Written Answers Nos. 56-80
56. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will arrange for her Department to send a framed copy of the 1916 Proclamation to all primary and secondary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17285/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Education Act 1998 in Ireland, the Board of Management of a school is primarily responsible for the management of the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students. The school principal, under the direction of the board, is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school. Therefore, it is a matter for each school to decide on how best to serve their school community, and whilst schools may choose to carry out activities relating to displaying the 1916 Proclamation, it is not mandatory.
My department recognises the importance of national symbols, including the 1916 Proclamation, as valuable educational tools for fostering civic pride and historical awareness. This was clearly demonstrated during the 2016 Centenary Programme when schools nationwide participated meaningfully in the National Flag Ceremony, while incorporating the 1916 Proclamation and the National Anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann, into their commemorative activities.
The curricular frameworks provide clear pathways for schools to include or display the 1916 Proclamation as part of broader learning about Irish history and identity; however, it is a matter for each school to decide whether to include or display it as part of their Irish or History programme.
57. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department ascertained the number of school places that are available for September in the Portlaoise area at both primary and secondary level; the level of demand and the overall shortfall at both levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29138/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a robust, evidence based, forward planning process for monitoring the current and projected future demographic demand for school places. This forward planning process analyses the demand for school places at School Planning Area level and also at a more granular settlement level to allow the department to respond to local demands.
The data used to inform the demographic demand analysis includes enrolment data, child benefit data, census & CSO data and information of planned new residential developments. Enrolment and child benefit data is updated annually and geocoded to the 19 thousand small areas across the Country. This allows the department to analyse the population of school going children and the schools they attend at a granular level.
Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the board of management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. Living in a particular catchment area is one criteria that a school may apply. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. My department does not intervene in the criteria set by a school.
My Department undertakes an annual school capacity management process to ensure that sufficient school places are available to meet demand each year at both primary and post-primary level, including for children and young people with special educational needs.
This process involves ongoing analysis of enrolment trends, demographic data and projected intake at school planning area level, as well as direct engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies. Each school planning area is kept under review on an ongoing basis, with particular regard to projected pupil intake, existing school capacity and emerging enrolment pressures.
Where potential capacity pressures are identified, the Department engages directly with the relevant schools and patrons, including through data-sharing arrangements where appropriate, to better understand application patterns and overlapping demand. This supports timely interventions to ensure sufficient school places are available for the forthcoming school year.
In response to previous pressure for school places in Portlaoise, my Department liaised with stakeholders in the area and increased provision in Portlaosie Educate Together National School to facilitate this demand. The demand for primary school places in Portlaoise reduced in recent years, however it is increasing again due to the very significant level of residential development in the town. My Department will keep this under review and ensure that every child requiring a school place in the Portlaoise SPA will be provided with one.
58. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports to be made available to DEIS PLUS schools. [29162/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for me as Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The new DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence this year, launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, represents the most significant expansion of targeted supports since the establishment of DEIS. DEIS Plus is designed to provide enhanced, evidence-based supports to a cohort of 121 schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage, identified through a refined data-based model that draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage.
This approach ensures that additional resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact, and forms a core element of the wider €48 million full-year investment across both the DEIS Strategy and the DEIS Plus scheme. Approximately 30,000 children and young people attending DEIS Plus schools will benefit from these targeted supports.
Schools in the DEIS Plus scheme will receive strengthened, research-informed supports across wellbeing, attendance, engagement, guidance, leadership capacity, community partnerships and access to services, including the introduction of a new positive mental health and wellbeing initiative to support a whole-school approach to student wellbeing.
Supports to be provided to DEIS Plus schools include:
• Additional40Home-School-Community Liaison (HSCL) posts for DEIS Plus schools to ensure all DEIS Plus schools have a full-time HSCL.
• 121additionalteacher posts, one for each DEIS Plus school, to foster a whole-school approach to positive mental health and wellbeing and strengthen coordination across services with the child at the centre.
• 33 additional leadership posts to enableschools to provide a nurturing environment, support high-quality inclusive teaching and learning, and address attendance issues. All DEIS Plus primary schools will have an administrative principal.
• €2.8 million in increased grant allocation.
