Written Answers Nos. 296-316
296. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated gross cost of extending State indemnity to all public primary and post-primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66810/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department is currently conducting research into insurance practices in schools. This research will consider ways of addressing the cost of school insurance, the drivers of those costs, and related matters. One option to be considered will be the possible extension of the State indemnity.
297. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth if extra time will be in place for State exams 2026 for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66819/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates access to the examinations through its scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, otherwise known as the RACE scheme. The SEC has confirmed that, within the context of the comprehensive review that is underway, it is working on a scheme of additional time which will be piloted for the 2026 examinations.
Appropriate eligibility criteria for the scheme are being currently worked out. The SEC confirmed that the scheme will be available in 2026, and for all candidates nationally who meet the eligibility criteria. These criteria will be needs-based rather than diagnosis-based, as is the case for all other accommodations. This information has been confirmed in the RACE Instructions for Schools 2026 issued in October. The details of the additional time scheme will be confirmed at a later date, and candidates and schools are encouraged to apply as normal for accommodations under the RACE scheme.
In view of this, I have asked the SEC to respond directly to you with further detail about the RACE scheme and the ongoing review.
298. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of a school’s application (details supplied) under the additional accommodation scheme; when a decision will issue; whether it will proceed to the next stage, as the works are urgently needed by the school and its pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66858/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans in November. My department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
Phase 1 of the reconfiguration works for the school referred to by the Deputy was completed in May 2025 and this resulted in new accommodation for the school including a new Technology/Graphics room, modern toilet block, disabled access toilet, a deputy principal's office and improved access to the permanent building of the school.
My department has had a number of discussions previously with the school authorities in relation to the proposed phase 2 element of the project and is exploring a number of options and the need for further discussions with the local county council. The department will be in further contact with the school authorities directly on this matter shortly.
299. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of a school’s multiple applications (details supplied) under the emergency works scheme; when decisions will be issued in each case as the works are urgently needed by the school and its pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66859/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school to which the Deputy refers submitted multiple applications for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for Special Needs Facilities/ Universal Access and for fabric defects..
As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
With regards to application 6177, Special Needs Facilities/ Universal Access, the school in question were advised to submit a further documentation to meet the criteria of EWS category Special Need Facilities/ Universal Access. Once this has been received the EWS team will review the revised application and will engage further with the school as appropriate.
With regards to application 6065, fabric defects, the school's EWS application was refused on the basis that works being sought did not qualify for funding under the EWS. However, the application in question is currently being reviewed by the Department of Education’s EWS team under the appeals process. Once this review process is complete the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate.
With both applications the EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process
300. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the annual cost of providing State indemnity to community and comprehensive schools; the cost on a per student basis; the estimated gross cost of the community and comprehensive schools of accessing private insurance prior to the extension of state indemnity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66863/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraBetween 2021 and 2024, the annual average expenditure by the State Claims Agency State indemnity related to Community & Comprehensive schools was €0.93m.
The estimated annual average cost per student for the same period was approximately €14.
The estimated gross cost of the Community and Comprehensive schools of accessing private insurance prior to the extension of State indemnity is not readily available, and the Department will follow up with the Deputy directly.
301. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth to review correspondence from a school regarding a scheme (details supplied); if she will review the costs and points being made for the application by the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66864/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme (CASWS) is to enable individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works on a devolved basis that, ideally, can be carried out during the summer months or at other times that avoid disrupting the operation of the school. The CASWS operates on a multi-annual basis across a number of categories of works.
It is envisaged that approvals in any given year will involve a spread of categories rather than the traditional single category at a time. This is aimed at managing market capacity and maximising value for money opportunities for school authorities.
The CASWS will operate on a multi-annual basis. In November 2025, the Minister announced the first tranche of approvals under the new Climate Action Summer Works Scheme. 297 projects were approved to proceed and involve primary, post primary and special schools, along with projects in all counties and across all categories of works. The investment in the first tranche of applications is in the region of €90m.
