Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:97. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of all school building projects in north Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11474/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (97)
Freagraí scríofa
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that €82 million in capital funding has been provided to schools in North Tipperary since 2020.
This funding has supported the upgrading of 37 schools either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation.
There are also currently 3 school projects in North Tipperary under construction, at Boher National School, Scoil Naisiunta Lios An Halla and St. Joseph's CBS Nenagh. A further 7 schools?are also approved to?undergo works as part of the Summer Works Climate Action Scheme, covering a wide range of works from External Environment projects to Climate Action & Science Labs projects.
This progress made to date over recent years will be built on by €7.55 billion of capital investment of €7.55bn in our schools and Youth Sector under the NDP for the 2026 to 2030 period. This investment will support the operation of the school system and the Youth sector with the necessary infrastructure and facilities for the years ahead.
In this regard, I have recently published the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs.
This NDP funding will facilitate the completion of close to 300 projects currently at construction which will deliver over 30,000 additional and modernised school places. In addition, the first tranche of 105 prioritised projects to progress to tender or construction over the course of 2026 and 2027 will deliver 27,000 additional and modernised school places. These projects comprise a total investment of over €1.6 billion. This list includes an extension project at St. Anne’s Special School in Roscrea.
A department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools.
Questions Nos. 98 to 104, inclusive, answered orally.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (105, 149)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:105. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps he will take to ensure equality of terms and conditions for school secretaries and caretakers with other public sector workers, if he will meaningfully re-engage with a trade union (details supplied) in relation to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70616/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraPaul Murphy
Ceist:149. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if he will provide the funding for school secretaries and caretakers to access a fair and secure pension, on a par with their colleagues in the public service, and for recognition of past service, through an appropriate gratuity or equivalent measure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70615/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 149 together.
School secretaries and caretakers are at the heart of the school and are the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole.
My Department has been engaging with Fórsa and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation over the past number of months under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission in relation to a number of claims including a claim for a comparable pension entitlement.
The matter was referred to the Labour Court and a hearing took place on 12th January 2026. Both parties await the recommendation of the Court. The parties remain in process, and my department remains committed and ready to engage with Fórsa to reach a resolution on this important matter.
As with any industrial relations process, where engagement is sensitive and complex, the matters under discussion are confidential until this process concludes.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (106)
Conor D. McGuinness
Ceist: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 fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Schools 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.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (107)
Eoin Ó Broin
Ceist:107. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on efforts by her Department and the NCSE to increase ASD class capacity for boys in the Clondalkin area for the coming school year, given there are a small number of boys without an appropriate placement to move on to from their current placements in ASD classes in girls’ schools in the area. [10985/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to the continued accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places for 2026/27 by providing at least 3,000 new places in locations where it best meets existing and future demand.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body tasked with sanctioning new special education provision in our schools.
It is important to remember that the majority of children and young people with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. They are supported by their classroom teacher, special education teachers and SNAs as required. For children and young people with more complex needs a special class place can be provided and for children and young people with the most complex needs a special school place can be provided.
My department and the NCSE have worked closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to ensure that new special classes for the next school year are confirmed earlier. My Department and the NCSE are aware of the need to consider children transitioning from junior primary schools to senior primary schools as part of forward planning.
I visited a number of schools in the Clondalkin area last year, where this issue was also raised by principals so I'm very much aware of the concern being raised by the Deputy.
The NCSE have now sanctioned 301 new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027 with more planned in the coming weeks. 71 of these new special classes have been sanctioned in County Dublin, 49 at primary and 22 at post primary level. 5 of these new classes are being provided in Clondalkin, 4 are being established in co-educational primary schools and 1 in a senior boys primary school. This will bring to 776 the total number of special classes available across schools in County Dublin.
Additionally, there are 42 special schools in County Dublin supporting the education of 2,703 children.
The sanctioning of these new special classes is a number of months ahead of last year and should provide greater clarity for parents. It will also provide schools with more time to establish new classes.
I expect schools opening new special classes to move forward now with admissions processes.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming through the Parents Notify process and seeking a special class or special school place for the 2026/2027 school year are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (108)
Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:108. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the planned school building project at a school [10462/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The project referred to by the Deputy is devolved for delivery to Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board and will provide extended and refurbished accommodation for the school in question. This project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural design process.
