I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 92 together.
On 21 April, the Government agreed to provide additional funding of €646 million to the Department of Education and Youth to help ensure that high-quality education services are maintained for children and young people across the country. This agreement is ultimately subject to Dáil approval and will bring the 2026 budget for the Department of Education and Youth to €14.1 Billion.
There is to be no reduction to other education and youth services on foot of the additional funding agreed. Any queries in relation to the approach to overall Government funding should be directed to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
This will put the Department in a more financially sustainable position to meet the needs of a highly demand-led sector across the education sectors of almost 4,000 schools, a workforce of over 112,000 and almost 1 million children and young people and, in particularly, for special education where the need has grown significantly. The addition funding agreed includes provision of €19m for additional SNAs to support children and young people with special educational needs in our schools and provision of additional special classes to meet demand.
Demand for education services has grown significantly in recent years. In the past five years alone, there have been 38,000 additional students. There has also been a major increase in the number of children with additional needs. Today, one in four children, or around 240,000 children, require extra supports. This has led to a very large expansion in special education services.
My Department works closely with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation on expenditure matters. Over recent years, Government has provided significant additional investment in education, including funding for pay, capital projects, school transport, reduced class sizes, and expanded special education supports along with crisis related funding in response to Covid, Ukraine and the cost-of-living. It is a shared aim to ensure the education and youth sectors are put on a sustainable fiscal footing going forward.
There has been a range of internal and external financial reviews carried out my Department. There is no evidence arising from these reviews of financial mismanagement in the Education and Youth Vote that has a proven track record of accurately forecasting the costs required to appropriately fund the education sector. Furthermore, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) conducted an assessment in 2025 and found that education in Ireland to be “at or close to the frontier” when it came to public spending efficiency when compared across other OECD, EU and peer countries.
In relation to school transport costs, between 2019 to 2025 demand for school transport has grown significantly, with the number of students using the scheme rising from over 120,000 to 181,000. More than 24,400 children and young people with special educational needs now use SEN transport services, an 82% increase since 2018, reflecting the Government’s commitment to supporting safe and reliable school transport for all eligible students. A recent review of the School Transport Scheme found that having a fee helps make better use of resources and prevents seats on school buses from going unused, helping to protect and sustain the scheme for all families who need it. The School Transport Scheme will remain heavily subsidised by the State, with over 92% of the overall cost covered. For the 2026/27 school year, a primary school ticket will cost the equivalent of 55 cent per school day, and a post-primary ticket will cost approximately 60 cent per school day. No family will pay more than €1.32 per day, regardless of how many children use the service. Transport will continue to be provided free of charge for eligible medical card holders and all eligible children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) using transport services.
In relation to SNAs, it is a key priority of this Government to ensure that students with special educational needs receive an education that fully meets their requirements. In 2026, over €3 billion will be invested in supporting students with special educational needs. This investment will support the continued expansion of specialist capacity, including the provision of 3,000 additional specialist places. By the end of the 2026 calendar year, there will be more than 21,000 special education teachers and more than 26,000 SNAs working across mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. This represents a total of more than 47,000 teachers and SNAs dedicated to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve the best possible outcomes and reach their full potential. It is important to note that since 2020, SNA numbers have increased in every county and across all education settings, including mainstream schools, special classes and special schools. It has been agreed that there will be no reductions in SNA allocations for the 2026/27 school year, and that all schools reviewed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and allocated additional resources will receive them in the upcoming year. Furthermore, it has been agreed that the SNA redeployment scheme, the SNA workforce development plan, and revisions to the 2014 circular outlining the SNA role will be progressed before any further decisions are taken. These policy developments will prioritise and strengthen a child-centred approach to special education provision. Once these key documents have been finalised and published, the NCSE will be in a position to commence reviews of school supports for the 2027/28 academic year, ensuring that the allocation process continues to be robust, transparent and firmly grounded in the needs of children.
In relation to State examinations entry fees, a temporary waiver was in place from 2020 to 2025. As part of Budget 2026, it was agreed that the fees, €109 for Junior Cycle and €116 for Leaving Certificate, will be reintroduced for the 2026 State examinations. These fees are being restored to their previous level that have not changed since 2012. This is It is important to note that protections remain in place for any student with a full medical card, or covered under a parent or guardian’s card, will continue to be fully exempt. This approach strikes a fair balance, maintaining support for those who need it most while restoring a long-standing contribution towards the cost of running the examinations system.
