Paul Donnelly
Ceist:182. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ask schools to prioritise students living locally to the school when allocating places (details supplied). [70395/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool Admissions
Ceisteanna (182)
Freagraí scríofa
My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some students not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
In accordance with the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, schools are required to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. It is an important feature of the act that schools can only make a decision on an application for admission that is based on the school’s admission policy.
In cases where new schools were established to serve a school planning area and the schools uses the school planning area as a criteria on their admissions policy, officials in my department can discuss amendments to this policy with the school, in the context of new residential areas and sustainable transport to schools with the aim for schools to better serve local sustainable communities.
The rollout of the pilot Single Online Application for Schools marks a significant step towards fulfilling the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a nationwide common application system.
The Apply to School pilot was introduced to simplify and improve the admissions process for post-primary schools in five pilot areas. This new system provides families, for the first time, with a single online application and introduces synchronised, streamlined timelines for schools to manage admissions, issue offers, and update a central database to record accepted places.
The Department will closely monitor the outcomes of the admissions process to ensure that all local children are accommodated and to identify any required solutions if necessary. The Apply to School pilot will provide early clarity and robust data to support this commitment.
Under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998, the parent of the student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, may appeal a decision of this school to refuse admission. An appeal may be made under Section 29 (1)(c)(i) of the Education Act 1998 where the refusal to admit was due to the school being oversubscribed.
TUSLA’s Education Support Service (TESS) is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child.
Contact details for TESS are available at the following link www.tusla.ie/tess/get-in-touch/ or by email at tessinfo@tusla.ie.
Departmental Consultations
Ceisteanna (183)
Cathy Bennett
Ceist:183. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown of all consultants engaged with her Department; the costs associated with their services, by year, and name of consultant, in each of the years 2012 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70435/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Information in relation to consultancy expenditure in my Department is compiled annually in respect of the previous year and published online at www.gov.ie/en/collection/department-of-education-and-skills-expenditure-on-consultancy/ The data in respect of 2025 is being compiled at present and will be published online as soon as it is available.
State Examinations
Ceisteanna (184)
Jen Cummins
Ceist:184. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Ireland offering the Baccalaureate. [70463/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Education and Youth has no role in the Baccalaureate and therefore my Department is not in a position to supply the information requested by the Deputy.
State Examinations
Ceisteanna (185)
Jen Cummins
Ceist:185. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students taking the Baccalaureate in the last five years. [70464/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Education and Youth has no role in the Baccalaureate and therefore my Department is not in a position to supply the information requested by the Deputy.
Health and Safety
Ceisteanna (186)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:186. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has specific policies in place regarding first aid provision and emergency preparedness in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70494/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all pupils.
On a wider level, issues concerning public health including those raised by the Deputy, are matters for the HSE Public Health. Specifically, the role of my Department is to communicate to the education sector, public health information and advice on public health matters as recommended by the HSE Public Health.
Regarding health and safety generally the body which has statutory responsibility for ensuring that health and safety requirements are met by all employers, including schools, is the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). The Authority also provides information and advice to organisations, including schools, to assist them in ensuring that their responsibilities in respect of health and safety in the workplace are met.
The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 sets out the responsibilities on individual school management authorities to have a safety statement in place in their schools. The Statement should identify potential hazards, assess the risks to health and safety and put appropriate provision in place to safeguard the safety and health of employees and pupils.
The HSA has published resources specifically for schools to support them in managing health and safety in the school environment. The HSA published Guidelines on managing Safety, Health and Welfare in Primary Schools is the outcome of a joint project undertaken by the HSA and Kilkenny Education Centre. Similar Guidelines for post-primary schools is the outcome of a joint project undertaken by the HSA, the Department of Education and Youth and the State Claims Agency. The HSA also provides a number of online training courses specifically for the school sector. Further details on the advice, resources and training courses available from the HSA can be obtained from the HSA's website www.hsa.ie.
Where a school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the management authorities, working in conjunction with parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a pupil suffers from an illness requiring, for example, the administration of medication, that appropriate treatment is available.
The administration of medicines in primary schools is the subject of an agreement between the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the organisation representing school management at primary level.
While this agreement specifies that no teacher can be required to administer medicine or drugs to pupils, it also sets out procedures that must be followed where a teacher or teachers agree to do so. The position is that either the parents of the child should make themselves available to administer medication as required, or where they wish the staff in the school to administer it, they should indemnify the school.
My Department cannot direct any member of the Board of Management or the teaching staff of the school to administer medical treatment to pupils, action and procedures which are normally carried out by medical professionals such as doctors and nurses.
