Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
526. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number and percentage of students who left post primary education before completing senior cycle in each of the past five years, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37425/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of pupils leaving post-primary school before completing their Leaving Certificate is tabulated below. The years refer to the entry year of a cohort beginning their 1st year. Most pupils sit their Leaving Certificate in 5 or 6 years from the entry year.
|
County |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
|
Carlow |
142 |
114 |
128 |
114 |
140 |
|
Cavan |
118 |
94 |
103 |
104 |
99 |
|
Clare |
132 |
120 |
139 |
132 |
161 |
|
Cork |
611 |
628 |
658 |
640 |
748 |
|
Donegal |
232 |
221 |
252 |
235 |
255 |
|
Dublin |
1837 |
1636 |
1677 |
1797 |
2090 |
|
Galway |
373 |
320 |
327 |
336 |
375 |
|
Kerry |
167 |
149 |
171 |
166 |
207 |
|
Kildare |
307 |
298 |
293 |
297 |
303 |
|
Kilkenny |
99 |
101 |
128 |
106 |
138 |
|
Laois |
114 |
123 |
124 |
99 |
92 |
|
Leitrim |
39 |
45 |
48 |
34 |
50 |
|
Limerick |
195 |
214 |
226 |
239 |
319 |
|
Longford |
110 |
100 |
80 |
114 |
91 |
|
Louth |
205 |
176 |
184 |
220 |
201 |
|
Mayo |
151 |
131 |
135 |
124 |
176 |
|
Meath |
224 |
203 |
219 |
208 |
218 |
|
Monaghan |
100 |
99 |
96 |
98 |
119 |
|
Offaly |
117 |
116 |
129 |
114 |
129 |
|
Roscommon |
49 |
58 |
59 |
71 |
107 |
|
Sligo |
76 |
56 |
68 |
79 |
76 |
|
Tipperary |
208 |
207 |
229 |
237 |
263 |
|
Waterford |
161 |
114 |
136 |
138 |
169 |
|
Westmeath |
170 |
183 |
190 |
160 |
189 |
|
Wexford |
240 |
234 |
259 |
265 |
247 |
|
Wicklow |
195 |
220 |
235 |
271 |
273 |
The annual retention reports may be found at this link:
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/retention/.
Tusla is responsible for maintaining a register of all children who are home educated or who attend a school that does not fall under the definition of a ‘recognised school’ as set out in the Education Act 1998.
Tusla has established the Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS), which has oversight of the regulation of provision for education in places other than recognised schools. The legal basis for carrying out assessments in places other than recognised schools is under Section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000.
Children under the age of 16 who leave a recognised school for an alternative education setting must register with AEARS for inclusion on the Section 14 register. These children are entitled to and can choose to sit the Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate examinations.