As the Deputy will be aware, I recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This is in addition to the over €6 billion invested in school across the country since 2020, including €174.6 million in capital funding provided to schools in Wexford.
Of the €7.55 billion NDP investment, it is envisaged circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support delivery and modernisation of school buildings. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision. ?
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects. A department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027, involving engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools. This will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
My department will be working closely with WWETB as part of this overall prioritisation process, including with regard to the school in question.
Schools Refurbishment
Ceisteanna (109)
David Cullinane
Ceist:109. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to improve access to remedial and improvement works funding for schools in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11020/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Between 2020 and 2025, my department has provided €142.68 million in capital funding for Waterford schools. Over this period, a total of 32 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation.
There are currently 7 school projects in Waterford under construction. Another 2 school projects will go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027. Furthermore, as part of the first tranche of approvals under the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme, 6 schools in Waterford have received approvals. This scheme enables individual school authorities to undertake small-scale building works and includes an additional climate works dimension for the first time. All primary schools, including those in Waterford, received their Minor Works grant funding for the 2026/2027 school in December 2025. The emergency works scheme also remains available to schools to apply for funding for emergency works.
In the past 5 years over €990 million has been invested in the school estate to support ongoing maintenance and improvement works across a range of programmes, including the Minor Works Grant, Emergency Works Scheme, Summer Works Scheme and the Furniture and Equipment Scheme.
Maintenance is a strong focus of my department’s NDP Sectoral Investment Plan, and as part of this plan €2.25 billion will be allocated to support the operation of the existing school estate through clarity and certainty on Minor Works and ICT grants, rollout of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme, delivery of climate initiatives, and continued support for school maintenance through our emergency and summer works schemes. A key initiative will be the plans to increase minor works funding at primary level and introduction of minor works funding at post-primary level later in the NDP period.
Schools across the country, including in County Waterford, will benefit from this investment in maintenance measures as part of the NDP.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (110)
Joanna Byrne
Ceist:110. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the action being taken to address the barriers in place for children in Drogheda and beyond seeking special school places for the next school term because they have missed the arbitrary cut-off time imposed by NCSE to apply for places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11022/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to the continued accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places for 2026/27 by providing at least 3,000 new places in locations where it best meets existing and future demand. The provision of timely information is a key requirement to support the forward planning of new special education provision.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body tasked with sanctioning new special education provision in our schools.
Budget 2026 provides funding for over 400 new special classes and at least 400 new special school places for the 2026/2027 school year.
The NCSE has sanctioned 301 special classes this year with more planned in the coming weeks. This is a number of months ahead of last year and should provide greater clarity for parents.
To support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE through the Parent Notify process that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child.
This year to facilitate earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, an earlier date of 1 October was set for parents to complete the process.
The NCSE also undertook a lot of work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming through the Parents Notify process and seeking a special class or special school place for the 2026/2027 school year are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
The NCSE has also advised my department of an increasing number of children and young people who have come to their attention since the 1 October timeline. My department and the NCSE have worked on proposals to address the needs of children and young people coming forward to the NCSE after 1 October. I am pleased to confirm that the NCSE has this week recommenced the issuing of letters of eligibility to children and young people who have made contact with them after the 1 October timeline and who meet the criteria for a special class or special school placement.
The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (111)
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Ceist:111. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department oversees the consistency and transparency of NCSE decisions on SET and SNA allocations for post-primary schools; the mechanisms that exist to address cases where schools report unmet need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11005/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to achieve their full potential.
For the 2026/27 school year there will be over 21,000 special educational teachers and close to 25,000 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
Each school receives a special education teaching allocation which is in addition to their mainstream teachers and teachers assigned to special classes within the school. The special education teacher allocation model is a standardised process that provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the learning needs of students in mainstream classes based on the individual learning needs profile. For the 2026/27 school year over 15,200 special education teachers will be allocated to mainstream classes.
Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with significant care needs in schools by helping to ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
It is the responsibility of the NCSE to manage the allocation of the SNAs to schools, and to ensure that these resources are allocated to the children with the greatest level of need.