Given that funding is limited in any particular year it is necessary to prioritise applications. Under the new climate action summer works scheme which operates on a multi annual basis, like previous summer works schemes, applications from schools that are not reached for funding or market prioritisation reasons in 2026 will qualify to be assessed for purposes of the funding available for climate action summer works in subsequent years. So schools can rest assured that their applications remain live and any costs incurred in the employment of a consultant to assist the schools in making their application has not been wasted but was necessary for the following reasons:
• For a professional diagnosis of the full nature and extent of the proposed project.
• To verify the absolute necessity for the project relative to the impact of not doing it.
• To provide a detailed breakdown of the cost, A breakdown of costs must be provided, including costs per m² of building area affected by the proposed works.
• To inform the prioritisation of projects on the basis of professional objective information.
It is anticipated that the next tranche of approvals will be in the latter half of 2026.
Full details of the of the announcement and the list of schools approved in the first tranche, the Circular (0029/2025) for the scheme and guidance documents for schools can be found at the below link;
[gov.ie Summer Works Scheme] (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/services/summer-works-scheme/).
302. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number of school building projects at each stage, and at primary and at secondary level, being managed by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66903/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans shortly. My department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
The current status of all projects is set out under item number ten at the following link [(www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/building-works-for-the-construction-extension-and-refurbishment-of-schools/#school-building-projects-large-scale-additional-accommodation-scheme-current-status-lists)]. This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction. Currently there are over 1400 school buildings projects at various stages which comprises of over 480 Post Primary Schools, over 950 Primary Schools.
303. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which homeschooled students are assessed for their junior and leaving certificate. [66914/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra304. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth if schools are obliged to accept home educated students to sit the leaving certificate exams as external candidates; and if not, where these students can be accommodated. [66915/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra306. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth if junior and leaving certificate assessments completed at home can be assessed by home school educators; and if it is necessary to have them assessed by a teacher in a school. [66917/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 304 and 306 together.
The State Examination Commission (SEC) has statutory responsibility for the administration of the State certificate examinations. This includes setting out the requirements for the authentication of coursework components, in line with overall examinations and assessment policy.
In view of this, I have asked the SEC to respond directly to you with the information you have requested.
305. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth if home schooled students can avail of the free book scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66916/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Constitution acknowledges the family as the primary and natural educator of the child and sets out the rights and duties of the State in the matter of education. The Constitution makes explicit that the State does not oblige parents to send their children to any particular type of school. Parents are free to provide education in their homes, in private schools, or in schools recognised or established by the State.
In line with the provisions of Section 14(1) of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, Tusla’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) is responsible for the regulation of the provision of education for children in places other than in a recognised school, including children who are homeschooled or who are enrolled in a non-recognised independent school. This is to ensure that such children receive a certain minimum education.
Parents who wish to educate their child in a place other than a recognised school, including in their home or in non-recognised independent school, are required to make an application to AEARS to have their child included on the Section 14 Statutory Register. The AEARS will then make an assessment of the educational provision to determine if the child is eligible to be placed on the register.
The funding provided under my department’s Primary and Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme is specifically to provide free schoolbooks and core classroom resources to all students enrolled in primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. Children who are homeschooled are outside the scope of the scheme.
307. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to concerns related to the leaving certificate applied programme for deaf and hard of hearing students (details supplied); and the actions she will take to address these concerns to ensure equity and fairness for all students taking this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66918/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra308. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the merits of carrying out a review of the existing leaving certificate applied (LCA) programme to ensure it is inclusive for all students including deaf and hard of hearing students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66919/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra309. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will engage with deaf and hard of hearing students and an organisation (details supplied) to develop fair and inclusive approaches to the leaving certificate applied (LCA) programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66920/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 308 and 309 together.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates access to the examinations through its scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, otherwise known as the RACE Scheme.
I have asked the SEC to respond directly to the Deputy with further detail about the RACE scheme and Leaving Certificate Applied.
310. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list all funding schemes, grant programmes and any other financial supports that are currently administered by her Department and its agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66926/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the information requested by the Deputy is not held in a readily-accessible format in my Department, it has not been possible to provide a list of funding schemes, grant programmes, and any other financial supports within the time available.
I will revert directly to the Deputy with a response when this information has been compiled.
311. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a detailed update on the work her Department has undertaken with respect to preparing to provide extra time in State examinations for students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other or diverse neurodevelopmental profiles; to confirm such accommodations for the 2026 State examinations; the engagements she has had with the State Examinations Commission in respect of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66965/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to developing an appropriate mechanism to allow additional time for students with specific needs and in certain circumstances, and also to ensure that those who use assistive technology can do so in State examinations.
The State Examinations Commission (SEC) has responsibility for the operation and delivery of the State examinations, and facilitates access to the examinations through its scheme of reasonable accommodations at the certificate examinations, otherwise known as the RACE scheme. The SEC has confirmed that, within the context of the comprehensive review that is underway, it is working on a scheme of additional time which will be piloted for the 2026 examinations.
Appropriate eligibility criteria for the scheme are being currently worked out. The SEC confirmed that the scheme will be available in 2026, and for all candidates nationally who meet the eligibility criteria. These criteria will be needs-based rather than diagnosis-based, as is the case for all other accommodations. This information has been confirmed in the RACE Instructions for Schools 2026 issued in October. The details of the additional time scheme will be confirmed at a later date, and candidates and schools are encouraged to apply as normal for accommodations under the RACE scheme.
In view of this, I have asked the SEC to respond directly to you with further detail about the RACE scheme and the ongoing review.
312. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a detail progress report in respect of an extension that has been granted to a school in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67029/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to progress the long-awaited school extension to a school (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67180/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 331 together.
The school referred to was approved to enter the Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme for a project providing 2 Special Education Needs classrooms and 1 Special Education Tuition room. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
As previously advised, the Stage 1 report was returned to my Department. Following a period of communication and clarification on the initial submission, a revised report was requested from the school and has since been received. This report remains under review from both a technical and cost perspective in line with the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, are subject to the required due diligence under the Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines. Once this review is complete, the Department will inform the school authority of the outcome.
All diary requests are considered by my Office in the Department. The team can be reached by the following email address [Ministers_Calendar@education.gov.ie] and they can liaise with the school in question.
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 1,300 school building projects. Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
My department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication later in the year. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
313. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently review pay and conditions in respect of SNAs and take into consideration the type of work they carry out on a daily basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67030/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSNAs are valued members of our school communities who carry out vital work in our schools supporting students with diverse needs. The Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services and continues to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and to the taxpayer. This has been achieved through a series of national collective agreements, agreed between trade unions and the Government, applying across the public sector.
Circular 0056/2025 confirms that SNAs are covered under the Public Service Agreement 2024–2026 (PSA) which applies to all public servants. The PSA builds on the previous agreement “Building Momentum” which ended in 2023 to provide for a number of pay increases that have been approved by Government. The pay element of the PSA includes further increases of 9.25% up to June 2026.
As is standard practice, discussions with public service unions continue on all matters relating to pay agreements. Any review of terms and conditions including pay and pensions for SNAs will follow these established processes and be considered in detail by the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Public Expenditure Infrastructure Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and the relevant unions.
The terms and conditions of employment for Special Needs Assistants are issued in accordance with their individual SNA contracts. Please refer to Circulars 15/2005 and 12/2005 for further details. My department has commenced work on the first SNA Workforce Development Plan which includes a review of the SNA employment contract. The review of the SNA employment contract is a commitment set out in the (previous) public service pay agreement Building Momentum 1 and Building Momentum 2 Clause 1.5.3 (2). The most recent Public Service Agreement 2024 to 2026, outlines that the SNA contract review is one of key elements of the Government’s Reform Agenda.
The review involves an update of provisions in the existing SNA employment contract to comply with current employment legislation and align with other work on the plan. More information on the SNA Workforce Development plan is available on the SNA Information Hub on www.gov.ie.
314. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress in emission reduction targets in areas that are the responsibility of her Department; which measures are particularly successful and which measures are underperforming; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67046/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is leading an ambitious sustainability agenda and has progressed a wide array of measures to improve the overall sustainability of our school buildings as part of our work towards 2030 and 2050 climate targets. This performance has been recognised at both National and International level with sustainable energy awards for excellence in design, specification and delivery. My Department’s policy is supported by a strong research programme with fifty-six research programmes at various stages.