• 25additionalwellbeing practitioners and7additionalNEPS psychologists to increase access to the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot, Strand 1 and Strand 2.
• Enhanced guidance allocation.
• Increased Inspectorsand Oide teacher professional learning rolesto support DEIS Plus in schools.
• The establishment of an innovation fundfrom 2027(€400,000)for schools to engage with each other and local services and industry, to develop bespoke responses that meet local needs.
• Increased funding for UBU Youth Services near DEIS Plus schools to increase engagement with young people.
• Increased engagement with third level institutions and industry for increased opportunities for work experience, potential to collaborate on projects and opportunities for research.
• Funding to have a breakfast club to combat food insecurity in homes and to ensure that children and young people come to class ready to learn.
• Provision of free period productsto all DEIS Plus schoolsin 2026whererequiredto ensure dignity andthatno student is held back due to period poverty.This will expand to all schools from 2027.
• Enhanced supports to increase participation in transition year and support access to work placements through engagement with industry.
Further information on the supports provided under the DEIS Plus scheme can be found at gov.ie/deis.
59. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is aware that funding for an organisation (details supplied) has not kept pace with inflation and has only recently returned to pre-economic-crash levels; if further increases are planned in recognition of the essential community work the organisation provides; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29099/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education and Youth is committed to supporting the delivery of high-quality youth work and non-formal developmental opportunities to young people. Since 2020, government investment in youth work has risen from €62.3 million to €90.1 million in 2026.
Under the National Development Plan, €4 million in capital funding will be allocated annually to youth services from 2026 to 2030. This will enable a strategic approach to investment in the physical environment for the delivery of youth work.
Youth Work Ireland is a key organisation in the sector. It provides youth work to tens of thousands of young people across the country. Its importance is reflected in the support provided by the Department of Education and Youth via multiple funding streams.
Over €2.8 million has been allocated to Youth Work Ireland under the Youth Services Grant Scheme in 2026, representing a total 28% increase since 2020, with increases in each year during that period. Youth Work Ireland has also received funding for specific projects under the Youth Climate Justice Fund, Volunteer Activation Fund, and Youth Services Capital Fund.
Youth Work Ireland and its member services play a key role in the delivery of targeted youth work interventions. Over €12 million has been allocated to Youth Work Ireland member services to deliver targeted youth work in 2026 under the UBU Your Place Your Space scheme.
The Department of Education and Youth will continue to support existing youth services and youth organisations, including Youth Work Ireland, to ensure that young people continue to have access to high-quality youth work services.
60. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Education and Youth her proposals to ensure that primary and secondary schools are adequately funded in the 2026-2027 academic year. [29129/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. My department 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 capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. 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. Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the capitation and the ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
OGP frameworks are available to schools for a number of categories including facilities management, managed services, professional services, and utilities. Schools are encouraged to avail of the available OGP procurement frameworks in order to get the best value for money for all school expenditure, in accordance with Circular 0060/2013. The benefits arising from these frameworks include cash savings, administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering, greater purchasing expertise, improved consistency, enhanced service levels and legal certainty. Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), funded by the department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on procurement matters- www.spu.ie
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cashflow management. Any schools that are experiencing financial difficulty can contact the FSSU for guidance and support. Contact details for FSSU can be found on www.fssu.ie.
While not wishing to pre-empt the outcomes of any future Budget negotiations or fiscal parameters agreed by Government, the Department of Education and Youth will continue to seek additional funding in order to assist schools to meet ongoing running costs.
61. Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of proposals to acquire lands adjacent to a school (details supplied); to confirm whether her Department is engaged in discussions regarding the potential purchase of these lands; whether funding has been identified for such an acquisition; whether this would facilitate the provision of additional facilities, including a sports hall given the built at the school will be for the betterment of school students for generations to come. [17299/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCavan Monaghan Education and Training Board intend to acquire lands adjacent to the school referred to by the Deputy for the development of sporting facilities for the school including potential future development of a PE hall. The ETB has confirmed that the acquisition will not require any departmental funding.
