Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
106. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she is taking to assist schools, primarily in rural areas, that are facing closure or the loss of a teacher due to falling enrolment; and the engagement she has had with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht regarding this issue. [10980/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchools play a vital role in the social, economic and cultural life of communities, particularly in rural areas, and their sustainability is a key consideration in supporting balanced regional development and vibrant local communities.
The Government has significantly invested in our schools and teacher workforce with an increase of over 4,500 teachers in our primary schools in the last five years.
Through this investment, the general average of pupils to teachers in the Primary Staffing Schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year; the lowest-ever ratio at primary level.
The Programme for Government commits to make further progress in this area.
However, enrolment in primary schools has been declining in recent years.
The recently published enrolment figure for the 25/26 academic year is 6,759 or 1.25% lower than the previous year. This trend has been more acute in rural areas, resulting in declining enrolments in small rural schools.
The primary staffing schedule plays a central role in supporting sustainability at school level by aligning staffing resources with enrolment patterns.
In Budget 2021, a three-point reduction in the retention schedule was introduced which helps to ensure better teacher retention in primary schools, while also ensuring that fewer pupils are required to retain or recruit a teacher.
In the case of small schools, the schedule provides particularly favourable retention thresholds. For example, a small school may retain its second mainstream teaching post with as few as 11 pupils, its third post at 45 pupils, and its fourth post at 75 pupils.
These arrangements are designed to support viable class structures and this process contains a mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board, including a specific measure aimed at small schools.
The decision-making authority for a school closure belongs to the Patron of a school. Any proposal to close a school must involve consultation with all of the relevant stakeholders, parents, teachers, students and local communities.
My Department attends an Interdepartmental Group hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to discuss the action plan ‘Our Rural Future 2026-2028’.
One of the actions includes the Programme for Government introducing a new national small schools' project and trialling new administrative supports.
