provide religious instruction, they must clearly set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school. The manner in which any school ensures that the right to not attend religion instruction classes is upheld, is a matter for the school concerned. Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes, and other relevant matters.
Guidance for good practice is available to schools in the follow-up paper to the Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector which was published in 2014. The paper provides an overview of different types of arrangements that schools can put in place to facilitate parents who do not wish for their children to attend religious instruction.?The paper encourages school authorities to consider their policies and practices and to review whether they are taking the steps necessary to welcome all pupils and make them feel included.
The Catholic Schools Partnership has published guidelines for Catholic schools in relation to the inclusion of all pupils. These guidelines also support schools to facilitate requests to attend school without attending religious instruction.?Most primary schools are State-aided parish schools, with the local bishop as patron. It is recognised, including by the Catholic school patrons, that our schools need to more accurately reflect the reality of our increasingly diverse society and meet the expectations parents have for their children.
The Programme for Government commits to seeking to increase choice for parents by ensuring that families can access both multi/non-denominational and faith-based education.
The opportunities for the establishment of new multidenominational primary schools have declined. Demographic trends and projections at primary school level nationally have peaked. In order to maximise the use of the existing school estate, the Department has developed the schools reconfiguration process. The schools reconfiguration process aims to meet demand from local school communities and to accelerate the delivery of multi-denominational schools by transferring schools to multi-denominational patrons, where school communities support this.
The Department of Education and Youth has published a comprehensive Education Plan 2025 that outlines a significant body of work being undertaken to deliver for everyone in our school and youth services’ communities.
As part of the actions, I plan to undertake a consultation process with relevant stakeholders on the development of best practice guidance for primary schools in relation to providing for their diversity of enrolment, in the context of catering for children whose parents/guardians have requested their children attend school without attending religious instruction. There are over 100 actions in this plan including a commitment to launch a survey of primary school parents and guardians and preschool parents and guardians on their preferences on important aspects of school provision and choice, such as the future patronage and ethos of their school and facilitation of requests not to attend religious instruction.
404. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of the five special schools at primary and post-primary level who have suspended and/or expelled the highest number of pupils in each of the years 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025. [54574/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra520. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of suspensions and expulsions in special schools in the Cork area in each of the years 2023, 2024 and in 2025 to date. [55419/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra521. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of suspensions and expulsions in special schools in the Waterford area in each of the years 2023, 2024 and in 2025 to date. [55420/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 404, 520 and 521 together.
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my Department.
TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the statutory Educational Welfare Service and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison scheme and the School Completion Programme. The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, parents and guardians and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people.
In line with the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, all primary schools, including special schools, and post-primary schools must report annually on student non-attendance in primary and post-primary schools.
This data is collected using the Tusla Portal hosted by the Child and Family Agency. Data is generated from the Annual Attendance Report (AAR), which provides total students suspended and total students expelled at school level. The data is gathered at an aggregated level and the reports are published and are available on the Tusla website at the following link: www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services/publications/research-and-statistics.
405. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of staff that have left a school (details supplied) in each of the years 2023, 2024 and to date 2025; and the wait-times for the replacement of those staff. [54575/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis school is funded, resourced, and supported by my department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). This includes ongoing advice and guidance available to the school staff, school management and school patron. This is provided through the various teams and agents working with the school including NCSE, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), the Inspectorate and the in-school therapy team and reflects this government’s commitment to ensure that children and young people with the most significant needs are prioritised for support.
The school has been granted an additional supernumerary teacher from the start of the 2025/26 school academic year. The school has also been granted an additional special needs assistant (SNA) based on identified needs in the school.
As patron, Cork ETB is continuing to develop the capacity of all its individual special schools to meet the needs of students and the whole school community. In the case of this particular school, Cork ETB has put in place additional supports which will help the school to meet the challenges that are arising and to support the school in its continuing development.
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). Once my department allocates teaching posts or teaching hours to a school it is the responsibility of the school and the board of management to utilise the allocation.
My department does not collect data on recruitment by individual employers.
406. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth if under the small schools scheme or an extension of such a scheme, the fourth teacher at a school (details supplied) can be maintained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54591/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe staffing schedule for primary schools is designed to ensure fairness and consistency in the allocation of teaching posts, having regard to enrolment numbers.
In relation to the specific school referred to by the Deputy, the allocation of a fourth teacher is determined in accordance with the staffing schedule for the relevant school year. Where a school's enrolment falls below the threshold required to retain a post, there is provision for an appeal under the staffing appeals process. This process allows schools to seek the retention of a teaching post in certain exceptional circumstances, including where enrolments are expected to increase in the following year.
The government is very aware that small schools are an important part of the life of local communities. The programme for government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports.
The current small schools' project is currently being implemented on a pilot basis to support collaboration and sharing of resources among small schools in rural areas. For the duration of the project existing mainstream staffing levels in the participating schools are being maintained.
Learnings from the evaluation of the current small schools' project will be invaluable and will form a strong basis to inform the future policy direction in relation to all small schools. This will include the development in my department of future proposals to deliver on the programme for government commitment.
407. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will expedite the processing of documentation currently with her Department in relation to the sale of a property (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54592/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that the necessary documentation required by my Department is currently being processed by our legal representative and once completed my officials will contact the school authorities immediately.