An NDP investment plan for the education and youth sector was published in January 2026. A key focus of the €7.55 billion Investment Plan is the creation of additional places in special classes and special schools, as well as the targeted rollout of projects to meet the most urgent needs in areas of high demographic pressure. Enrolments in the school planning area in which this school is located peaked in 2023.
My department approved a project under the department's Modular Framework for the school. The project for two special education classrooms and six mainstream classroom was delivered in 2023. The Department also recently provided funding for the refurbishment of an engineering room at the school.
Progress will continue to be made under the NDP Investment Plan on both new and modernised PE Hall and GP Room provision as part of the rollout of new schools and large-scale projects in the existing pipeline, including the completion of circa 300 existing school building projects currently in construction involving 14 PE halls.
Funding will also be invested to support curricular delivery and well-being across schools which will prioritise the development of PE halls and sporting facilities (including yards and play areas) in conjunction with the Sports Capital Fund to deliver for both schools and communities.
Additional initiatives to be rolled out over the course of the 2026 to 2030 NDP period include a PE Hall programme targeting post-primary schools that do not yet have dedicated PE Hall facilities, for delivery from 2029 onwards. My Department will engage with patrons regarding the prioritisation of investment in this regard.
63. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will amend circular 0030/2014 in line with the alternative circular proposed by an organisation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28993/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge the vital contribution that the more than 23,000 Special Needs Assistants make to the educational experience and overall wellbeing of students in our schools
My department, through the dedicated Special Needs Assistant Workforce Development Unit, is finalising the first Special Needs Assistant Workforce Development Plan. This plan provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and supporting the SNA role and will introduce a series of policy developments to strengthen clarity, direction and consistency within the workforce.
The plan is structured around five key pillars:
Pillar 1 - Review and development of the SNA role
Pillar 2 - Establishment of a quality framework
Pillar 3 - Establishment of an SNA learning and development programme
Pillar 4 - Supporting SNA recruitment, retention, and diversity
Pillar 5 - Development of a communications strategy
Work to date on the plan has involved significant research and collaboration including consultation with SNAs and other stakeholders including school management bodies, Fórsa the trade union representing SNAs, school staff, parents and children and young people over the last two years. This collaboration includes 55 meetings of these working groups which examined every facet of the SNA role with a view to enhancing support to children with special educational needs. I also met with these stakeholder groups and 27 SNAs in a day long engagement to discuss this important work recently.
Key outputs from the SNA Workforce Development Plan include a new circular on the role of the SNA which will replace 30/2014, a SNA Redeployment scheme and a review of the SNA employment contract. I am pleased to confirm that the drafting of the plan and circular on the role is now at an advanced stage, and it is intended that it will be published shortly.
Further updates will be published on the SNA Information Hub on www.gov.ie in due course.
64. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the decision to reinstitute a charge in relation to the junior and leaving certificates. [28420/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2026, the Government has reintroduced examination entry fees at the same rate as when they were last charged in 2019. Fee rates for the 2026 examinations, which have remained unchanged since 2012, are:
• €116 for Leaving Certificate candidates
• €109 for Junior Cycle candidates
Not all families are liable to pay examination fees. 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.
Since the announcement, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has communicated with candidates and school authorities about the reintroduction of examination fees. The SEC’s online fee collection facility went live on 19 March 2026, providing a user-friendly service for paying the fee or claiming an exemption. The process is straightforward, transparent, and well signposted, with full details available from the SEC at Examination Fees - State Examinations Commission. Phone and email help desk services are available to school authorities and families who need assistance. Students have until the end of April to pay their entry fees and the SEC continues to monitor the situation.
65. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeline for the length of time it will take to complete the designs and full cost planning for the three-school campus in Celbridge to ensure it moves from Stage 2a to 2b pre-tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29111/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe campus referred to by the Deputy comprises Scoil Naomh Padraig, St Raphael’s Special School and Celbridge Community School. This project has been devolved for delivery to the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as part of a bundled school building programme (Project Shannon).
