Departmental Data

Wednesday, 29 April 2026

Ceisteanna (127)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

127. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the school level data to be released shortly will include school level data for all multi-denominational schools and denominational schools; if she will publish the full percentage response from all parents, including parents of preschool children and parents of children in multi denominational schools to the question of whether denominational education or multidenominational education is preferred as per question 1 of the Parental Survey; if all of the school level data reports will be published online; the reason the responses from the parents of preschool children and parents of children in multi-denominational education were excluded from the survey announcement given that parents were not asked to identify whether their children attended denominational or multi-denominational schools; if this required her Department to manually remove those responses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31162/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Youth

On 4 November 2025, my department published a 'Framework and action plan for delivery of increased choice for parents on education provision at primary level'. The main focus of this framework and action plan was an online, school-specific survey. The survey ran from 4 November to 16 December 2025.

Through the survey, my department is obtaining clear information on the preferences of parents and guardians about the primary schools which their children currently attend, or will attend in coming years, on a number of important areas of primary school provision, including patronage/ethos, co-education or single-sex school provision and language of instruction (English or Irish).

The results of the survey will help my department to plan how education at primary level is provided.

As set out in the framework and action plan, initial high-level summary results are to be published in early 2026, with a Q2 2026 timeframe for the school-level data.

In line with this commitment, I recently announced the high-level national and county summary results in respect of the preferences of parents with children currently in primary school. My department is continuing its detailed analysis of the survey data and is preparing finalised school-specific reports. These school reports will also include the preferences of parents and guardians of children who are not yet in primary school and will be issued to all primary schools, including multi-denominational primary schools, in May. This is in line with the Q2 2026 timeframe that was previously stated by my department.