Where a child requires adult assistance to assist in the administration of medicine and where the extent of assistance required would overly disrupt normal teaching time, SNA support may be allocated for this purpose. It is a matter for the Board of Management to ensure that SNAs are in a position to effectively meet the care needs of pupils for whom SNA support has been allocated in the school, when appointing an SNA. Where specific training is required, the Board of Management should liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) in order to ensure that the HSE provides guidance and training that enables the SNA to meet the care needs of the pupil in an appropriate manner. It is a matter for individual school authorities to make such arrangements locally.
Health and Safety
Ceisteanna (187)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:187. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department plans to introduce an allergy awareness campaign in the current school year for students, SNAs, teachers, and other school staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70495/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Education and Youth does not have plans to introduce an allergy awareness campaign in the current school year for students, SNAs, teachers, and other school staff.
I am informed that Safefood is an all-island body whose role is to promote awareness and knowledge of food safety and nutrition on the island of Ireland.
Safefood works with a range of stakeholders, including the Irish Food Allergy Network, to provide in-person events such as training workshops and webinars and develop practical resources that are targeted at specific audiences to ensure relevant allergen management in specific food environments.
This includes schools and childcare settings. Safefood has developed resources to assist the providers in accommodating and protecting children in their care who may have food allergy or intolerance. These resources can be accessed here: www.safefood.net/education/allergies.
Safefood is currently updating allergy information for primary schools in Ireland. This is being carried out in association with the Irish Primary Principals Network (IPPN), Irish primary schools and IFAN.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (188)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:188. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish the statement of account for school transport expenditure for the past number of years (details supplied) and if she will make these statements accessible again; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70496/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements form the basis of the payment to Bus Éireann for the operation of the School Transport Scheme. In this regard, the Department reimburses Bus Éireann for a range of costs incurred in the operation and administration of the scheme. Re-imbursement to Bus Éireann is on a cost recovery basis.
The school transport scheme is a demand-led service based on the number of eligible children who apply to avail of transport. My Department works with Bus Éireann to review costs to the scheme on an on-going basis, while each year the company produces an audited statement of account. This ensures that the financial information provided by Bus Éireann is in accordance with the relevant summary of accounting arrangements.
Bus Éireann’s accounts are reviewed by independent auditors as part of its annual audit process. Bus Éireann’s School Transport scheme annual costs are set out in the Annual Statement of Account. This Statement of Account is independently audited by the Bus Éireann auditors in accordance with the 1975 Summary of Accounting Arrangements and this report is submitted to my Department on an annual basis.
Bus Éireann Annual Reports are available on their website at buseireann.ie
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (189)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:189. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the current special schools, by location; whether these schools are in permanent or interim/temporary buildings; the current number of children attending each school; the number waiting on a place in each school, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70499/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
There continues to be increasing demand for additional special school places to support students with complex needs. In response, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary. A list of special schools is available on the department website via the following link Special Schools (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/organisation-information/special-schools/). Enrolment data for the 2025/2026 school year is being collated and not available at present.
The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork. As you are aware five new special schools were established for the 2025/26 school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country. Details on special school enrolments are attached. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years.
The department and NCSE have already begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026/27 school year, examining available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand. The distance that students are travelling to access an education that meets their needs is also considered in the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children and young people seeking a special school place in a region.
The department’s preference is to increase provision in existing special schools where possible. Where this is not possible, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.
The NCSE is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process which closed on 1 October to plot demand for specialist places for the 2026/27 school year. Once the analysis is complete, the NCSE will be equipped to engage with schools to open new special classes in relevant areas.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for students with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation nationwide as to where new special schools are required.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (190)
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:190. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the main policy achievements of her Department since 22 January 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70521/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In June this year, the Department of Education and Youth published the Education Plan. This is the Department’s annual plan, which sets out high level priorities and associated actions for the coming year. These priorities are derived from the Department’s Statement of Strategy, which sets out the vision, mission and strategic goals that guides the Department of Education and Youth’s work programme. The Department of Education and Youth’s goal has been to deliver high quality and inclusive education for all children and young people that addresses their needs, interests and ambitions. The delivery of actions under the Education Plan will be monitored and the Department will issue biannual progress reports.
Significant achievements to date this year include:
Primary Curriculum
• Published in September 2025, the redeveloped Primary School Curriculum is the first major update since 1999 and applies to all primary and special schools. The redeveloped curriculum marks a major milestone in primary education.
Junior Cycle
• On 22 April 2025, my Department announced changes to the Junior Cycle grade bands aimed at better reflecting student work and achievement.