The project is currently at Stage 2a of the architectural design process. Stage 2a (the developed design stage) involves the Design Team developing the designs, fully cost planning the campus project and preparing the necessary documentation to facilitate the lodging for statutory approval to Kildare County Council as part of the Stage 2b process. The NDFA has submitted a stage 2a report to the Department for review. A meeting to discuss the stage report was scheduled to take place on April 22nd 2026. Representatives from the NDFA, Design Team, School Authorities and DEY will be in attendance. As a next step, my department's professional and technical team will provide any technical comments on the Stage submission. Once the department is satisfied that any technical comments have been addressed, the project will be considered for progression to Stage 2b, which is a detailed design stage that includes statutory approvals.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6.7 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects along with over 4,000 small-scale improvement works to meet priority maintenance needs and advance energy efficiency and climate goal. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation my department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
The NDP Implementation Plan for the Education and Youth sector along with the first tranche of projects to progress to tender and/or construction during 2026 and 2027 was published in January 2026. This NDP Implementation Plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
The current status of all projects is 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.
66. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth to fully outline the rationale behind the opening of the special classes/hubs in mainstream schools, which will now allow schools enrol up to 12 students per class; the organisations and schools that were consulted on this process; the role the NCSE played in this decision making process; the additional supports that will be made available to schools with these new model of classes; her views on whether there is contradiction between these new classes requiring an autism assessment and those at primary level not requiring a diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28883/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling 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.
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. 432 have been sanctioned to date and 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 432 new special classes, 286 are being established in primary schools and 146 in post-primary schools.
Five inclusive special classes have been sanctioned as part of a new approach to supporting students with additional needs. This builds on good practice that helps students with additional needs learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also having time during the day to receive extra support in a special class. It formalises good practices already in place in many schools and aligns with national policy developments on inclusive education.
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 achieve their full potential.
67. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeline for the progression to construction of a new school building (details supplied); the current status of the tender assessment process; the number of tenders received for the project; whether construction is expected to commence in 2026 as previously indicated; the revised timeline for the commencement of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29155/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe large scale capital project for Gaelcholáiste Reachrann is for the provision of a new 600 pupil school building including all associated ancillary accommodation, with the inclusion of a 2 classroom SEN unit configured within the existing layout.
The invitation to tender issued in late Q4 2025. All tenders must be returned within the next 2 weeks. Tenders will then be evaluated as per procurement guidelines. It is envisaged construction could commence in late Quarter 3 of 2026.
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.
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. 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, which includes Gaelcholáiste Reachrann.
Since 2020, my Department has provided €1843.91 million in capital funding for Dublin schools. Over this period, a total of 253 schools have been upgraded either through provision of a new school building, a large-scale extension or provision of modular accommodation. There are currently 56 school projects in Dublin under construction. Another 20 schoolprojects will go to tender or construction in 2026 and 2027, and this summer, 53 schoolsare approved toundergo works as part of the Climate Action Summer Works Scheme.
In addition, since 2020 a total of 503 special classes have been opened in Dublin, of which 102 were sanctioned for September 2026.
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.
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.
68. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28168/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project referred to by the Deputy is a campus project and is devolved for delivery to Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB).
The approved brief for Gaelscoil Riada provides for a new 16 classroom primary school building including a 2 classroom SEN provision.
The approved brief for Coláiste an Eachraidh provides for a new post primary school building with a long term projected enrolment of 450 pupils, including a 3 classroom SEN provision.
The project is currently at Stage 3 of the architectural design process. GRETB has submitted a tender report to the Department which is currently under review from a technical and cost perspective.
Department officials 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 includes continued engagement with GRETB with respect to the progression of this project.
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.
69. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the work that has been undertaken to ensure that all children of school going age living within a school catchment area will have access to a school place in that school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28996/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a robust, evidence based, forward planning process for monitoring the current and projected future demographic demand for school places. This forward planning process analyses the demand for school places at School Planning Area level and also at a more granular settlement level to allow the department to respond to local demands.
The data used to inform the demographic demand analysis includes enrolment data, child benefit data, census & CSO data and information of planned new residential developments. Enrolment and child benefit data is updated annually and geocoded to the 19 thousand small areas across the Country. This allows the department to analyse the population of school going children and the schools they attend at a granular level.
Under the Education Act 1998, the question of enrolment policy in individual schools, including the setting of catchment areas, is the responsibility of the board of management on behalf of the school patron. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice. The Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. Living in a particular catchment area is one criteria that a school may apply. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves. My department does not intervene in the criteria set by a school.
