Written Answers Nos. 786-805
786. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has conducted any analysis of the legal or policy implications arising from the non establishment of structures required under the Youth Work Act 2001; whether these considerations will inform the governance arrangements for the implementation of Opportunities for Youth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19477/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraOpportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services is the strategic framework for the youth work sector, published in September 2024. The strategy aims to build awareness of and strengthen youth services, and ensure that youth services remain accessible and of value to young people across Ireland. Department officials have drafted an operational action plan to support implementation of the strategy, and consultation with stakeholders involved in the delivery actions is taking place in advance of the finalisation and publication of the plan. The department has received significant input already from the sector, which is reflected in the plan.
The implementation of Opportunities for Youth, and the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders, will be supported through a new National Youth Sector Reference Group (NYSRG), as well as a group comprising representatives from departments and agencies that provide funding to or interact with the youth sector.
The establishment of the NYSRG is being informed by a process of stakeholder mapping and will focus on the design of a consultative forum, that will concentrate on the identification of policy priorities, outputs, and outcomes. The Group will include representatives from across the youth sector, including academics and youth representatives. This will support a balanced and transparent input from across the wider youth sector into national decision-making. A key pillar of this will be the representation of the views of young people, including young people of diverse backgrounds, so that they can influence decision-making in respect of youth work services.
The aim of the Interdepartmental and Interagency Group on State-funded Youth Work Services will be to develop a renewed and whole-of-government vision for the role of state-funded youth work services, including the role of youth work within the wider landscape of provision for children and young people. In turn this will improve coherence and complementarity across schemes and ensure a joined-up approach to supporting young people. This group will comprise relevant departments and state agencies that provide support or funding to youth services, to achieve greater cooperation, coherence and, where appropriate, integration of services.
This will be an important enabler for the further development of a shared understanding of the State’s vision for youth work services in the context of the evolving needs of young people. This includes the role of cross-government funders within a delivery and policy landscape that has altered significantly since the enactment of the Youth Work Act, 2001.
It is intended that, informed by progress to date, further actions for delivery in 2027 and 2028 will be identified after the first phase of delivery. It is anticipated that actions during the second phase will include a review of the Youth Work Act, 2001.
787. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the person or body that took the decision and the reason for excluding compulsory written research projects for Leaving Certificate subjects including history and geography from the answering through the Irish bonus marks scheme in each year since 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19479/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra788. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the decision to exclude compulsory written research projects for Leaving Certificate subjects including history and geography from the answering through the Irish bonus marks scheme in each year since 2006 is contrary to the stated Mícheál Martin as Minister for Education’s position in 1999, which itself was a reiteration of Government policy from 1960s to that time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19480/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra789. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the ‘decision’ to exclude compulsory written research projects for Leaving Certificate subjects including history and geography from the answering through Irish bonus marks scheme in each year since 2006 was not communicated to Irish-medium schools, their students or other students sitting their Leaving Certificate exams through Irish but in English medium schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19481/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra790. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish all documents relating to when decisions annually were taken, by whom and the educational basis of those decisions to exclude compulsory written research projects for Leaving Certificate subjects including history and geography from the answering through the Irish bonus marks scheme in each year since 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19482/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra791. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm with regard to each of the following Leaving Certificate subjects (History; Geography; Economics; PE; Agricultural Science; Religion; Politics and Society; Computer Science; Religious Education), that answering through the Irish bonus marks scheme was applied by the State Examinations Commission on the entirety of each students written work submitted each and every year from the 1960s to 2005 inclusive, and it is intended that the State Examinations Commission will reinstate that position of awarding bonus marks on the entirety of each student’s assessed work, from this year’s 2026 student cohort; and if she will for each subject, detail the year a compulsory project or research component was introduced for Leaving Certification assessment, the weighted value of that project. [19483/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra792. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department officials of the State Examination Commission received correspondence regularly from 2008 on the matter of the failure to apply answering through Irish bonus marks to compulsory written research projects for Leaving Certificate subjects in each year since 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19484/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 787 to 792, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the policy and practice of awarding additional marks to candidates sitting state examinations through the medium of Irish dates back to the 1920s. It was one of several initiatives taken in the early years of the State to strengthen the position of the Irish language in the education system, with the long-term objective of maintaining and reviving its use in everyday life.