• There are the same number of grade bands with the top four grade descriptors (Distinction, Higher Merit, Merit, and Achieved) being evenly distributed in bands of fifteen percentage points. This change has resulted in higher numbers of students achieving Distinction and Higher Merit grades.
Senior Cycle
• In February 2025 Creative Connections was launched, a pilot partnership programme aiming to promote collaboration, encourage creativity and enhance educational outcomes for children impacted by social disadvantage in Ireland and Northern Ireland. In July 2025, the Department launched a new data mapping tool to chart the engagement of schools and Youthreach centres across the country with Creative Youth initiatives.
Social, Personal and Health Education
• In January, the Department issued a circular advising post-primary schools of changes to the Social Education Leaving Cert Applied (LCA) Module Descriptor following the introduction of the new Senior Cycle Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) specification. As set out in Circular 12/2025, the Senior Cycle SPHE specification replaces the LCA Social Education module 1 (Social and Health Education 1) and module 4 (Social and Health Education 2). These changes will take effect for all LCA students entering 5th year/year one of the LCA Programme in the 2025/2026 academic year.
Physical Education
• The second phase of the Pilot Programme in Physical Activity in Teaching and Learning was launched in April 2025 and in November, the Active School Flag Post-Primary initiative was launched.
Teacher Workforce Measures
• A review of factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland commenced this year and included a meeting between a range of education stakeholders, held in May. This two-year project involves consultations with key stakeholders and will create a strategic plan for managing Ireland’s teaching workforce.
• In March 2025, this Department initiated a process to move towards a mandatory assessed placement period in a special education needs setting for all student teachers, supported by appropriate modules. In April, the Teaching Council issued a survey across 53 accredited primary and post-primary programmes.
• Insights from this survey informed a draft Guidance Note which was the subject of formal consultation with ITE providers and Education partners in November. This draft Guidance Note will be considered by the Education Committee and Council Board in December. Higher Education Institutes will implement the measure on a voluntary basis from September 2026, with compulsory implementation dependent on its inclusion in accreditation standards.
• In April 2025, a new measure to address ongoing challenges and boost teacher supply was announced. Teachers taking up their first contract in a viable teaching post in September 2025, will become eligible for a permanent contract in September 2026.
• In October 2025 the revised Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2025 were signed into law via Statutory Instrument 482 2025. These revised regulations allow teachers who qualified overseas to undertake their induction in the State for a time-limited period up to 31 December 2027 and are designed to strengthen the supply of qualified teachers.
• The regulations incorporate the mechanism enabling student teachers to register with the Teaching Council, allowing student teachers in the third or fourth year of their programmes to undertake limited substitute teaching.
• Teachers' Professional Journeys: The First Decade is a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study on teaching in Ireland, launched in December. It will encompass all primary, post-primary and further education teacher graduates from the classes of 2019, 2022 and 2026 and explore teachers’ early career experiences as they complete initial teacher education and become established in the profession.
Support for school principals
• In June, measures to reduce restrictions on jobsharers and those on a career break from working as substitutes in primary and post-primary schools have been extended to the next school year. In addition, the measure allowing post-primary teachers to provide up to 35 additional hours of substitute cover per term under the Teaching Hours Extension Scheme was also extended to the next school year in June.
• This year my Department has begun a trial of new administrative supports and arrangements for principals and boards of management to reduce the non-educational aspect of their workloads. These new posts have the title of Administrative Executives and are being introduced in three primary and three post primary schools.
Capitation
• The Department secured €39 million in Budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools from €224 to €274 and of €20 per student for post-primary schools from €386 to €406.
This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294.
• The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of mainstream capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. These increases will take effect from September 2026. This funding will benefit schools around the country in managing their day-to-day running costs.
Convention on Education
• In July 2025, the Department announced that it would host a Convention on Education, bringing together all stakeholders in education. The Convention on Education will be a once in a generation opportunity for children, young people, parents, educators and wider society to help shape Ireland’s education system for decades to come. The Convention will comprise 150 participants across four groups: 1) children and young people, 2) parents and guardians, 3) school staff and early years educators and 4) Education stakeholders.
• The Convention will meet four times over weekends in March, May, September and November 2026 to discuss key issues and make recommendations on the future of education. The focus will be mainly on primary and post-primary education but will include the transitions children make from early childhood education to primary and from post-primary to further and higher education. The report of the Convention will inform the department’s long-term strategy, “Our Schools, Our Future”.
Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS)
• Budget 2026 allocated an additional €16.5 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to introduce a DEIS plus scheme and for the implementation of the new DEIS Strategy. This is the single biggest full-year investment in tackling educational disadvantage since the DEIS programme was established.