My Department undertakes an annual school capacity management process to ensure that sufficient school places are available to meet demand each year at both primary and post-primary level, including for children and young people with special educational needs.
This process involves ongoing analysis of enrolment trends, demographic data and projected intake at school planning area level, as well as direct engagement with schools, patrons and management bodies. Each school planning area is kept under review on an ongoing basis, with particular regard to projected pupil intake, existing school capacity and emerging enrolment pressures.
Where potential capacity pressures are identified, the Department engages directly with the relevant schools and patrons, including through data-sharing arrangements where appropriate, to better understand application patterns and overlapping demand. This supports timely interventions to ensure sufficient school places are available for the forthcoming school year.
70. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who, for the 2025–2026 academic year, were unable to secure a school place at primary or post-primary level despite applying within published timeframes; the number of formal school place refusals issued nationally; the number of cases in which her Department was required to intervene directly to secure a placement; and the number of children who remained without a confirmed school place at the start of the school year. [29093/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTusla Education Support Service, which includes the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS), is under the remit of my department and operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000. The primary role of the EWS is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education.
Educational welfare officers (EWOs) are based throughout the country to offer advice and guidance to parents who need support in ensuring that their child attends schools regularly. They 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. EWOs also support parents and guardians who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school placement for their child.
All referrals received by the EWS are screened and assessed by a senior educational welfare officer. Referrals may be made throughout the school year. A referral for a child without a school place is prioritised by the EWS and an EWO is assigned immediately to support families who are in this situation. It will remain an open case until such time as a school place is offered and accepted.
It is important to state that availability of school places can fluctuate throughout the school year due to factors such as student mobility, last-minute enrolments, or changes in school capacity. Currently in the region of 400 'no school place' cases are open to the EWS and to date in this school year the EWS has closed 1,267 'no school place' cases.
The provision of school places and the operation of admissions processes are matters for individual school authorities, in line with their published admissions policies and relevant legislation. Schools determine their own intake numbers and maintain their own enrolment and waiting list information.
My department does not centrally collate or hold a definitive dataset of available places or waiting lists by school planning area. Information on first-year intake numbers for individual schools is published in each school’s Admissions Notice on their respective websites. National enrolment data is available on gov.ie at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/data-on-individual-schools/
Regarding specialist places, close to 4,000 places were made available for the 2025/26 school year. This was made up of 2,700 new places and 1,200 places through the natural movement of students from primary to post-primary or out of education.
For the 2025/26 school year, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has advised my department just under 3,300 valid notifications were received by mid-February 2025 via the new parent notify service. While parents were asked to notify the NCSE by mid-February the NCSE received further notifications after this date. The NCSE advise that a number of school places for children with special educational needs exist in many counties in the country in the current school year.
71. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the policy rationale for the introduction of a new category of ‘inclusive special class’; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29026/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling 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.
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. 432 have been sanctioned to date and 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 432 new special classes, 286 are being established in primary schools and 146 in post-primary schools.
Five inclusive special classes have been sanctioned as part of a new approach to supporting students with additional needs. This builds on good practice that helps students with additional needs learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also having time during the day to receive extra support in a special class. It formalises good practices already in place in many schools and aligns with national policy developments on inclusive education.
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 achieve their full potential.
72. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the mechanisms in place for families and students that are not able to afford the State exam fees for 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27967/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of Budget 2026, the Government has reintroduced examination entry fees at the same rate as when they were last charged in 2019. Fee rates for the 2026 examinations, which have remained unchanged since 2012, are:
• €116 for Leaving Certificate candidates
• €109 for Junior Cycle candidates
Not all families are liable to pay examination fees. 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.
Since the announcement, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has communicated with candidates and school authorities about the reintroduction of examination fees. The SEC’s online fee collection facility went live on 19 March 2026, providing a user-friendly service for paying the fee or claiming an exemption. The process is straightforward, transparent, and well signposted, with full details available from the SEC at Examination Fees - State Examinations Commission. Phone and email help desk services are available to school authorities and families who need assistance.
