Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
156. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding streams, grant programmes, or corporate partnership schemes available to support schools developing garden projects that will also serve the wider community; whether additional resources are planned to assist schools in promoting biodiversity, environmental education, and outdoor learning through such initiatives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70774/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that under the National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030, funding is provided to schools for projects that support ESD.
In 2025, over €850,000 was provided to 390 schools across the country for ESD projects including school garden projects. An additional €460,000 was provided in summer 2025 to 20 organisations supporting ESD in schools. A list of grantees and projects is available on the ESD to 2030 webpage: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/national-strategy-on-education-for-sustainable-development-in-ireland/.
In summer 2025, my department also delivered over €500,000 to 10 youth led Climate Justice projects under the Climate Justice fund. This funding supports young people aged 8 to 25 to take part in projects that raise awareness and take action on climate issues.
ESD projects funded by my department in 2025 were required to include an element of local community level action, ensuring students have the opportunity to take action for sustainable development in their local community and/ or to include the local community in ESD actions taking place in schools. Creating links and partnerships between schools and local community groups to accelerate action for sustainable development is one of five key priority areas under the ESD to 2030 strategy.
A second progress report on ESD to 2030 was published in September 2025 highlights the progress made in Education for Sustainable Development right across the education sectors. My department publishes a quarterly ESD Newsletter which issues to all schools spotlighting ESD activities in schools, resources, programmes, teacher professional learning opportunities and initiatives.
My department has also published a Sustainability Toolkit for schools to support them in developing a School Sustainability Policy Statement in accordance with the School Sector Climate Action Mandate and the department has started mapping these School Sustainability Policy Statements. All schools in receipt of ESD funding from the department commit to developing their statements.
Further information is available on the ESD to 2030 webpage at the link above.
There are a wide range of ESD related programmes and initiatives available to schools, some of which are funded by government departments, statutory agencies, Local Authorities, NGOs, Corporate sponsorship and some of which are social enterprises etc. For example, the An Taisce/ Green Schools programme is funded by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and over 90% of our primary and post-primary schools engage with this programme, the WorldWise Global Schools programme and the Global Village programmes for schools are funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs/ Irish Aid, the Safe Routes to School programme is a collaboration between the National Transport Authority and Green Schools, the SEAI have an Energy in Schools programme and also provide grants under their Community Grant Programme to support schools to make effective energy upgrades.
