Jen Cummins
Ceist:255. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to address inequalities in TY programmes across schools; and in particular DEIS schools. [62319/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 13 November 2025
Ceisteanna (255)
Freagraí scríofa
Transition Year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities to develop future life skills, for personal, social and academic development and to experience other aspects of adult and working life. Transition Year can bring a unique and important value into the lives of students.
The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year programme in that school. Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students.
As part of the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, a new Programme Statement for Transition Year was published. in 2024 It guides schools in developing innovative programmes that facilitate students to explore diverse future pathways, gain first-hand workplace experience, and develop career-related competencies.
Under the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, I am also committed to ensuring that in the future, every student in every school who wishes to participate in the programme will have the opportunity to do so.
The Programme for Government and the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document (published in May of this year) contain commitments to work with students and schools to identify and address any barriers that remain to ensuring that all student who wish to avail of Transition Year can do so.
At present, over 99% of schools indicate that they offer a Transition Year programme, however, not every school is able to accommodate every student who wishes to participate. The 2024/25 school year saw a continued trend of record participation in TY with over 60,000 students enrolled or just over 80% of the number of students enrolled in Third Year in the previous year.
My officials are currently assessing the level of unmet demand for access to TY, identifying the causes, and determining how to allow schools met that demand, whilst recognising that some students prefer to proceed directly to a Leaving Certificate programme.
Currently, the Transition Year programme is supported by the Transition Year Grant, which is paid on a per capita basis each year in addition to regular capitation payments to all post-primary schools in the free scheme. As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024, the rate of the Transition Year Grant was restored to the pre-2011 level of €100 per student in post-primary schools.
Under the final phase of the Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme, free schoolbooks and core classroom resources are being provided to all students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme from the 2025/26 school year. Under this scheme schools are being provided with funding of €142 per Transition Year student in this regard.
Schools may also apply a contribution from students who participate in Transition Year which ranges across schools depending on their particular circumstances and to the extent that external experiences form part of the school’s programme.
If the school is a DEIS school, they receive a DEIS grant annually, which must be directed at those children and young people most at risk of educational disadvantage. The DEIS grant should be utilised to attain the targets set in the schools DEIS Action Plan for Improvement across the DEIS themes.
Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for the me as Minister for Education and Youth. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence in 2026.
The new DEIS strategy is focused on developing more innovative approaches to addressing educational disadvantage and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that schools can receive the right support at the right time.