Students have until the end of April to pay their entry fees and the SEC continues to monitor the situation.
73. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth how the application process for special education teaching hours is administered by her Department, including how allocations to individual schools are determined and how the needs profile of a school is reflected in the final allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28417/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis government is fully committed to supporting children 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 mainstream class teacher has primary responsibility for the progress and care of all children in their classrooms, including children with additional learning needs.
The Special Education Teacher (SET) is an additional resource provided to all mainstream schools to support students with an identified additional learning need based on the Continuum of support framework
SET Allocations for all mainstream schools for 2026/27 were advised to schools in March 2026 as part of the general staffing allocations, in excess of 15,200 SET teachers will be available in mainstream classes in 2026/27 to support pupils with identified and recorded additional learning needs.
The SET allocation model is a standardised allocation model that provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the teaching needs of students in mainstream classes.
The SET allocation model has three pillars:
• Enrolment Allocation - The total enrolment in the school which is sourced from the Primary Online or Post Primary Online Database.
• Educational Teaching Needs Profile – This is derived from the literacy and numeracy profile of the school as demonstrated by the STen scores for English/Irish and Maths reported by the school. In the case of post primary schools it is the Junior cycle data that is utilised.
• Educational Disadvantage –The key data source is the Pobal HP Index for Small Areas, which is a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area, combined with pupil data from POD.
Further detail in relation to the operation and calculation of the model is published in assets.gov.ie/static/documents/circular-00022024.pdf
75. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for €100,000 in funding for three years for educational supports using the data from the PRIME project for a school (details supplied) in Limerick following a visit by the Minister for Special Education, if the funding will be allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28032/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to the introduction of an Education Therapy Service (ETS). This service will begin in special schools and gradually extend to special classes and mainstream settings, ensuring that all children can access essential therapies in a timely and effective way. The ETS has been established as a critical and important support for children and young people in their school environment. The ETS will be delivered by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and is an additional support for children with special education needs. It is to supplement and not replace existing children’s health and disability services.
The initial phase of the ETS will commence in 45 special schools in this school year. It is important to highlight that this is the initial phase of the ETS rollout which will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out to further special schools within the 2026/2027 school year and a new initiative which will see all schools benefit in the coming years.
Where a school cannot access support through the ETS, the NCSE currently provides two additional strands of support to schools, Regional Therapy and Sustained In-School Therapy to both mainstream and special schools. Sustained in-school support (SIT) is provided to schools for a defined period of 18-24 months in line with the School Inclusion Model. 22 schools in the Eastern region are currently availing of this service and 28 schools in the Western region are receiving support under SIT since September 25. Regional therapy support provides Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) with follow on/implementation support by NCSE therapists. The focus of this support is to build the capacity of schools and to embed the learning from TPL into their teaching practice, through In-school coaching and co-facilitation of interventions, strategies and resources, with a focus on whole school (Tier 1) and targeted/school support levels
Given the current mandate from government the allocation of funding for the ETS will support the continued rollout of this service, including the recruitment of additional occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, along with the necessary resources and supports. In addition, as Le Cheile National School from September 2026, will be included in the DEIS Plus scheme the school will receive access to priority and enhanced access to the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), a Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing coordinator post and deputy principal release days. School leaders and teachers in these schools also receive priority access to professional learning through Oide, to support them to meet the needs of their pupils. Schools in the DEIS Plus scheme will also see an increase in funding through the DEIS Grant. Details of this increase will be provided to schools in the coming weeks.
Le Cheile National School is also part of the Health Alliances for Practice-Based Professional Education and Engagement (HAPPEE) project, which is a community partnership delivering in-school interventions in physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. It is a collaboration between UL, Limerick City and County Council, St Gabriel’s Foundation and six primary schools in Limerick which places UL students training to be physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists directly into classrooms. The UL students will work with school staff, whole classes, small groups and a small number of individual children and their families to provide therapeutic supports, which might otherwise be hard to access.
