Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 April 2026
118. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether primary schools are permitted to receive and distribute unsolicited educational materials produced or funded by private industry actors; and if so, the guidance her Department provides to schools regarding the acceptance, use and presentation of such materials in the classroom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31138/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra119. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth the assessments, if any, undertaken by her Department of the factual accuracy, balance and educational suitability of materials distributed to primary schools by private or commercial entities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31139/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra120. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department maintains a register, approval process or formal review mechanism for external organisations distributing educational resources directly to schools; and if not, whether she will consider introducing such a mechanism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31140/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra121. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department was notified in advance of the distribution to primary schools of a publication (details supplied); whether her Department carried out, or requested, any assessment of its content prior to distribution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31141/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra122. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will commit to developing clear national guidelines for schools on the acceptance and use of externally produced educational resources, particularly where such resources relate to contested environmental or public policy issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31142/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 119, 120, 121 and 122 together.
The Education Act, 1998 sets out the key roles and functions that are discharged by patrons and boards of management in the running of schools. The Act provides that it is the duty of the board of management to manage the school on behalf of the patron, for the benefit of the students and their parents and to provide or cause to be provided an appropriate education for each student at the school. The principal is responsible for the day-to-day management of the school, including guidance and direction of the teachers and non-teaching staff of the school and is accountable to the board for that management. Apart from a small number of prescribed texts at post-primary, determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), decisions on textbooks, programmes and products to use in primary and post-primary schools are taken at school level
This statutory position underpins the current policy within the Department of Education and Youth is not to endorse or promote any particular programme, product or publication to support teaching and learning. There are a small number of exceptions where the department has procured textbooks or resources in order to fill a need. There is no obligation for a school to use any particular textbook or programme in their delivery of the curriculum.
In terms of content, the Department of Education and Youth does not have a role in approving, commissioning, sponsoring or endorsing any content in any publication or product. The Curriculum specification and prescribed syllabus material are determined by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) www.ncca.ie and it is the responsibility of each individual school to select the resources that it will use to support its implementation of the curriculum.
External companies and organisations are free to make direct contact with schools with regard to their own resources. The only requirement from the department, on any resource used in a school, is that it is relevant to the curriculum. Ultimately, the decision on which resources, if any, most appropriately covers the curriculum, rests within the school itself. It is no longer the department’s practice to distribute documents to schools where they can be made available online.
