Séamus McGrath
Ceist:874. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a school in Cork City to accommodate children with additional educational needs (details supplied). [20240/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpecial Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (874)
Freagraí scríofa
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year. 351 have been sanctioned to date and many more new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. The vast majority of new special classes being announced are being provided in available school accommodation which is being reconfigured as a special class. 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. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
Of the 351 new special classes, 237 are being established in primary schools and 114 in post-primary schools. New special classes are being established in every county with 38 confirmed for Cork so far. Further details on additional new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
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 as to where new specialist provision is required.
School Accommodation
Ceisteanna (875)
Roderic O'Gorman
Ceist:875. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the additional accommodation application submitted by a school (details supplied). [20255/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school referred to by the Deputy was approved to enter my Departments pipeline of school buildings for a project to provide eight general classrooms (one prefab replacement), one science laboratory with prep area, one design and communication graphics room, one music room, one special education tuition (SET) room, one textiles room, one construction room with prep area (prefab replacement), one GP Dining (prefab replacement) and a two classroom special education needs (SEN) base.
The project was devolved for delivery to Longford and Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB).
This project was approved to progress to Stage 2a (detailed design) by my Department in January 2024. My Department currently awaits the submission of the stage 2a report by LWETB. Once received the stage 2a report will be reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program. Due to the detailed nature of the evaluation process, the need to ensure full cost compliance, and the requirement to align the project with the prioritisation framework under the National Development Plan.
As the Deputy 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. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of 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.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. 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.
Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the 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 having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and 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.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
Departmental Correspondence
Ceisteanna (876)
Michael Fitzmaurice
Ceist:876. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school (details supplied) will receive correspondence from her Department regarding an application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20256/26]
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.
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
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (877)
Mark Wall
Ceist:877. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a child in County Kildare (details supplied) will receive a special class place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20389/26]
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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
The NCSE is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas email address.
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.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (878)
Mark Wall
Ceist:878. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a family in County Kildare (details supplied) will receive a special class place for their twin children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20390/26]
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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
The NCSE is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas email address.
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 Uniforms
Ceisteanna (879)
Ken O'Flynn
Ceist:879. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the review of Circular 32/2017 will introduce national guidance requiring schools to provide reasonable accommodation within uniform policies for children with sensory processing difficulties or other additional needs; and the timeline for completion of that review. [20403/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Circular 32/2017 sets out the principles of cost-effective practice to be adopted by schools to reduce the cost of returning to school.
The Circular provides that schools should select school uniform items which are generic and can be purchased from a range of retailers. Only "iron on" or "sew on" crests should be used. Schools should provide parents with a list of all required items and indicate the likely costs of these required items at best value stores. Where an exclusive supply arrangement applies, it should be tendered for regularly. Schools should also consult with parents as to their views on how to reduce costs.
A working group, which includes the education partners, has been established to review the Circular. Matters such as affordability, comfort and sustainability of school uniforms will be considered as part of this work.
My department is also progressing the Charter Bill, which aims to strengthen engagement between schools, parents and students, including on issues such as school costs and uniform policies.
The overall aim of the Bill is to improve the level of engagement between the school community by inviting feedback, comment and observation from the school community and by further developing a listening culture in schools.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (880)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:880. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No’s 487, 489 and 490 of 3 March 2026, the number of early intervention preschool classes for autistic children in mainstream and special schools that have been redesignated to primary autism classes/other special classes for the 2026/2027 school year. [20437/26]
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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas email address.
The NCSE is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children and young people with special educational needs. Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class. Generally, these classes are resourced at a 6:1 student/teacher ratio and two special needs assistants (SNAs) are allocated to each class.
Early intervention classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged 3 -5 years old with a diagnosis of autism. There is also a small number dedicated to children who are deaf/hard of hearing. These classes are intended to provide early support to children before they start school and can aid their transition to junior infants. A list of special classes including class type is available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE in collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth may re-designate an early year’s class to a primary age class where there is verified demand for increased special class provision in the locality. Whilst all stakeholders are agreed on the value of early intervention, the NCSE must consider the legislative requirement for children over six to attend school.
The NCSE work closely with the department to ensure we explore all viable options in increasing such provision to meet the local need. In some areas, where students are leaving an early intervention class and have not secured suitable primary specialist provision, the NCSE may re-designate the class. This is done to ensure they can continue with their specialist educational placement at primary level.
Many of the early intervention classes sanctioned to date have been reclassified as the children enrolled reach primary level age. This allows the children to remain in the class at the school they attended for early intervention. However, this it is not always the case, and some classes continue to enrol a new cohort of children yearly.
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 Admissions
Ceisteanna (881)
Duncan Smith
Ceist:881. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth the remedy that is open to parents, or her Department, to ensure that schools (details supplied) set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students who attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school, as is required under the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20438/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the provisions of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, all schools have admissions policies, which have been approved by the patron and published on the school's website. The act requires where schools provide religious instruction that they set out in their admission policies the school’s arrangements for students, where the parent or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, has requested that the student attend the school without attending religious instruction in the school.
Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998 the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school, therefore, the manner in which any school ensures that the right to attend school without attending religious instruction classes is upheld is a matter for the school concerned.
Each individual school must determine the particular arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school concerned organises classes etc. It is expected that this right will be upheld by schools on foot of a parental request.
Guidance for good practice is available to schools in the follow-up paper to the Report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector which was published in 2014. The paper provides an overview of different types of arrangements that schools can put in place to facilitate parents who do not wish their children to attend religious instruction. The paper encourages school authorities to consider their policies and practices and to review whether they are taking the steps necessary to welcome all pupils and make them feel included.
As set out in the Education Plan 2025, the Department is committed to developing best practice guidance for primary schools in relation to arrangements to facilitate parental requests for children to attend school without attending religious instruction.
A review of current practices in schools is being undertaken that will develop a best practice guide. This guidance is intended to improve consistency across schools and to make expectations clearer for all stakeholders.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (882)
Albert Dolan
Ceist:882. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention preschool classes for autistic children in Special Schools, by county, from 2014 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20439/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Enabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
A breakdown of special classes including class type for the years requested is available on the NCSE website.
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.
Artificial Intelligence
Ceisteanna (883)
Jennifer Whitmore
Ceist:883. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of times she and her predecessor, and their respective officials have met with tech companies since January 2025, particularly in relation to artificial intelligence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20443/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The information requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department in the format requested. Officials in my Department will collate this information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy directly.
Home Schooling
Ceisteanna (884, 885)
Maurice Quinlivan
Ceist:884. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of home school community liaison co-ordinators (HSCL) that are employed, by county, in the years 2025 and 2026 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20451/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMaurice Quinlivan
Ceist:885. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of hours schools receive from home school community liaisons, by DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20452/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 884 and 885 together.
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) is under the remit of my department and has three strands - the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS), the Home School Community Liaison scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The HSCL scheme is one of the key supports provided by my department as part of the overall Delivering Equality of Opportunity in School (DEIS) programme.
The HSCL scheme seeks to promote partnership between parents, teachers and community family support services, with a view to supporting improved attendance, participation and retention. All DEIS urban primary schools and all DEIS post-primary schools are included in the HSCL scheme, which currently serves 682 DEIS schools, catering for approximately 207,000 children and young people. The scheme is delivered in these schools by 528.5 full-time HSCL coordinators assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or in clusters of schools.
HSCL coordinators are released from teaching duties, for a maximum of five years, in order to work intensively with and support parents/guardians. The overarching goal of the HSCL coordinator is to improve educational outcomes for children through their work with the key adults in the child’s life.
In addition, a pilot project to support Traveller and Roma students, under the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, is in operation in 4 locations with 1 HSCL coordinator assigned in each location. A further 10 HSCL coordinators support attendance, participation and retention of Traveller and Roma students across 14 non-DEIS post-primary schools.
The following table sets out the number of HSCLs per county for the school years 2024/25 and 2025/26:
|
County |
Number of HSCL for 2024-2025 School Year |
Number of HSCL for 2025-2026 School Year |
|
Carlow |
8.5 |
8.5 |
|
Cavan |
7.5 |
7.5 |
|
Clare |
9.5 |
9.5 |
|
Cork |
47 |
47 |
|
Donegal |
27 |
27 |
|
Dublin |
191 |
191 |
|
Galway |
21.5 |
22 |
|
Kerry |
9 |
9 |
|
Kildare |
14 |
14 |
|
Kilkenny |
6 |
6 |
|
Laois |
6 |
6 |
|
Leitrim |
1 |
1 |
|
Limerick |
27 |
27 |
|
Longford |
11.5 |
11.5 |
|
Louth |
21 |
21 |
|
Mayo |
12.5 |
12.5 |
|
Meath |
12 |
12 |
|
Monaghan |
7 |
7 |
|
Offaly |
12 |
12 |
|
Roscommon |
4 |
4 |
|
Sligo |
5.5 |
5.5 |
|
Tipperary |
21.5 |
21.5 |
|
Waterford |
15 |
15 |
|
Westmeath |
10 |
10 |
|
Wexford |
20 |
20 |
|
Wicklow |
15 |
15 |
|
Total |
542 |
542.5 |
Question No. 885 answered with Question No. 884.
School Accommodation
Ceisteanna (886)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:886. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the progression of a sanctioned two classroom SEN extension to facilitate autism classes in a school (details supplied). [20454/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school building projects to provide a two-classroom Special Educational Needs (SEN) base. This project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
I can confirm that the Stage 2b (post planning) report was submitted to the Department in Q3 2025. This report is undergoing a comprehensive technical and cost review. All projects, including this one, are subject to the full due-diligence requirements set out in my Department’s Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
As the Deputy 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. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of 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 one project in County Donegal.
In addition, there has been €223.54 million in capital funding for Donegal schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of 68 schools has been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 11 school projects in Donegal under construction and this summer 26 schools?are approved to?undergo works as part of the Summer Works Scheme/Climate Action scheme. Since 2020 a total of 56 special classes has been opened in Donegal, 7 of which were sanctioned for September 2026.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. 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.
Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the 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 having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and 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.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
Schools Building Projects
Ceisteanna (887)
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Ceist:887. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason urgent funding has not been provided from her Department to a school (details supplied) to replace two derelict prefab classrooms, in an already overcrowded school campus. [20455/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.
An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.
The EWS operates on the basis of a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.
The school in question made an application for funding for repair works to the prefab classroom, this application has been approved in line with the minimal scope of works on which the EWS operates and is currently with the school to progress. The school subsequently included additional works beyond the scope of works approved by the EWS when tendering. The school has been advised to remove these works from the tender package and resubmit a tender report in line with the approved scope of works in order to progress the project.
Education Welfare Service
Ceisteanna (888)
Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:888. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the filling of the post for the Education Welfare Officer in the Finglas area; her plans to expedite this appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20474/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS), which includes the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS), is under the remit of my department since 2021.
The primary role of the EWS is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) are based throughout the country and work with children, young people and their families who are experiencing difficulty with school attendance. This is done through, home visits, educational welfare conferences and collaboratively working with different agencies. The main priority of the work is around the educational welfare of children and young people and to ensure that concerns around attendance are addressed before attendance becomes a crisis issue.
I can advise the Deputy that the EWO position in the Finglas area has been filled with a start date of 23rd March 2026. In the interim the wider EWO team are providing supports to this area, dealing with urgent cases and convening school attendance clinics.
Special Educational Needs
Ceisteanna (889)
Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:889. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 512 of 12 November 2025, to provide a further update on the matter, including an updated timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20493/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The school has been granted capital funding for the provision of 2 Special Educational Needs (SEN) modular classrooms under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.
This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.
Rogerson Reddan (RR) has been appointed, from the Department’s Framework to design and tender the project and oversee all elements of construction.
The programme for delivery was recently delayed due to works required to divert an ESB cable which has now been completed.
The contractor has commenced on site and the project is expected to be completed in Q2 2026.
My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working closely with the Project Managers and School Authority to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines.
School Enrolments
Ceisteanna (890)
Jen Cummins
Ceist:890. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth if school capacity is set by each school or by her Department. [20532/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
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. 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.
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 school planning areas that are experiencing enrolment pressures, my department works with schools, patrons, and management bodies to ensure that there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (891)
Jen Cummins
Ceist:891. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeline for when the stage one report will be approved for a school (details supplied); and when the school will move onto stage two. [20534/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The brief for the school referred to by the Deputy is the development of a new 16 classroom Primary School and 5 classes for children with Special Educational Needs at Janeville, Carrigaline, Co. Cork.
The project is currently at Stage 1 - Preliminary Design (assessment of site and location suitability and initial sketch scheme).
As part of the Stage 1 process the Design Team submit a Stage 1 Report to my Department. A preferred design option, including the scope and extent of works to be carried out form part of this report.
The Stage 1 Report was received in my Department in January 2025 and upon completion of the Departments due diligence review, the Stage 1 stakeholders meeting took place on 24th March 2025 where the Principal, a representative from Educate Together, all Design Team members, the Project Manager and Department officials were in attendance. The meeting concluded with agreement that the Design Team would explore further design layout options.
Further to this on the 30th of April an architectural workshop took place between the Design Team Architect and the Department Senior Architect.
My department received the full Design Team Stage 1 Addendum Report in August 2025 and this report is currently under review by my Department.
As the Deputy 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. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
The department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of 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 19 projects in County Cork.
These projects are in addition to €781.77 million in capital funding for Cork schools between 2020 and 2025. Over that period, a total of 155 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are also currently 19 school projects in Cork under construction.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. 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.
Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027.? Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the 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 having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and 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.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at Owenabue ETNS will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (892)
Pearse Doherty
Ceist:892. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth when an updated CID Circular is expected to be issued; if it will address issues where teachers provide service for years without access to permanent contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20598/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
It was announced in April 2025 that teachers who will have taken up their first contract in a viable teaching post in September 2025 will become eligible for a permanent contract in September 2026.
The proposal to allow for permanent contracts after one year of service is an initiative to increase job security and to make teaching a more attractive, sustainable career. This measure will see teachers who started teaching in September 2025 gain a permanent contract a year earlier than they would have previously, by qualifying for the award of a contract of indefinite duration (CID), where they have been re-appointed following a competitive recruitment process and where there is a viable post in the school.
This will provide teachers with the certainty that they need, particularly for those who may be considering large financial commitments, such as those applying for mortgages.
This new measure applies to both newly qualified teachers, and to those teachers who have not yet managed to secure a permanent position, where those teachers satisfy the relevant criteria.
The circulars which give effect to this measure were published by the Department in February 2026.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Ceisteanna (893)
Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:893. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of carbon that will be emitted on all transport and related actions undertaken by her and all members of her staff during their St Patrick’s Day trips in 2026. [20605/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Due to a change in my commitments, I have not travelled, as originally planned, for St Patrick’s Day this year. It is estimated that the total amount of carbon due to be emitted from flights undertaken by the Minister of State at my department, Michael Moynihan T.D., and his staff during their St. Patrick’s Day trip in 2026 is 1.09 tonnes.