My department where possible aim to support innovation in our schools. The Dormant Accounts Fund is is one example of where my department is committed to supporting projects that tackle educational disadvantage through innovative projects, where they align with policy priorities. Under the 2026 Dormant Accounts Fund an application by the HAPPEE project was successful. This provides funding of €130,000 for the project for 2026. This funding has already been allocated by my department to the project. It should be noted that Dormant Accounts Funding is provided annually following an application process. Projects must apply annually for continued funding under the scheme.
The HAPPEE approach is currently being evaluated under a cross-government research project on integrated services and a UL PRIME Pupil Progress study to evaluate its potential and to inform future policy.
76. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who are in need of a place in a special classroom and have not had an offer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29168/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling 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.
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. 432 have been sanctioned to date and 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 432 new special classes, 286 are being established in primary schools and 146 in post-primary schools. New special classes are being established in every county.
Five inclusive special classes have been sanctioned as part of a new approach to supporting students with additional needs. This builds on good practice that helps students with additional needs learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also having time during the day to receive extra support in a special class. It formalises good practices already in place in many schools and aligns with national policy developments on inclusive education.
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.
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 achieve their full potential.
77. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she is taking to address the precarious employment conditions facing newly qualified teachers; her views on the current contractual arrangements are contributing to the substitution crisis being experienced by schools in County Clare and nationally; the timeline for systemic reform of teacher employment pathways; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28761/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis Government is committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.
There are more qualified teachers than ever working in Ireland. As of November 2025, there are over 75,000 teachers employed in Irish schools, including 34,600 at post-primary level, 39,300 at primary level and 1,870 in special schools. This analysis found that just 0.7% of allocations (247 posts) in post-primary and 2.5% of allocations (996 posts) in primary were unutilised. Few teachers resign, with less than 3% of the teaching workforce resigning or retiring annually from contracted teaching posts.
Teaching is an attractive profession, and there are a significant number of newly qualified teachers graduating annually. Over 3,600 newly qualified teachers registered with the Teaching Council in 2025 and CAO data shows a consistent demand for undergraduate ITE programmes. Salaries are competitive, currently starting at €45,379 (primary) and €46,948 (post-primary) and rising to €85,411 under the current pay deal.
My Department has recently published revised arrangements for the award of a Contract of Indefinite Duration (CID) to teachers, which fulfilled a promise made by my predecessor last year. The revised criteria allow for teaches to gain a permanent contract through the award of a CID after one year where they have completed a year of continuous service, where the school has a viable post available, and where the teacher has been re-appointed by the school following a competitive recruitment process. The ability to access a CID a year earlier will help teachers to place their careers on a more stable footing much sooner than before, providing teachers with the certainty that they need.
The revised arrangements for the award of a CID have been introduced following extensive engagement with the Education Partners and it is not currently intended to make any further amendments to the eligibility criteria for the award of a CID.
According to payroll data from March 2025, there were 30 unfilled teaching posts in Clare, 19 at primary level and 11 at post-primary. Department data shows that there were 33,704 days substitution claimed for through the Online Claims System in Clare in the 2024/25 school year, an over 6% increase on days substitution claimed in the previous school year 2023/24. In 2024/25, just 4.4% of substituted days were provided by persons not registered with the Teaching Council.
There are a range of measures in place to improve the availability of substitutes to schools.
Schools and school management bodies have raised the challenge of recruiting substitute teachers. The issue impacts school across the country. Substitutable leave absences may be filled by schools in several ways. A substitute teacher may be recruited locally by a school, and a claim for payment for the teacher may be submitted to my Department, via the Online Claims System. Alternatively, the absence may be covered by schools under a number of schemes, which are managed locally by schools.
The Supervision and Substitution Scheme allows for the supervision of students during breaks and before and after school and allows for substitution to cover certain categories of teacher absences. With effect from the beginning of the 2013/14 school year, participation in the Supervision and Substitution scheme is compulsory for teachers, save for those who had availed of the opt-out arrangements before this date.All schools therefore provide cover for a significant number of substitutable absences, arising over the school year, through the Supervision and Substitution scheme.
For primary schools, substitute teacher supply panels are also in place. For the 2025/26 school year, 587 substitute teacher supply posts have been allocated to 168 panels, covering 2,905 schools This scheme provides substitute cover for teachers employed in primary schools who are absent on short-term leave. Absences covered by the teacher supply panels are recorded locally by the schools and the schools are not required to claim for the substitutable leave to my Department.