It is a priority for Government to deliver on Ireland’s ambitious climate agenda and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and this is reflected in the department’s [School Sector Technical Climate Action Roadmap] which was published in 2023 and updated in 2024.
The decarbonisation of the school sector is the most significant element of my department’s climate action requirements and this roadmap highlights the need for a flexible and tailored approach to the decarbonisation of the school sector to enable the school sector to meet the required targets. The principal challenge lies in the area of decarbonisation of heating with renewable heating systems and to improve the energy performance of schools that were built at a time when fuel was plentiful, relatively cheap and technology and material choices were not as advanced as today. The roadmap has been developed based on one of the core principles of the pathfinder programmes, namely taking a progressive approach, where investments made do not require dismantling /removal within their lifespan.
The measures currently in place to support the school sector transitioning to using renewable sources of energy centre on the following key areas:
• Decarbonisation of new school building projects entering design under the School Building Programme.
• Completion of the School Energy Profile Inventory to establish the energy base line of the school estate enabling targeting and evaluating optimum choices for efficient and effective energy investment.
• Expansion of the Pathfinder Decarbonisation Programme which is evaluating and demonstrating the approach to energy efficiency and carbon reduction in the school sector with energy efficiency solutions and renewable heat technologies, including maximising renewable heating options in existing schools by transitioning high carbon fossil fuel towards renewable heating.
• Delivering the Climate Action Focused Summer Works Programme to progress climate action specific initiatives.
• Completion of rollout of 6 kW Photovoltaic Panels in schools, funded under the Climate Action Fund.
The latest SEAI published Annual Report (2024) on Public Sector Energy Efficiency Performance notes that schools and ETB’s are down 23% on total CO2 by subsector.
In relation to Education for Sustainable Development; Ireland's 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development was jointly developed by my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), in consultation with key stakeholders. It aims to ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals target 4.7.
Some of the key achievements to date under ESD to 2030 are as follows:
• Publication of two progress reports on the implementation of ESD to 2030 across the education sectors (November 2023 and September 2025)
• Adoption by UNESCO of ESD to 2030 as Ireland's Country Initiative for ESD and a spotlight on "How Ireland Promotes Youth engagement in Education for Sustainable Development"
Delivery of circa €466,000 to 21 organisations in Summer 2025 for ESD projects in schools
• Delivery of ESD to 2030 funding to schools across the country in 2025 to be announced shortly. €479,000 was delivered to 190 schools (primary and post primary) in 2024 for ESD projects
• Delivery of almost €500,000 in funding for ten youth-led climate justice projects happening across Ireland in 2025.
• Introduction of the new Leaving Certificate subject "Climate Action and Sustainable Development" in 42 network schools from September 2025
• Introduction of the new primary curriculum "Social and Environmental Education" from September 2026.
• Publication of the "Managing School Grounds for Biodiversity" basic biodiversity training course for non-teaching school staff, in collaboration with Biodiversity Ireland, in accordance with the recommendation from the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss
• Publication of a quarterly ESD Newsletter to all schools.
• Publication of a Sustainability Toolkit for Schools and mapping of school Sustainability Policy Statements to support implementation of the School Sector Climate Action Mandate.
• Publication of an Inspectorate Report "Living Today for a Better Tomorrow": Insights into effective practice in education for sustainable development in early learning and care settings and schools.
In relation to my department’s own office buildings, significant progress has been made in energy efficiency, having exceeded the 50% target in 2024, with energy performance improving by 54.3% since the baseline (2009).
My department must also reduce energy related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 51% in 2030, from a baseline which is an average of 2016-2018 emissions. The target comes in two parts – emissions associated with thermal energy (for heating and transport) “Fossil CO2 emissions”, and overall energy related emissions (including electricity), “Total CO2 emissions”.
My department is on target to meet its Total CO2 requirements, in 2024 it reached a figure 37.9% below the baseline figure, however the 51% reduction in Fossil CO2 emissions remains a challenge.
