Written Answers Nos. 62-83
62. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth in light of the finding of a report (details supplied), the steps her Department is taking to provide accessible and confidential early support that does not depend on a young person identifying themselves as being in crisis or actively requesting help; and if she will provide details of any planned expansion of preventative youth mental health provision. [69172/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra63. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether, in light of a report (details supplied), her Department will establish or expand a funding mechanism through which schools can access evidence-informed, preventative programmes that develop students' emotional literacy, critical reflection, belonging and confidence; and whether she will consider supporting the evaluation and wider roll-out of programmes specifically designed with teenage boys. [69171/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra64. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the gender-responsive measures that her Department is taking to support boys' emotional literacy and help-seeking, particularly in light of the finding of a report (details supplied). [69170/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra65. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth in light of the finding of a report (details supplied), the measures her Department will take to reduce this pressure while strengthening students' confidence and coping skills; and whether these measures will include universal, preventative programmes in schools rather than opt-in supports. [69169/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra66. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current timeline for the roll-out of school-based wellbeing and mental health supports across post-primary schools; her views on the finding in a report (details supplied); whether she will review the timing of evidence-based wellbeing supports to ensure students receive them from first year; and if she will provide details of any planned actions and associated timelines. [69168/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 62, 63, 64, 65 and 66 together.
At the outset, it is important to note that the provision of child and adolescent mental health services lies specifically within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. HSE Primary Care Psychology Services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide a range of clinical supports to children and young people. Where a parent has significant concerns about their child’s mental health, they can request a referral for their child to the CAHMS through their GP. The GP may also be able to signpost to other relevant support services.
My department has built strong links with the Department of Health to explore ways to improve supports for children and young people more broadly, including around increasing awareness, promoting help-seeking behaviour, school staff training, and signposting the wide range of services available to children and young people.
Within education the area of wellbeing and the promotion of positive mental health is a priority for the Department of Education and Youth and myself as Minister. This includes promoting emotional wellbeing and resilience and positive coping skills, which support children and young people to manage the complexities of modern life.
The department’s approach to supporting wellbeing and mental health was first set out in the Department’s Wellbeing Policy Statement & Framework for Practice (2019-2025) and informs the department’s extensive and ongoing work in the area of student wellbeing. The departments approach is founded on research and best international practice of how schools can best support the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. The approach proposed is a whole school and preventative approach which has multiple components that include:
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to build core social and emotional skills and competencies
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to experience supportive relationships within the school setting and to learn through those relationships
- Providing children and young people with opportunities to be part of a school environment and culture that feels both physically and psychologically safe
- Schools are encouraged to develop policies that create an environment in which children and young people feel a sense of belonging and connectedness, in which they feel their voice is heard, and they feel supported.
- Schools are encouraged to use a reflective, school self-evaluation approach to identify and prioritise the needs of its own school community in relation to the promotion of wellbeing and mental health, and to respond to meeting those needs.
Policy implementation responsibility is coordinated by the Wellbeing Office which is situated within the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) provides educational psychological support to all primary and post-primary and special schools. The NEPS service provides access for all schools to:
• Psychological support in the event of a Critical Incident
• A Casework Service for individual children where there is a need for intensive consultation and assessment via a NEPS psychologist or through the Scheme for the Commissioning of Psychological Assessments (SCPA).
• A school staff Support and Development Service, to build school capability to provide a comprehensive continuum of support in schools and
• Ongoing access to advice and support for schools.
NEPS’ support and development work includes training for school staff on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools, e.g. national webinars such as Understanding Anxiety, Supporting School Attendance, Trauma Informed Practice and eLearning on trauma informed practice. This includes upskilling school staff on the use and implementation of evidence-informed approaches in schools, and approaches based on the principles of cognitive behaviour therapy and attachment-aware practices.
A dedicated wellbeing portal can be accessed via www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/campaigns/wellbeing-in-education/on Gov.ie, bringing together all the wellbeing and mental health supports and resources that have been developed by the Department and the Department’s support services.
NEPS has recently launched a Padlet which serves as a central hub for all schools to access the NEPS Support & Development Service NEPS Padlet.