In the case of both special education teachers and special needs assistants, it is accepted that any model which distributes resources requires to be flexible to allow for circumstances where additional need may arise. In these situations, schools can request the NCSE undertake a review of their allocation. There are clear processes in place for all of these reviews, which are available on the NCSE website. In recent years the NCSE have strengthened their processes to ensure that there is greater consistency of reviews nationwide and as a result of increased staffing have greater scope to undertake reviews in a timely and child-centred manner.
The number of SENOs has increased to 120 and each SENO works in a regional team reporting to a Team Manager who in turn reports to one of two National Coordinators within the NCSE. Each team is comprised of a number of professionals, including advisors, visiting teachers, therapists and behaviour practitioners. The teams operate under quality assurance standards in decision making on relevant processes which are aligned with total quality management principles of standardisation, ownership and continuous improvement. In addition as the teams in NCSE continue to embed, they are building strong relationships with schools and families to ensure a high quality service for children with special educational needs.
Building on this local knowledge, and using their expertise, where the NCSE identifies the need for additional resources, the identified increase is available to the school ahead of the relevant school year.
School Funding
Ceisteanna (112)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:112. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) was excluded from the latest school capital funding allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11026/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this matter.
In the first instance, I acknowledge the disappointment felt by the school community at St. Eunan’s College that their project was not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects that I recently published alongside my Department’s NDP Sectoral Investment Plan.
In determining the first tranche of projects to proceed to tender or construction over 2026 and 2027, my department was required to work within the parameters of available NDP funding.
Of the 80 large-scale and ASA projects prioritised to proceed, 45 projects were already at tender stage.
35 prioritised projects are at Stage 2b, of which 14 are large-scale projects. Of the 14 large-scale projects at Stage 2b which were prioritised to progress to tender, 4 are special schools. 3 of the others are in interim accommodation pending delivery of their permanent school. All of the mainstream schools are in areas of significant demographic pressure and most additionally had significant condition issues in their existing accommodation.
St. Eunan's College has a large-scale extension and refurbishment project at Stage 2b and is one of a cohort of projects which unfortunately could not be facilitated at this time to progress to tender over 2026 and 2027 within the parameters of our NDP funding.
I am conscious that the planning permission for the project at St. Eunan's College will expire next year and my Department will work with the school authorities to identify an appropriate pathway forward. This will also include addressing any urgent interim works that may be required pending delivery of the large-scale project.
I can assure the Deputy and school community that this project at St. Eunan's College will be considered as part of the next prioritisation process to inform the next tranche of projects to progress to tender.
School Enrolments
Ceisteanna (113)
Erin McGreehan
Ceist:113. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to address overcrowding in schools in Louth, and not-fit-for purpose school buildings, given the increasing population in the county. [10849/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My department has a robust forward planning process which considers population and enrolment data in order to plan for school provision and respond to population changes.
My department uses a geographic information system which facilitates the analysis of data from a range of sources, including CSO census data, child benefit, school enrolment data, residential development activity and information about existing school capacity to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise and where additional school accommodation is needed.
This forward planning has underpinned the expansion of existing schools and establishment of new schools, including the three new post-primary schools that have been established in County Louth since 2014. More recently, over €6 billion has been invested in schools across the country since 2020, including over €118 million at schools in County Louth.
On the whole across the county, enrolments are trending downwards with both Junior Infant and First Year intakes declining. However, there is some continued localised demographic pressure in areas of very significant housing development and associated population growth. In the first instance, maximising existing school accommodation capacity will be important in addressing such local school place needs.
As part of my department’s €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan, €5 billion will support prioritised and targeted project rollout with a focus on addressing capacity pressures that cannot be met within existing accommodation across an area, particularly for children with special education needs. In that context, 6 schools in Louth were included in my department’s list of prioritised projects to proceed to tender or construction over 2026 and 2027.
Other capacity requirements in Louth and elsewhere will continue to be kept under review to inform the prioritisation of the next tranche of projects to proceed to tender, and to identify any more immediate school place requirements which may require an accommodation solution.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (114)
Martin Kenny
Ceist:114. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth when her Department will provide funding to build new schools for schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10944/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in schools across the country, including almost €72 million and €28 million on school buildings in counties Sligo and Leitrim respectively. There were 24 and 7 large scale and additional school accommodation projects completed in Sligo and Leitrim respectively during this period while a further 6 and 2 respectively are under construction currently. This level of capital investment in the school sector has been unprecedented.