Traveller and Roma
• A TRES (Traveller and Roma Education Strategy) Oversight Group was established in January 2025 and has met three times to date. The group is responsible for monitoring progress and overseeing the implementation of actions contained within the TRES over the six-year period. It also oversees the implementation of education-related actions from the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2024–2030 (NTRIS II). Membership includes representatives from Traveller and Roma organisations. The first progress report was published in March 2025 and the second in July 2025. The third progress report will be published shortly.
• The recruitment process for the appointment of 15 community link workers to support Traveller and Roma children and young people and those most at risk of educational disadvantage is well underway. Once appointed, the community link worker will work in DEIS and non-DEIS schools with high Traveller and Roma enrolments.
School books
• In February 2025, the Department announced the details of the final phase of the Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme. Free schoolbooks and core classroom resources will be provided to all students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme from the 2025/26 school year. Some 400,000 students, enrolled in approximately 672 post-primary schools and over 80 special schools, will benefit from the extension of the scheme.
• In total, €170 million has been allocated to provide free schoolbooks for some 940,000 children and young people enrolled in primary, post-primary and special schools in the Free Education Scheme, from the start of the 2025/26 school year. This means, for the first time ever, all children and young people enrolled in primary, special and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme will be provided with schoolbooks and core classroom resources.
School attendance and completion
• A programme of work to develop and implement a new shared service employment framework for the School Completion Programme (SCP) is steadily advancing, ensuring that the future employment and governance framework for the SCP is robust, sustainable and supports the further development of this programme.
• In September, the Department launched a national multimedia campaign to promote the importance of regular school attendance to students and parents and Anseo a new evidence-based framework announced in May this year to help schools analyse and respond to attendance data, working with the Tusla Education Support Service. Sixty schools have been offered Anseo from the start of the 2025/26 school year and Anseo will be gradually scaled to all schools by September 2028.
School Transport
• The School Transport Scheme issued over 180,000 tickets to students for the 2025/2026 school year. This figure includes over 24,200 children and young people with special educational needs.
• A total of 14 pilot projects were continued for the 2025/2026 school year and further pilots have been approved for the 2025/2026 school year. These pilots will test the revised scheme eligibility criteria. Work is also advancing on a number of projects including e-Ticketing and digital mapping, with e-ticketing technology already being used in some of the pilot areas.
Gaeltacht and Irish language education
• In November, my Department launched a new Policy for Irish-Medium Education outside of the Gaeltacht, which will support the growth and development of the Irish-medium sector. A Taskforce on Models of Provision for Irish-Medium Education, which provides a platform for collaboration between the Department and key stakeholders, has since been established under this Policy.
• Also In November, my Department published a new Action Plan for Irish in English-Medium Schools. This plan is informed by national consultation, research, and policy and practice for minority languages in other jurisdictions.
Digital policy and AI
• In June 2025, the Department of Education and Youth issued a circular about the requirement to implement a policy to ban (in the case of primary schools) and restrict (in the case of post-primary schools) the use of, and access to, personal mobile phones for the duration of the school day.
• The Department published Guidance on AI in Schools in October. This serves as an initial step toward the safe, effective and responsible use of AI in schools, with further development anticipated from Ireland’s partnership with the EU Commission in the multi-country project to develop strategies and tools for AI implementation in school education, as announced in April this year.
Wellbeing
• In April 2025 the Department launched Neart, the new national programme of mental health and wellbeing resources and training for post-primary schools, delivered in a partnership between the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and Jigsaw - The National Centre for Youth Mental Health.
• The first Cineáltas Implementation Report was published in July 2025. Cineáltas is our whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying behaviour in schools. In its first year of implementation, work on of 51 of the 61 actions commenced and five of these actions were fully implemented.
• The “Bí Cineálta Procedures to Prevent and Address Bullying Behaviour for Primary and Post-Primary Schools” began implementation in schools from the beginning of the 25/26 school year.
Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse
• In July 2025, the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 was passed into law. The Act has two main purposes – to enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions and to allow the formal dissolution of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (Caranua).
• In July 2025, Government agreement was secured for the establishment of an independent Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools, under the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. This decision was informed by the work of a high-level Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) which considered the recommendations of the 2024 report of the Scoping Inquiry into historical abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders.
• Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath has commenced his role as Chair of the Commission of Investigation effective 1 October 2025 and the necessary preparations for establishing the Commission are currently under way. The Commission will make its report to the Minister for Education and Youth within five years.