In 2024, fossil CO2 was 16.5% below the baseline figure. The Office of Public Works, in its role as National Estate Portfolio Lead under the Public Sector Climate Action Mandate 2025, will play a significant role in assisting the department to undertake projects which will allow us to meet our targets.
These projects, set out in our 2025 Climate Action Roadmap, include improved insulation, energy efficient lighting, the fitting of solar panels in various campuses and the alteration of the gas heating system to electric heat pumps on two campuses.
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 180,000 children, including over 150,000 pupils travelling on primary and post primary services, close to 24,000 pupils with special educational needs, and 5,400 pupils who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine are transported on a daily basis on over 8,600 vehicles to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
School transport contributes to transport sector emissions (currently under the sectoral ceiling of the Department of Transport). However, increased use of school transport can reduce emissions from multiple car journeys and thus overall sectoral emissions.
The Transport chapter of the Climate Action Plan includes a target to increase the number of journeys taken using sustainable travel (cycling, walking and public transport) by an additional 125,000 journeys by 2025 and a 30% shift in escort to education car journeys to more sustainable modes of transport by 2030.
The Department has completed a review of the School Transport Scheme. The analysis conducted as part of the published School Transport Review has illustrated how the scheme can support economic, social and environmental sustainability. With regard to environmental sustainability, the analysis demonstrates how the scheme can advance climate action targets and promote more sustainable modes of transport to our schools. The overall trajectory recommended in the review to decrease car journeys to school and get more children and young people to access school via public transport and safe cycling and walking routes, if achieved, will bring enormous benefits to local communities.
The analysis conducted in the Review demonstrated that changes to the eligibility criteria for the School Transport Scheme may lead to significant increases in demand for School Transport Scheme services. Activating this demand has potential significant benefits with regards to wider policy objectives to reduce car dependency, promote sustainable travel and reduce transport emissions.
The Review recommends amending the eligibility criteria to accommodate up to an additional 100,000 children by 2030; this could contribute nearly 70% of the Climate Action Plan target of a 30% modal shift for escort to education journeys.
315. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school development projects in County Galway currently in Stage 2B of the development process; the date each project entered stage 2B, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67087/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra316. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school development projects in County Galway currently in stage 3 of the development process; the date each project entered stage 3, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67088/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 316 together.
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 1,300 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. It is planned that circa 80 school building projects will progress to construction across 2026 and 2027 as part of a 2-year rolling programme.
All Government departments are expected to publish their sectoral NDP Implementation Plans shortly. My department’s plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
Project delivery is managed as part of an overall capital programme, in line with the Government's Infrastructure Guidelines and taking account of budgetary parameters. Delays can occur in large capital programmes for many reasons, including factors beyond my department’s control, such as site acquisition and statutory permissions. These are managed as effectively as possible, prioritising the most urgent projects where capacity is already fully utilised, and deploying modular accommodation where near-term additional space is needed.
It should be noted that some projects may remain at a particular stage longer than anticipated due to a range of factors, including planning-related issues, challenges within the design process, and complex site conditions.
The table below lists the new school building projects in County Galway at stage 2b and stage 3.
|
Roll Number |
School Name |
Townland |
Current Stage Of Project |
Stage 2b/ Stage 3 Commencement Date |
|
17444H |
SN Seosamh Naofa |
Athenry |
Stage 3 |
24/03/2015 |
|
19529C |
Scoil Mhuire |
Moycullen |
Stage 2b |
15/10/2021 |
|
20042E |
Scoil an Chroi Naofa |
Ballinasloe |
Stage 2b |
12/05/2011 |
|
20237T |
Gaelscoil Riada |
Athenry |
Stage 3 |
09/02/2023 |
|
20462D |
Cuan na Gaillimhe CMS |
Galway City |
Stage 2b |
14/11/2025 |
|
20465J |
Gort NS |
Gort |
Stage 3 |
01/07/2022 |
|
62960H |
St Joseph's College |
Galway City |
Stage 2b |
02/02/2023 |
|
76102K |
Coláiste an Eachréidh |
Baile Átha an Rí |
Stage 3 |
09/02/2023 |