The practice of awarding bonus marks for answering through Irish is implemented currently by the State Examinations Commission (SEC), according to the procedures described in Rule 29 of the Rules and Programme for Secondary Schools 2004/2005. That this applies to the written examinations only is set out in Rule 29, which states:
“... A candidate who answers in Irish at the written examination in the various subjects as set out below may be given bonus marks in addition to the marks gained in the subject.
Bonus marks at the rate of 10 per cent of the marks obtained will be given to a candidate who obtains less than 75 per cent of the total marks in the case of the following subjects: - Latin, Ancient Greek, Classical Studies, Hebrew Studies, History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Physics and Chemistry, Biology, Science, Business, Economics, Economic History, Agricultural Science, Agricultural Economics, Home Economics, Music, Business Studies, History and Appreciation of Art, Civic, Social and Political Education, Religious Education, Arabic, LCVP Link Modules-Written Component only. Bonus marks at the rate of 5 per cent will be given to a candidate who obtains less than 75 per cent of the total marks in the case of the following subjects: - French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Accounting, Engineering, Construction Studies, Materials Technology (Wood), Metalwork, Technology, Typewriting, Russian, Japanese. Bonus marks at the rate of 3 per cent will be given to a candidate who obtains less than 75% of the total marks in the case of the subject Art, Craft, Design (Junior Certificate). Above 75 per cent the bonus will be subjected to a uniform reduction until the candidate who scores 100 per cent gets no bonus.
No bonus will be given in the case of the following subjects: - Technical Graphics, Technical Drawing, Leaving Certificate Art (other than History and Appreciation of Art).
For the purpose of the award of bonus marks, Mathematics, Paper 1 and Paper 2, will be treated as separate subjects.
Candidates who answer partly in Irish and partly in English will receive no bonus marks”.
In addition to the subjects listed above, bonus marks are also awarded to candidates who take the formal written examinations through Irish in the Leaving Certificate Applied.
The decision to award either a 10% or 5% bonus is based on the projected volume of written production in Irish in each formal written examination. The rate of 3% no longer applies.
Documentation from the SEC to the Authorities of Post-Primary Schools regarding the bonus for answering through Irish states:
“Please note that in keeping with all other examinations that have components completed outside the formal written examination, bonus marks will not be awarded”.
New examinations were first held in Leaving Certificate History and Geography in 2006 which included written coursework. The coursework did not come within the ambit of Rule 29 and did not therefore attract the bonus marks. This was also the case in relation to the written coursework in LC Religious Education which was first examined the previous year in 2005.
Regarding the specific subjects listed below and the request for confirmation that answering through the Irish bonus marks scheme was applied by the SEC on the entirety of each students written work submitted each and every year from the 1960s to 2005 inclusive I am advised by the SEC as follows:
History:• examined by written examination only until 2006.
Geography:• examined by written examination only until 2006.
Economics:• examination by written examination only until 2021.
PE:• introduced as a new subject, and examined for the first time in 2020.
Computer Science:• introduced as a new subject, and examined for the first time in 2020.
Politics and Society: • introduced as new subject, and first examined in 2018.
Agricultural Science: • first examination in new specification in 2021.
Religious Education:• first examination in 2005. Since its introduction, the journal completed for the examination in Religious Education did not come within scope of the Irish Bonus marks.
As the Deputy will be aware. under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme, all new and revised Leaving Certificate Established subject specifications will incorporate Additional Assessment Components (AACs) that are not a traditional written examination, worth at least 40% of the total available mark, and externally assessed by the SEC.
Under circular 0002/2026 ‘Bonus for the completion of additional assessment components through Irish’, which supersedes Rule 29, the Irish bonus marks policy has now been extended for the first time to include those components of the State examinations which are coursework and completed through Irish, where appropriate. This extension of bonus marks to coursework arises primarily given the application of these revised assessment arrangements.
The SEC has also published circular S10/26 ‘Application of the Irish Bonus in State Examinations’, outlining the operational dimensions of the policy change including the applicable criteria and parameters relating to the awarding of the bonus marks.