Special Education
• The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) sanctioned over 400 special classes for the 2025/26 school year. Over 300 new special school places have been created.
• In March 2025, the Department of Education and Youth published a new circular, “Review of Enrolment in a Special Class” was published to support schools with the review process for children and young people enrolled in a special class. Alongside this development, the criteria for enrolment in special classes for children with Developmental Language Disorder or Speech Sound Disorder was updated.
• In April 2025, the Department announced the Special Needs Assistant (SNA) Redeployment Scheme will be operated by the NCSE and, for the first time, allow SNAs in posts which may no longer be required for reasons such as falling enrolments, reduced care needs or changing demographics, to be redeployed to a school which has a vacant post.
• In May 2025, the Department of Education and Youth announced new measures to support forward planning for special education provision for the 2026/2027 school year and beyond.
• Also in May 2025, the Department published the Report on Focus Groups with Teachers on the role of the Special Needs Assistant (SNA).
• In June 2025, my Department published the review of the Education of Person with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2024. The review comprised of over 28,000 responses to online surveys, including 900 responses from children and young people to an innovative easy access survey, and participation in focus groups by 91 adults and 94 students and young people from mainstream, special and Irish medium schools, as well as adults who had left school. The process of reviewing the EPSEN Act brought to light areas where participants considered that changes or developments in existing legislation, policy or practice were required and a total of 51 recommendations are presented in the report.
• In June 2025, the Department announced government approval to establish the Education Therapy Service. This new service is currently being developed for roll out in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year.
• In October 2025, as part of Budget 2026, a further special school package was announced to support increased investment in teacher professional learning in special education, additional funding for assistive technologies and enhanced capitation which will benefit, in particular, children in special schools.
• In November the Department of Education and Youth published a circular to advise schools regarding the revised criteria to access support under the enhanced Irish Sign Language (ISL) Scheme.
Child protection
• Updated Child Protection Procedures for Schools 2025 were published in May 2025. The updated procedures were developed in collaboration with the education partners. They give direction regarding identifying and responding to child protection concerns, and the process for continued support of the child.
Lifelong Guidance
• In May 2025, the National Policy Group for Lifelong Guidance, chaired by my Department, launched the National Map of Lifelong Guidance Services. The map is interactive and increases the visibility and awareness of lifelong guidance, employment and career advisory services across Ireland.
• In May it was also announced that DCU will provide a new outreach course for post-primary teachers to train as guidance counsellors in Munster beginning in January 2026, and my Department is supporting this initiative.
Gifted students
• My Department is currently developing a suitable approach of policy and practice for students who are exceptionally able or gifted. Actions undertaken include commissioning bespoke research on international best practice, consulting with relevant stakeholders, and running new initiatives in a number of schools and education centres.
• These initiatives include the Sabria pilot, which is led by an academic expert, and fosters local collaboration between primary and post-primary schools to establish how they can most effectively work together to support the needs of exceptionally able students. A launch event for the programme took place in March of this year, involving stakeholders from a number of schools and educational organisations. Work is ongoing to develop and embed a suitable approach.
• A further initiative, the Summer Programme for Students pilot, is currently running in two schools. It is funded through the existing Summer Programme scheme and will be in addition to the current programmes running in the schools.
Education for Sustainable Development
• A second progress report on implementation of the Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 – was published in September 2025. Also in September, the new Leaving Certificate subject “Climate Action and Sustainable Development” was introduced in 42 network schools.
• The new primary curriculum “Social and Environmental Education” was also published in September and will be introduced in primary schools along with the other new primary curricula on a phased basis from September 2026.
• The Department recently delivered over €860,000 in funding to 390 schools for projects that support implementation of ESD to 2020, with a focus on projects that include “local level action” for sustainable development.
• The Department delivered over €460,000 in funding this summer to 20 organisations delivering ESD supports to schools. In addition, almost €500,000 in funding was delivered to ten youth-led climate justice projects happening across Ireland in 2025.
Youth Affairs
• Arising from Budget 2026, an additional €8 million in current and capital funding has been allocated to Youth Affairs to support the sustainability and development of youth services.
• This year my Department received €500,000 to implement the Summer 2025 Holiday Meals Pilot Programme (Summer Meals Programme), a targeted initiative designed to address holiday hunger among young people during the post-primary school summer holidays (June–August). The programme aims to provide a hot or substantial meal to young people attending UBU Your Place Your Space youth services who are at risk of not having access to adequate nutrition during official school closure periods. 41 UBU youth services across the 16 education and training boards (ETBs) signed up to participate, with the programme officially launching on 3 June 2025.