Two landmark initiatives were introduced into selected primary schools in 2023.
The Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot saw the introduction for the very first time of one-to-one counselling supports for children presenting with mild to moderate mental health needs in primary schools in counties Cavan, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Monaghan and Tipperary. This was extended in October 2024, to 61 urban DEIS primary schools in Dublin Southwest and Dublin North. These schools have been identified by the Department of Education and Youth as supporting children from areas with some of the highest levels of disadvantage in the State. The DEIS Plus Scheme announced in March 2026 proposes an extension of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot to an additional 102 primary schools.
The second landmark initiative, Education Wellbeing Practitioners in Schools Pilot, introduced of a new type of support, 20 Education Wellbeing Practitioners (EWPs) into 77 schools in cluster areas in Cork, Carlow, Dublin 7 and Dublin 16. The supports being offered are to pupils, parents, and school staff to support the wellbeing and resilience of the school community.
The DEIS Plus Scheme sees the extension of the Education Wellbeing Practitioners in Schools pilot into a further 129 schools (102 primary and 27 post primary). In June 2026 a new recruitment campaign was launched to further expand the number of Education Wellbeing Practitioners under the DEIS Plus Scheme. The recruitment campaign was very successful and new Education Wellbeing Practitioners have started with my department and are currently undergoing intensive training with NEPS.
The Evaluation of the Counselling in Primary Schools Pilot completed by the Centre for Effective Services and launched by the Minister in August 2026 highlighted:
• The significant positive contribution that the one-to-one counselling service and the Education Wellbeing Practitioner (EWP) model have made in supporting the wellbeing of children, families and school communities
• That supports were highly valued by pupils, parents, school leaders and staff
• The pilots delivered meaningful benefits, including improvements in emotional regulation, resilience, communication skills and coping strategies
• That the Education Wellbeing Practitioner model demonstrated broader reach, lower costs per pupil, stronger workforce sustainability and benefits across the wider school community.
NEPS has published guidance for post primary schools on establishing a Student Support Team (SST) or reviewing an existing team. Psychologists are currently facilitating post-primary schools to improve the Student Support Team process which is the structure through which key wellbeing and wellbeing-related policies are implemented in post-primary schools. A Student Support Team is a student-focused mechanism put in place by a school in order to co-ordinate the support available for students in the school and to facilitate links to the community and other non-school support services.
Jigsaw, in partnership with the NEPS provides a comprehensive suite of mental health and wellbeing resources, training and programmes for post-primary schools through Neart. Neart supports schools to provide learning opportunities for students to promote mental health and wellbeing, as well as mental health webinars and eLearning courses for school staff, Student Support Teams and parents. Over 3,100 school staff are now registered with Neart (representing approx. 90% of post primary schools).
Neart has delivered a suite of live webinars and eLearning courses for school staff, live masterclasses for student support teams (SSTs), eLearning train the trainer courses for teacher-led classroom-based workshops for students, and live webinars and a new podcast series for parents / guardians.
The Neart Wellbeing Award was launched in September 2025, to acknowledge the commitment of participating schools to mental health and wellbeing. Schools that sign up to participate in Neart, and meet the criteria required, will receive the Neart Wellbeing Award to display on their digital and print materials. The Neart Wellbeing Award is endorsed by NAPD.
Neart webinars/masterclasses for school staff include
• Embracing Diversity: Supporting Minoritised Students and Building Belonging in Schools
• Maximising student voice for mental health and wellbeing in schools
• Social media and student mental health: Strategies for supporting students to have healthy relationships with social media (facilitated by Web Wise)
• Supporting the Wellbeing Needs of Neurodivergent Students?
• Self-compassion as a strategy for self-care for school staff (facilitated by Spectrum Life)
Guidance counsellors are available in schools and can provide support to students. Guidance counselling is a key part of the school guidance programme, offered on an individual or group basis as part of a developmental learning process, at moments of personal crisis and at key transition points, such as transitioning to further education or employment. Guidance counsellors may work with students on a wide range of developmental issues that some students find difficult to manage.