Irish bonus marks will now apply to candidates who respond to both the written examination and the related AACs through the medium of Irish from the 2027 Leaving Certificate cohort onwards.
Given the application of these revised assessment arrangements, the bonus marks for Irish policy was reviewed ahead of the publication of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document published in May 2025 and an Information Note that was issued to schools in August 2025.
These extended arrangements will apply to all Leaving Certificate Established and Leaving Certificate Applied subjects in 2027 and in subsequent years, not just those that have been redeveloped within Tranche 1. This is to ensure students in that cohort and each subsequent cohort are not disadvantaged relative to each other by their respective subject choices.
My department has received a small amount of correspondence in relation to bonus marks over an extended number of years and I would draw the Deputy’s attention that such correspondence often relates to requests to remove the application of bonus marks entirely.
My department has a long-standing policy of encouraging the active use of the Irish language by all students and in all school communities. The extension of the Irish bonus marks builds on this objective, encouraging the use of the Irish language by all learners, in all schools.
793. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Óige cén dáta go sonrach a ghlac an tAire Oideachais agus Óige le cinneadh an Choimisiúin um Scrúduithe Stáit neamhaird a dhéanamh ar an bpolasaí, mar atá leagtha síos i Riail 29 de na Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools a sheoltar chuile bhliain chuig gach iar-bhunscoil, marcanna bónais san Ardteistiméireacht a bhronnadh as freagairt go hiomlán trí Ghaeilge ar obair scrúduithe scríofa iarrthóirí ina hiomláine in 18 n-ábhar, ag ráta 10% den mharc aimsithe ag iarrthóir [19486/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra794. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Óige cén bunús atá leis an gcinneadh a ghlac an Coimisiún um Scrúduithe Stáit in 2006 gan cloí le Riail 29 de na Rules and Programmes for Secondary Schools maidir le marcanna bónais a bhronnadh ar an gcuid sin den Ardteistiméireacht ar obair thionscnaimh éigeantachta scríofa í [19487/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra795. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Óige an ndearnadh aon mheasúnacht ar an tionchar ar thorthaí mac léinn Ardteistiméireachta le 20 bliain ó 2006 ón gcinneadh gan marcanna bónais a bhronnadh ar an gcuid sin den Ardteistiméireacht ar obair thionscnaimh éigeantachta scríofa í [19488/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 793, 794 and 795 together.
Molaim na ceisteanna réamhcheaptha 19486/26, 19487/26, agus 19488/26 a thógáil le chéile.
Mar is eol don Teachta, téann an polasaí agus an cleachtas maidir le marcanna breise a bhronnadh ar iarrthóirí a dhéanann scrúduithe poiblí trí mheán na Gaeilge siar go dtí na 1920idí agus cuireann an Coimisiún na Scrúduithe Stáit (CSS) é seo i bhfeidhm, de réir na nósanna imeachta a thuairiscítear i Rialachán 29 de na Rialacha agus Clár do Mheánscoileanna 2004/2005. Leagtar amach i Riail 29 go mbaineann sé seo leis na scrúduithe scríofa amháin, ina luaitear:
“...Féadfar marcanna bónais a thabhairt d’iarrthóir a fhreagraíonn i nGaeilge sa scrúdú scríofa sna hábhair éagsúla mar atá leagtha amach thíos sa bhreis ar na marcanna a ghnóthaítear san ábhar.