• Under the Department’s largest youth funding scheme, UBU Your Place Your Space, €50.7 million was allocated in 2025. A further €1.2 million was provided this year to establish 10 new UBU youth services, which will deliver targeted youth worker-led support to up to 1,000 disadvantaged young people in areas of greatest need.
• In July the Department announced almost €500,000 in funding for ten youth-led climate justice projects happening across Ireland in 2025.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (191)
Paula Butterly
Ceist:191. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the eligibility criteria for the school transport scheme for primary school pupils, particularly for those living approximately 4.8 km from their nearest school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70541/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school. At post primary level, they are eligible where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre. Distance is determined by the Department/Bus Éireann and rules have regard to ethos and language.
Parents of children wishing to avail of school transport services are required to apply on-line to Bus Éireann’s website at buseireann.ie/schooltransport
Families may still apply for school transport after the closing date, however, if the application or payment/entering medical card details is late they may not secure a seat on a service and will not be considered for a remote area grant.
A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who complete the application process on time (apply on time and pay on time) are accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation and where there is capacity to do so.
Children who are not eligible but who apply for school transport are considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
School Transport
Ceisteanna (192)
Paula Butterly
Ceist:192. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider reviewing the school transport arrangements serving schools in County Louth (details supplied); if she will examine the feasibility of a coordinated transport system to reduce congestion and emissions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70542/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally. This includes the sharing of services to facilitate more than one school.
A minimum number of 10 eligible children residing in a distinct locality, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of school transport services, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits.
In order to assess the need for school transport to each school, families need to apply and pay by the deadline date for the upcoming school year.
Following the closing date for payment or entering medical card details, the Bus Éireann family portal will close. This will give Bus Éireann time to assess all applications and plan for routes and services for the 2026/2027 school year. Routes may be altered or extended depending on the number and location of eligible children who will be availing of school transport for the following school year. As mentioned above, this can include the sharing of services to facilitate more than one school.
Details on the application and payment deadlines for the 2026/27 school year will be announced shortly.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (193)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:193. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the entire north 2est of Ireland-Sligo, Mayo Donegal, Roscommon Leitrim and Cavan has been excluded in the current NCSE recruitment drive for senior and staff grade occupational therapists and speech and language therapists for the national educational therapy service (ETS) in special schools, with the plan for it to be extended to special classes in mainstream schools; if this to be a phased roll out; when will the OTs and SLTs be recruited for Sligo, Mayo, Donegal, Roscommon, Leitrim and Cavan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70556/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
In line with the programme for government, the Education Therapy Service (ETS) has been established as an additional support for children and young people in their school environment. It is not a replacement for existing children’s services from which provision will continue. It will commence in specials schools and rollout in time to special classes and mainstream school.
It is anticipated that the service will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year. Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out in special schools commencing in the 2026/27 school year.
As referenced, on the 28th November the recruitment campaign for therapists to the new ETS was launched. This campaign will initially see 90 occupational therapists and speech and language therapists consisting of staff and senior grades join their therapy team.
In line with the phased approach for implementation, the current recruitment campaign has included the following counties: Carlow, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Westmeath, Wexford & Wicklow. This ensures that supports are provided to schools aligning with the current National Council for Special Education (NCSE) regional structure for therapy. As this is a national service which will grow and expand to include all schools. It is envisioned that there will be rolling recruitment campaign commencing in 2026 covering all counties to meet the therapy needs of the children in the school system. It is envisioned that further recruitment campaigns will also include additional therapy grades including therapy managers, clinical specialists and therapy assistants.
In addition, the NCSE have been developing an education -based therapy support service known as the previously as the Education Therapy Supports Service (ETSS), which will now be subsumed into the ETS. This service provides two strands of support to all schools: Sustained In-School Therapy and Regional Therapy Supports.
Sustained in-school support (SIT) is provided to schools for a defined period of 18-24 months in line with the School Inclusion Model. 22 schools in the Eastern region and 28 schools in the Western region are receiving support under SIT in the 2025/2026 school year.
Regional therapy support provides Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) with follow on/implementation support by NCSE therapists. The focus of this support is to build the capacity of schools and to embed the learning from TPL into their teaching practice, through In-school coaching and co-facilitation of interventions, strategies and resources. Regional Therapy Supports are available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year.
School Funding
Ceisteanna (194)
Paula Butterly
Ceist:194. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to address overcrowding and staffing challenges in schools in County Louth; if additional funding or resources are planned to support schools in high-demand areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70562/25]
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 €1.6 billion in school infrastructure across County Louth. The department is continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that every child in the State has access to a school place.