The Department has also continued the suspension of the usual limits on career break and job-sharing schemes to the current school year 2025/26 to increase the pool of teachers available to undertake substitute work in primary and post-primary schools.
Under the Teaching Hours Extension Scheme, post-primary teachers on full teaching contracts of 22 hours can provide additional substitution cover, of up to 35 additional hours, for each term designated under the scheme.
Communications campaigns have also been run to encourage retired teachers to return to teaching and student teachers registered under Route 5 with the Teaching Council provide valuable substitution cover.
In addition, 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.
Recently regulations were approved to allowteachers who qualified overseasto undertake theirinduction in the State and incremental credit is also available to teachers returning from abroad, depending on the teaching experience gained.
A number of measures have been introduced to address subject-specific teacher shortages:
- 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 in a recognised post-primary school.
- Upskilling programmes: free upskilling programmes for teachers are offered in high-demand subjects: Irish, French, politics & society, and computer science maths, physics, and Spanish.
A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government, is in development. Additionally,aproject 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.
78. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports available to a school (details supplied) to progress necessary roof works now assessed as being beyond further patch repair, following the outcome of its emergency works scheme application; whether her Department’s technical staff can engage with the school in light of the health and safety concerns outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29071/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs 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's original application was refused as the application did not fall within the remit of the EWS. However, the option remains open to the school to appeal this decision. Appeals will be considered if additional relevant information that was not provided as part of the original application is submitted to the EWS area via email.
The responsibility for identifying and applying for the most urgently required projects rests with the school authority and in the case of the school in question it should be noted that the school did not make an application for works under the new Climate Action Summer works scheme which opened for applications in May 2025.
As you may be aware there is an onus on all schools to keep their school’s maintained to a high standard, and where remediation/refurbishment works are required my Department provides funding mechanisms such as the Emergency Works Scheme and the Summer Works Scheme to assist schools in maintaining the condition of school properties. The school in question did not apply to replace the roof of the school building via an application for Summer Works under the 2025 or 2020 schemes.
79. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the current method of teacher allocation for primary schools, given that allocations are based on the previous year’s enrolment figures; if she will consider adopting a system that uses projected enrolment numbers in situations where schools are experiencing significant growth and large incoming junior Infant cohorts; the reasons for the delayed release of this year’s staffing schedule; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29001/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTeaching allocations are determined by the enrolment of the school on the previous 30 September. This process enables the Department to have in place the necessary measures to assess the accuracy of returns and thereby strengthen the integrity of the resource allocation process and the equitable treatment of schools, whilst ensuring that publicly funded resources are properly allocated.
Within the staffing arrangements, there are options available to schools to apply for additional staffing. Schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using projected enrolment. There is also a staffing appeals mechanism for schools to apply to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board, under certain published criteria, including one aimed specifically at schools that make a significant contribution to the provision of school places which assists the response to demographic growth within their area and, as a result, are under significant pressure on their class sizes at infants level.
Information on both these processes are available in Circular 0025/2026 which sets out the staffing arrangements for primary schools for the 2026/27 school year.
The staffing arrangements were published in March this year, in comparison to February in the previous couple of years. This was to allow for the incorporation of the staffing measures provided for schools under the recently announced DEIS Plus scheme.
80. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to address period poverty; if she will introduce a scheme to provide free period products in all schools, ensuring that no student’s education or wellbeing is compromised due to lack of access to essential products; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16276/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, includes a commitment to provide free period products in schools to ensure no student is held back due to period poverty.
I can confirm to the Deputy that the DEIS Plus Plan, which I announced on 25 March, includes an allocation to roll out free period products to DEIS Plus schools for the 2026/2027 school year.Further allocations will be sought in subsequent budgets to expand provision.
Arising from the work of the inter-departmental group led by the Department of Health, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) established a procurement framework that includes period products across Government departments and other bodies. During the development of this Framework, at the request of my department, it was arranged that it could be accessed by any primary or post-primary school.
My department will continue to participate in the work of the inter-departmental group and work to ensure the Programme for Government commitment is progressed.