Tabharfar marcanna bónais ar ráta 10 faoin gcéad de na marcanna a fhaightear d’iarrthóir a fhaigheann níos lú ná 75 faoin gcéad de na marcanna iomlána i gcás na n-ábhar seo a leanas: - Laidin, Sean-Ghréigis, Léann Clasaiceach, Léann Eabhraise, Stair, Tíreolaíocht, Fisic, Ceimic, Fisic agus Ceimic, Bitheolaíocht, Eolaíocht, Gnó, Eacnamaíocht, Stair Eacnamaíoch, Eolaíocht Talmhaíochta, Eacnamaíocht Talmhaíochta, Eacnamaíocht Bhaile, Ceol, Staidéir Ghnó, Stair agus Meas ar an Ealaín, Oideachas Saoránach, Sóisialta agus Polaitiúil, Oideachas Reiligiúnach, Araibis, Modúil Nasctha GCAT - Comhpháirt Scríofa amháin. Tabharfar marcanna bónais ar ráta 5 faoin gcéad de na marcanna a fhaightear d’iarrthóir a fhaigheann níos lú ná 75 faoin gcéad de na marcanna iomlána i gcás na n-ábhar seo a leanas: - Fraincis, Gearmáinis, Iodáilis, Spáinnis, Matamaitic, Matamaitic Fheidhmeach, Cuntasaíocht, Innealtóireacht, Staidéir Foirgníochta, Teicneolaíocht Ábhar (Adhmad), Miotalóireacht, Teicneolaíocht, Clóscríobh, Rúisis, Seapáinis. Tabharfar marcanna bónais ar ráta 3 faoin gcéad d’iarrthóir a fhaigheann níos lú ná 75% de na marcanna iomlána i gcás an ábhair Ealaín, Ceardaíocht, Dearadh (Teastas Sóisearach). Os cionn 75 faoin gcéad, laghdófar an bónas go haonfhoirmeach go dtí nach bhfaighidh an t-iarrthóir a scórálann 100 faoin gcéad aon bhónas.
Ní thabharfar aon bhónas i gcás na n-ábhar seo a leanas: - Grafaicí Teicniúla, Líníocht Theicniúil, Ealaín na hArdteistiméireachta (seachas Stair agus Meas ar an Ealaín).
Chun críche bronnta marcanna bónais, déileálfar le Matamaitic, Páipéar 1 agus Páipéar 2, mar ábhair ar leithligh.
Ní bhfaighidh iarrthóirí a fhreagraíonn cuid acu i nGaeilge agus cuid acu i mBéarla aon mharcanna bónais”.
Chomh maith leis na hábhair atá liostaithe thuas, bronntar marcanna bónais ar iarrthóirí a dhéanann na scrúduithe foirmiúla scríofa trí Gaeilge san Ardteistiméireacht Fheidhmeach.
Braitheann an cinneadh bónas 10% nó 5% a bhronnadh ar an méid réamh-mheasta de tháirgeadh scríofa i nGaeilge i ngach scrúdú foirmiúil scríofa. Níl feidhm ag an ráta 3% a thuilleadh.
Deirtear sa doiciméadacht ón CSS chuig Údaráis na Scoileanna Iar-bhunscoile maidir leis an mbónas as freagra a thabhairt trí Gaeilge:
“Tabhair faoi deara, le do thoil, nach mbronnfar marcanna bónais, mar atá i gcás gach scrúduithe eile ina bhfuil comhpháirteanna a chomhlánaítear lasmuigh den scrúdú foirmiúil scríofa”.
Mar is eol don Teachta, faoin gclár Athfhorbartha don tSraith Shinsearach, cuimseoidh gach sonraíocht ábhair Bhunaithe Ardteistiméireachta nua agus athbhreithnithe Comhpháirteanna Measúnaithe Breise (CMBanna) nach scrúdú scríofa traidisiúnta iad, ar fiú 40% ar a laghad den mharc iomlán atá ar fáil, agus a mheasfaidh CSS go seachtrach.
Faoi chiorclán 0002/2026 ‘Bónas as comhpháirteanna breise measúnachta a chomhlánú trí Gaeilge’, a thagann in ionad Rialachán 29, tá an polasaí maidir le marcanna bónais Gaeilge sínte anois den chéad uair chun na comhpháirteanna sin de scrúduithe Stáit ar obair chúrsa iad agus a dhéantar trí Gaeilge a áireamh, i gcás inarb iomchuí.
Beidh marcanna bónais Gaeilge i bhfeidhm anois ar iarrthóirí a fhreagraíonn an scrúdú scríofa agus na CMBanna gaolmhara trí mheán na Gaeilge ó chohórt Ardteistiméireachta 2027 ar aghaidh.
796. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department or any body under it’s aegis made a disclosure under Revenue's recent disclosure opportunity to regularise misclassification of self-employment; if so, to provide details of the numbers of workers affected and the amount paid to Revenue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19494/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has not made disclosures under Revenues opportunity to regularise misclassification of self-employment.