There has been a significant number of projects delivered in Co. Louth in the past 5 years, both large scale projects and Additional accommodation (ASA) projects. The most recent completions include Bush Post Primary School in Dundalk and Baile an Phusta NS, in Ardee. There are also a number of projects at various stages of the architectural planning process. Details of all school building projects can be found at: www.gov.ie.
As the Deputy may be aware, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
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. While my department is aware of enrolment pressures and demand for additional school places in some areas, it is important to note that enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. Notwithstanding the above, in some areas, demographic pressures and other factors are driving a requirement for additional school places.
My department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998.
Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
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. With regards to Post-primary enrolments, for the 2024/25 academic year there were more first year places available than 6th class children and 11.14% of first year places were unfilled.
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.
Teacher allocations to all second level schools are approved annually by my department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. In accordance with these rules, each school management authority is required to organise its subject options within the limit of its approved teacher allocation.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority, subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
I want to assure the Deputy that my department will keep the school place requirements in Co. Louth under review.
School Costs
Ceisteanna (195)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:195. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the financial challenges faced by some parents regarding the payment of mock examination fees at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70570/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Neither my Department nor the State Examinations Commission (SEC) have any role in relation to the setting, running and marking of mock examinations and consequently no role in mock examination fees. Decisions to hold mock examinations are taken by individual schools and the format of these examinations and the fees involved is a matter for each individual school.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (196)
Niall Collins
Ceist:196. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70571/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school to which the deputy refers has been granted capital funding for the provision of two mainstream classrooms under my Department’s Additional School Accommodation scheme for Modular Accommodation.
The school have received 90% of their funding. The funding grant for the ESB connections has been included in the overall grant. This funding is not issued separately. The final tranche of funding will be released to the school, upon receipt of the final drawdown paperwork, which will be subject to review and approval by Department officials.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (197)
Grace Boland
Ceist:197. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has given consideration to the delivery of a new primary school in the Castlelands area of Balbriggan, given the new 817 housing development planned for the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70596/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I wish to advise the Deputy that requirement for school places is kept under on-going review in the context of available information on population, enrolments and residential development activity.
In order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level.
Major new residential developments have the potential to alter the demand for school places at a local level. In that regard, as part of the demographic demand analysis, my department monitors planning and construction activity in the residential sector. This involves the analysis of data sources from local authorities and the CSO along with the engagement with local authorities and the construction sector. In this way, up-to-date information on significant new residential developments is obtained and factored into the demographic analysis exercise. This is necessary to ensure that schools infrastructure planning is keeping pace with demographic changes, at a local level, where there is a constantly evolving picture with planned new residential development.
In addition to ongoing demographic analyses, my department continues to liaise with Fingal County Council in respect of potential longer-term requirements for educational provision in all areas of Fingal including Castlelands, Balbriggan. My department engages further on such matters with the Council through the review of the County Development Plan, preparation of Local Area Plans and other relevant statutory planning processes.
Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the circumstances of each case and may, be provided through:
• Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
• Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
• Provision of a new school or schools.
If additional accommodation is required, the aim to try and facilitate this, as much as possible, by way of expansion of existing schools rather than establishing new schools. The expansion of existing schools is consistent with wider Government objectives under Project Ireland 2040 for an increased emphasis on compact growth.
New schools are only established in areas of demographic growth as the resources available for school infrastructure have to be prioritised to meet the needs of areas of significant population increase so as to ensure that every child has a school place.
A significant number of new residential units are planned for the Balbriggan area. There is an associated demand for school places with the development of new houses. However, due to the reduction in birth rates and family sizes, the school place demand per house has reduced in recent years. Similarly, the demand for school places in the older residential areas in Balbriggan has reduced significantly. As a consequence, the demand for primary school places have peaked across the Balbriggan area. It is worth noting that there were over 25% less junior infant students than sixth class students living in Balbriggan in the last academic year
Therefore, are no plans at present to establish a new primary school in the Castlelands area of Balbriggan.
The demand for school places will be heavily influenced by the number of new houses delivered and when they are completed.
Therefore, to ensure alignment of school provision with the rollout of additional residential development, the department, through the various consultation phases of the Statutory Plan process, liaises with Fingal County Council in respect of their County Development Plan, all associated variations, Local Area Plans and Masterplans with a view to identifying any medium to potential long-term school place and accommodation requirements across school planning areas and with the purpose of ensuring that there is an adequate amount of appropriately zoned and suitably located sites for future school place provision, which are in line with objectives as identified in the National Planning Framework. The recently announced revised housing targets will see an intensification of the Statutory Plan process for the foreseeable future. The specific detail on the amount of proposed additional residential developments and the proposed rate of delivery is awaited and this will inform the timing of additional school requirements beyond 2030. My department officials, who have consistently engaged in this process throughout 2025, will continue to do so going forward into 2026 and beyond.