The major building project to provide a new school building for the Gaelscoil referred to by the Deputy is being managed under the Department's ADAPT Programme. This large-scale school building project is currently at Stage 2a, where a developed sketch scheme is prepared by the project’s design team.
In relation to the accommodation at the amalgamated school referred to by the Deputy, my department has been working with the school authorities to address its accommodation needs, including with the provision of modular accommodation. In addition, a high-level technical assessment of potential solutions to cater for the longer-term requirements of the school community is currently being undertaken.
Capital investment in schools across the country will be informed in the context of the recently published €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030.
There will be a clear and continued focus on Value for Money, affordability, and maximising existing capacity across the school estate. This will include carefully managing targeted and prioritised project approval and rollout to meet the most urgent needs across the sector within the parameters of available funding. This will have a focus on providing additional capacity where local school place needs cannot otherwise be met across schools in an area.
The department will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders, including the patrons of both schools referred to by the Deputy.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (115)
Peter Roche
Ceist:115. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average timeframe for a mainstream school to receive additional SNA hours once a new or increased need is identified during the school year; whether she is satisfied that this timeframe supports inclusion, wellbeing, and continuity of education for the child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11110/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to achieve their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
By the end of this year there will be almost 25,000 special needs assistants (SNAs) in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for the allocation and review of SNA resources in our schools.
A critical part of this function is to ensure that SNAs are allocated to schools based on the care needs profile of individual schools and that schools have sufficient resources to meet the care needs of their pupils. In doing so the NCSE undertake reviews which look, not just at the numbers of SNAs in the school, but also how they are utilised and deployed. At all times the key focus is on meeting the care needs of the children in the school as well as fostering independent living skills.
The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided, however the NCSE are committed to completing reviews on an ongoing basis and ensuring that the outcome of reviews are advised to schools as promptly as possible.
The SNA review process is designed to ensure a consistency in approach and outcome across all schools. The NCSE will also assist schools with the deployment of their SNA resources to ensure that individual children are supported as quickly and effectively as possible.
On completion of both phases above, a school be advised of an outcome of a review. The review panel will provide each school with a rationale outlining the reason for the outcome of the review.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (116)
John Connolly
Ceist:116. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline efforts underway within her Department to increase the supply of primary school teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10904/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for this Government.??
The vast majority of schools are well-staffed and able to meet the needs of their students; data indicates that in March 2025, 96.9% of primary teaching posts were filled, rising to 97.5% in November 2025.
Additionally, increases in teaching posts have outpaced student population growth in primary schools. Since 2018, there has been an increase of 15% in primary teaching posts.
Fewer than 3% of teachers resign or retire annually; Ireland has amongst the highest teacher retention rates in the OECD.
Additionally, over 1,800 newly qualified primary teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025 and demand for primary teacher education programmes is strong, demonstrating the attractiveness of the profession. Salaries are competitive, currently starting at €44,879 and rising to €85,000 under the current pay deal.
While the majority of allocated teaching posts are filled and the profession is attractive, challenges exist in some schools and my Department has implemented several measures to address teacher supply issues.
These include improving tenure for teachers; teachers taking up their first contract in a viable post will be eligible for a permanent position after one year, subject to successful re-appointment through a competitive process.
New regulations now allow teachers who qualified overseas to complete their induction in Ireland and incremental credit is also available to teachers returning from abroad, depending on the teaching experience gained.
A?project?focused on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland,?led?by UNESCO and?supported?by?the EU Commission,?is developing?recommendations for addressing the main factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland. These recommendations will form the basis for the development by my Department of a strategic plan for the teaching workforce in Ireland.??
I am considering further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce and ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (117)
Barry Heneghan
Ceist:117. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will meet with the principal of a school (details supplied) to discuss the urgent need for additional autism class provision within their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11072/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to the continued accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places for 2026/27.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body tasked with sanctioning new special education provision in our schools.
