Departmental Data

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Ceisteanna (529)

Barry Heneghan

Ceist:

529. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students identified through Departmental retention statistics as leaving post primary education before completion of senior cycle in DEIS and non DEIS schools respectively, by county over the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37428/26]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Youth

The figures for pupils leaving post-primary before sitting their Leaving Certificate for DEIS and non-DEIS schools are tabulated below:

Non-DEIS

County	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Carlow	127	99	109	71	91
Cavan	81	72	74	70	75
Clare	94	85	97	94	117
Cork	399	427	459	416	526
Donegal	106	96	113	74	88
Dublin	969	860	916	919	1191
Galway	324	266	264	237	284
Kerry	130	116	118	124	146
Kildare	205	217	196	216	215
Kilkenny	73	80	91	60	79
Laois	86	90	96	74	72
Leitrim	39	45	48	34	50
Limerick	108	122	141	146	199
Longford	64	57	50	27	25
Louth	120	102	125	99	84
Mayo	109	95	89	72	91
Meath	171	154	174	157	166
Monaghan	64	59	61	72	72
Offaly	75	72	78	54	67
Roscommon	39	45	47	44	58
Sligo	59	46	56	62	64
Tipperary	167	157	175	161	187
Waterford	104	86	83	84	106
Westmeath	152	159	158	116	150
Wexford	141	141	137	138	143
Wicklow	150	186	192	175	191

DEIS

County	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Carlow	15	15	19	43	49
Cavan	37	22	29	34	24
Clare	38	35	42	38	44
Cork	212	201	199	224	222
Donegal	126	125	139	161	167
Dublin	868	776	761	878	899
Galway	49	54	63	99	91
Kerry	37	33	53	42	61
Kildare	102	81	97	81	88
Kilkenny	26	21	37	46	59
Laois	28	33	28	25	20
Limerick	87	92	85	93	120
Longford	46	43	30	87	66
Louth	85	74	59	121	117
Mayo	42	36	46	52	85
Meath	53	49	45	51	52
Monaghan	36	40	35	26	47
Offaly	42	44	51	60	62
Roscommon	10	13	12	27	49
Sligo	17	10	12	17	12
Tipperary	41	50	54	76	76
Waterford	57	28	53	54	63
Westmeath	18	24	32	44	39
Wexford	99	93	122	127	104
Wicklow	45	34	43	96	82

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.