The pace of delivery of additional residential developments, along with updated enrolment data and demographic data will be kept under review and this will inform the timing of further school requirements across school planning areas.
Further and Higher Education
Ceisteanna (198)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:198. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on whether migrants and refugees will be discouraged from accessing education, training and upskilling supports that require people to be in receipt of a social welfare payment in light of proposals from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to penalise migrants and refugees who rely on essential social welfare supports such as disability allowance, carer's allowance or working family payment in terms of eligibility for naturalisation; if her Department was consulted about these proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70608/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
All children and young people up to the age of 18 years, including those who come to Ireland as migrants or refugees, have access to free primary and post-primary education on the same basis as Irish nationals. A school must admit all students, regardless of nationality or immigration status, where it is not oversubscribed and places are available.
I do not envisage that the recent changes announced by my colleague the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration will change how children and young people access primary and post-primary education.
School Funding
Ceisteanna (199)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:199. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school did not receive funding (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70618/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The 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, my colleague the former Minister of Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD, 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.
My Department can confirm an application was received from the school in question however the school was not on the list of approvals in the first tranche. 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.
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/)
School Accommodation
Ceisteanna (200)
Naoise Ó Muirí
Ceist:200. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a matter regarding school places (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70751/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department works closely with school patrons in order to ensure that there are sufficient school places available for all children in Westport each September. In order to cater for Westport’s longer-term educational provision at post primary level, my Department is investing in two substantial capital projects in the town. A large-scale major capital project was approved for Sacred Heart Secondary School which will provide a new replacement school for 600 pupils including special educational provision. Rice College was approved a significant additional school accommodation project to provide appropriate accommodation for 600 pupils also including special education provision.
My Department’s ongoing engagement with the patron bodies of the post-primary schools in Westport will ensure that there are sufficient post-primary school places across the two schools and to support the sustainable provision of high-quality post-primary education in the town. Enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places and that existing capacity is optimised and sustainably managed to avoid unsustainable enlargement of one school at the expense of another in an area.
I wish to advise the Deputy, both schools opened their admissions processes in October and my Department requested information on applications to both schools for first-year places for 2026/2027 to aid its understanding of capacity requirements in Westport for next September. The Department has received the requested enrolment data from both schools which highlights that there are more places available across the two schools than children seeking first year places in the town.
Furthermore, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas including Westport and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. 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 (NDP). My Department expects to publish its own NDP Implementation Plan shortly. 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. This approach is reflected in the large investment which the Department is making in both existing post primary schools in Westport.
While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2026/2027, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one. My Department will continue to work with, and support, schools to ensure that there are sufficient places for all students.
School Accommodation
Ceisteanna (201)
Naoise Ó Muirí
Ceist:201. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a matter regarding school places (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70752/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department works closely with school patrons in order to ensure that there are sufficient school places available for all children in Westport each September. In order to cater for Westport’s longer-term educational provision at post primary level, my Department is investing in two substantial capital projects in the town. A large-scale major capital project was approved for Sacred Heart Secondary School which will provide a new replacement school for 600 pupils including special educational provision. Rice College was approved a significant additional school accommodation project to provide appropriate accommodation for 600 pupils also including special education provision.
My Department’s ongoing engagement with the patron bodies of the post-primary schools in Westport will ensure that there are sufficient post-primary school places across the two schools and to support the sustainable provision of high-quality post-primary education in the town. Enrolment pressures can be driven by duplications of applications, applications from outside an area, and school of choice factors. My Department's main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places and that existing capacity is optimised and sustainably managed to avoid unsustainable enlargement of one school at the expense of another in an area.
I wish to advise the Deputy, both schools opened their admissions processes in October and my Department requested information on applications to both schools for first-year places for 2026/2027 to aid its understanding of capacity requirements in Westport for next September. The Department has received the requested enrolment data from both schools which highlights that there are more places available across the two schools than children seeking first year places in the town.
Furthermore, in order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas including Westport and uses a geographical information system, using data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit and school enrolment data, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed at primary and post-primary level. 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 (NDP). My Department expects to publish its own NDP Implementation Plan shortly. 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. This approach is reflected in the large investment which the Department is making in both existing post primary schools in Westport.
While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2026/2027, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one. My Department will continue to work with, and support, schools to ensure that there are sufficient places for all students.