The NCSE has now sanctioned 301 special classes for the next school year 2026/2027 with more expected to be sanctioned in the coming weeks. This is a number of months ahead of last year and provides for greater certainty for families and more time for schools to plan for the establishment of new special classes.
I expect schools to move forward now with the admissions processes for these new special classes.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming through the Parents Notify process and seeking a special class or special school place for the 2026/2027 school year are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
Schools seeking to establish new special classes should continue to engage with the NCSE at local level. In sanctioning new special classes, the NCSE has due regard to the level of need in an area and the existing provision, including how many places are expected to be available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary or finishing school.
It is critical that the NCSE has as much local information as possible as early as possible to effectively plan new provision.
I commend every school, including the school referred to by the Deputy, who express an interest in opening a new special class.As the Deputy knows, I visited the school last year and met the principal and her team, and indeed appreciate the work they do in supporting children with additional needs.
This school is already supporting three special classes and the focus for my department and the NCSE is working to provide new special classes in medium and larger primary schools with none or just 1 special class. There are resources available to support schools who have children who have needs beyond those catered for within the special classes and I would ask the school to continue to engage with the NCSE on accessing those supports.
My department and the NCSE will continue to keep the matter under review.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (118)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:118. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will collect data on the number of children and young people who are recommended specialist placement but do not receive one; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10574/26]
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.
In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE through the Parent Notify process that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child.
This notification process will provide the NCSE with critical information on children who continue to need a special class as they progress to post-primary level as well as details on students who require a place for the first time. This year to facilitate earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, an earlier date of 1 October was set for parents to complete the process.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the Parent’s Notify process are already enrolled in school supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
The NCSE has advised my department of an increasing number of children and young people who have come to their attention since the 1 October timeline. My department and the NCSE have worked on proposals to address the needs of children and young people coming forward to the NCSE after 1 October. I am pleased to say that my department is confirming that the NCSE are now in a position to issue letters of eligibility to children and young people who have made contact with them after the 1 October timeline and who meet the criteria for a special class or special school placement. The NCSE are commencing this process this week.
I want to reassure families that they will be supported in seeking a placement and that no child or young person should be prevented from starting school. There are a wide range of supports in mainstream classes, special classes and special schools for children and young people with additional needs.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (119)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:119. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is implementing to address vacant teaching posts in core subjects, following a recent departmental study which shows that there are over 1,000 unfilled teaching posts across 600 secondary schools, of which 696 of these roles were filled by a so-called ‘out of field’ (unqualified). [11007/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Ensuring that every child's experience in school is positive and that they have qualified, engaged teachers available to support them in their learning is a priority area of action for the Government.
There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools, with an analysis of payroll data as of November 2025 showing that there are 75,000 teachers employed in our schools across the country including 34,626 in post-primary schools. This analysis found that over 98% of allocated teaching posts were filled nationwide.?Teacher attrition remains low, with fewer than 3% resigning or retiring annually, one of the lowest rates in the OECD.
Data from November 2025 shows 0.7% of allocations (247 posts) in post-primary were vacant.? While this relatively low vacancy rate suggests that the vast majority of schools are well-staffed and able to meet the needs of their students, I acknowledge that challenges exist.
While the Department does not collate data on the number of vacant post-primary teaching posts in 2025 by subject, data published by the Department for the vacancies by subject for the 2023/2024 school year is available through the Survey of Teacher Unmet Demand in Post Primary Schools 2023/24 report, at this link <https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/f30264cc/Survey_of_Unmet_Demand_School_year_2023_24.pdf>.
In post-primary schools, about 2% of teaching posts are reported filled by qualified teachers teaching subjects they did not register with the Teaching Council to teach (out-of-field teachers). School authorities and principals decide how they deploy teachers in a school. Sometimes, a qualified teacher might teach a subject they are not officially registered with the Teaching Council to teach. It is important to note that where a teacher is registered with specific subjects with the Teaching Council, they may also be competent to teach subjects in related areas at various levels throughout the school.
A number of measures have been introduced to address out-of-field teaching:
STEM Bursary: • a €2k annual bursary for student teachers in STEM fields during the final two years of their undergraduate teacher education, with a requirement to complete at least 2 years of teaching post-qualification. An online application portal and circular have been published with payments to an expected 450 students to issue in Q2 2026.