The information in respect of state bodies under the aegis of my department, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. State bodies have been provided with the question and have been requested to respond directly to the Deputy.
797. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to any issues within Education Training Boards providing employees with a contract of employment due to uncertainty of applying changes to current and new employee contracts following an agreement after industrial action taken some time ago; if she will outline the standard employment terms and conditions of employees in an ETB; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19511/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEach school Board of Management or ETB has sole responsibility for the appointment of its teachers. The ETB is a statutory body with its own corporate status established under the Education and Training Boards Act 2013.
Terms and conditions of employment for staff employed by ETBs are matters for the ETB concerned. While the recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority or in this case ETB it is subject to procedures agreed under Section 24(3) of the Education Act 1998 (as amended by the Education (Amendment) Act 2012).
798. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 339 and 341 of 5 March 2026, to provide a breakdown of the ‘Social Inclusion Miscellaneous’ for each year from 2020 to 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19541/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to Parliamentary Question Nos. 339 and 341 of 5 March 2026, please find attached a breakdown of the Social Inclusion Unit’s miscellaneous subhead as requested. Funding administered from Social Inclusion Unit’s miscellaneous subhead is mainly for payment of grants to seven alternative education provision settings. This provision is an alternative option, when all other supports, options and pathways have been tried and have not proved successful in maintaining the student’s engagement with mainstream education. These settings provide an important service for a small cohort of students who have become disengaged from mainstream school.
In addition, funding provided to two drugs task force projects is now administered from this subhead.
Miscellaneous Subhead - Breakdown of payments for the period 2020 – 2026.
799. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has been in contact with a national school (details supplied) following the recent announcement relating to its capital project; and if she will outline the next steps in the process. [19545/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe large-scale capital project referred to by the Deputy is at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award.
The brief for this school is to provide a replacement 8 classroom primary school and accommodation, including additional classrooms for children with special educational needs.
Planning permission for the project expired in 2024 and an extension of Planning Permission was required. The extension was granted by the Local Authority in late August 2025.
The department will continue to engage closely with patron bodies, management bodies and schools with respect to the timing of the progression of projects to tender and/or construction over the period 2026 to 2027. This will include continued engagement with St Joseph’s Special School, Carrabane with respect to the progression of its project to construction.
As you will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. 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. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of these projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. 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. This list includes the project referred to by the Deputy.
The 105 prioritised projects will progress to tender and/or construction on a rolling basis over the course of 2026 and 2027 and within the context of NDP funding parameters. The timing of project progression will reflect the need to carefully manage the rollout of these projects to construction on a controlled basis to ensure that projects are delivered efficiently, align with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines and Capital Works Management Framework and remain within the parameters of NDP funding.
Department officials will continue to engage closely with patron bodies, management bodies and schools with respect to the timing of the progression of projects to tender and/or construction over the period 2026 to 2027. This will include continued engagement with the school referred to by the Deputy with respect to the progression of its project to tender and construction.
The current status of all projects continues to be set out under item number ten at the following link: www.gov.ie. This is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
800. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke park hours; if this is set out as a requirement in their contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19560/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council.. (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
801. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke park hours is under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19561/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council.. (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
802. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke park hours will be outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19562/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council.. (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
803. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the basis for the requirement for primary school teachers to complete Croke park hours has been negotiated with the relevant teacher unions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19563/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
804. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke park hours; if this is set out as a requirement in their contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19564/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council.. (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
805. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the requirement for secondary school teachers to complete Croke park hours is under review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19565/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Croke Park Agreement hours are part of wider productivity measures introduced under the Public Service Agreements. In schools, the Croke Park Agreement hours are 33 additional hours a year at post primary (36 hours at primary) worked by teachers.
A central purpose of the Croke Park Agreement hours is to provide for certain essential activities such as staff meetings, parent-teacher meetings, school planning, subject planning and mandated Continuous Professional Development to take place without reducing tuition time. Utilisation of the additional hours for these purposes has practically eliminated school closures which were previously necessary for activities such as the ones mentioned above.
A review of the usage of Croke Park Hours is currently in progress under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council, (TCC). As proceedings at the TCC are confidential, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this time.