Upskilling programmes: • free upskilling programmes for teachers are offered in high-demand subjects: Irish, French, politics & society, and computer science maths, physics, and Spanish. These flexible programmes boost teachers’ employment opportunities while addressing subject-specific teacher shortages.
It is a legal requirement for a teacher to register with the Teaching Council to receive a salary paid by the State. To register, a teacher must have a recognised teaching qualification. In circumstances where posts are unfilled for a period of time, or where a vacancy arises in a school due to a teacher taking leave, such vacancies may be filled on a short term basis by teachers who are either not registered with the Teaching Council or who are qualified to teach in another sector (e.g. a primary teacher teaching in post-primary). Schools may only employ a person who is not registered with the Teaching Council for short periods up to a maximum of 5 days, as a last resort, after all attempts at recruiting a qualified teacher have been unsuccessful.
Data indicates that the use of unregistered and out of route teachers is limited. Substitution by those teachers not registered with the Teaching Council accounts for approximately 1% of all days of instruction in the 2024/25 school year.
The Government has implemented several measures to address teacher supply issues more generally that have led to:????
• an increase of 20% in initial teacher education graduates (student teachers) between 2018 and 2023, and
• an over 30% increase in the number of teachers registered with the Teaching Council since 2017.
My Department has continued the suspension of the usual limits on career break and job-sharing schemes and extended the Teaching Hours Extension Scheme for post-primary teachers to the current school year 2025/26 to increase the pool of teachers available to undertake substitute work in schools.
Budget 2026 saw an increase of 1,042 teacher posts, including 860 additional teachers working across various Special Educational Needs settings.
In 2025, a measure was announced to enable teachers gain permanent roles more quickly. Recently regulations were approved to allow?teachers who qualified overseas?to undertake their?induction in the State and incremental credit is also available to teachers returning from abroad, depending on the teaching experience gained.
A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government, is in development. Additionally,?a?project focused on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland, led by UNESCO and supported by the EU Commission, is developing recommendations for addressing the main factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland. The recommendations put forward in the context of the project will form the basis for the development by my Department of a strategic workforce plan for the teaching workforce in Ireland.
Preparations are being made to host an education convention, a Programme for Government commitment, that will bring together all stakeholders to share their experiences, expectations, and hopes for the future of our education system.?
The teaching profession is attractive, with strong demand for teacher education programmes, with 3,600 newly qualified teachers, including 1,800 post-primary teachers, registered with the Teaching Council in 2025. Salaries are competitive, starting at €46,448 and rising to €85,000 under the current pay deal.?????
My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders on teacher supply issues through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions. ?Further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce will be considered to ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (120)
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh
Ceist:120. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will equalise funding for special classes at primary and post-primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10573/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs.
The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years. The Department has 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.
The increases announced in Budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of Budget 2025. The last three Budgets have resulted in an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools.
The Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities, except for the employment of relevant secretaries as per Circular 0036/2022.
The current standard rate of capitation grant is €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per student in post-primary schools. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
The majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers, through the provision of resources such as Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants. This is an estimated 25% of the total student population, or 240,000 children and young people with special educational needs, that are supported in mainstream classes.
Over 30,500 students with more complex needs are enrolled in special classes and special schools this school year – an increase of 67% since 2020.
The Department of Education and Youth provides funding and resources to support the opening of the new special classes, which includes teachers, special needs assistants, capitation grants, furniture and equipment grants and professional development training from the NCSE. In addition, funding for the repurposing of existing accommodation or the provision of modular accommodation for new special classes is also provided. The vast majority of new special classes are being provided in repurposed available school accommodation. New streamlined arrangements were introduced in Circular Letter 0080/2024 to provide grant funding for schools repurposing accommodation for special classes. Further information on these arrangements is available in Circular Letter 0039/0025 and also here.
Each special class at primary level is allocated 1 teacher and 2 SNAs and at post-primary level, schools receive 1.5 teachers and 2 SNAs.
Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise schools on available supports. SENOs may be contacted using the contact details available on the NCSE website here.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.