Guidance counsellors are different to counsellors. Guidance counsellors are not mental health practitioners and recognise the limits of their knowledge, skills and competence. Guidance counsellors refer individuals (and their parents/guardians as appropriate) to other specialised services, as appropriate. Guidance counsellors are required to stay within their professional competence and boundaries.
Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory part of the Primary and Junior Cycle curriculum, which provide vital opportunities for the development of children’s wellbeing in the physical, social, emotional and intellectual domains. An updated Junior Cycle SPHE specification was published by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) in May 2023 and was rolled out for first years in all schools from September 2023. An updated Senior Cycle specification was approved and published in September 2024. Schools have until September 2027 to introduce the specification for students entering fifth year of the Leaving Certificate Established programme, to accommodate the necessary planning and preparatory work.
The updated specifications, available on www.curriculumonline.ie , provide clear direction on the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that all students should gain during their progression through the SPHE learning outcomes. The phased enactment of the new Primary Wellbeing curriculum area, including SPHE, commenced in the 2026/27 school year. Wellbeing is required to be one of the first three curriculum areas selected by schools for enactment.
Schools can choose programmes and resources which meet the specific needs of their own context in terms of promoting wellbeing but due to the extensive number of supports already available to our schools there is currently no plan to provide funding to individual programmes. Therefore, it is a matter for the management of each school to decide on the appropriateness of seeking external facilitators in promoting wellbeing and we continue to advise schools to refer to Circulars 0042/2018 and 0043/2018 if considering collaboration with external agencies.
The Department has now initiated a Wellbeing Policy Review and a broad stakeholder engagement process to consult on a successor to the current Wellbeing Policy which is expected be launched in 2027. The organisation referred to in details supplied has participated in a targeted focus group as part of this review.
67. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has considered the restoration of allowances withdrawn (details supplied) from teachers who entered the profession after 2012; whether any discussions have taken place with teacher representative bodies on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69226/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education and Youth, along with other Departments across the public service, implemented the outcome of the public service-wide review of allowances and premium payments (September 2012) by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (DPENDPDR). This meant that many allowances were no longer payable to “new entrants” including Teachers.
In respect of pay and allowances, the Government is committed to the delivery of quality public services and continues to approach public service pay in a balanced way that is reasonable and fair to both public servants and to the taxpayer. This has been achieved through a series of national collective agreements, agreed between trade unions and the Government, applying across the public sector.
Under the Public Service Agreement 2024–2026 (PSA), 9.25% were provided for up to June 2026. These terms were collectively agreed with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
The PSA also contains a local bargaining provision under which employers and trade unions/associations may negotiate additional changes in rates of pay and/or conditions of employment. The PSA concluded on 30 June 2026.
As teachers are represented by a number of trade unions, it is for each representative organisation to negotiate on behalf of their members.
Additional amendments to teacher Terms and Conditions, including amendments to allowances, can only be achieved through engagement and collective bargaining agreements between the Government and the Public Service unions. Such changes can occur only under those processes, and any such proposals would need to be considered in detail by the Department, DPER and the relevant unions.
68. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding available for a post-primary school (details supplied) in a disadvantaged rural area travelling to China as part of an educational delegation, the first school in the West of Ireland to do so, to support the costs of the trip. [69162/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Education and Youth does not directly fund schools for the costs of educational tours.
Where a Board of Management is satisfied that a school tour should proceed, such a tour may be undertaken without seeking prior approval from the Department.
I wish the students and teachers at Abbey Community College, Boyle all the best with their endeavours.
69. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth If an SNA support can be provided for a student in County Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69183/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
Special education funding will exceed €3 billion in 2026 – up 58% since 2020 and the highest amount ever provided.
Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a key role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.
The number of SNAs allocated to schools nationally has increased by 45% between the 2020/21 school year and the present. Funding for 3,000 additional SNAs is being provided to bring the total number of SNAs to over 26,000 in 2026 and into 2027.
SNA posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the students enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
If a school has a concern with either their SNA allocation for the 2026/27 school year or the outcome of a SNA review/appeal, they should discuss the matter with their NCSE special education needs organiser (SENO).
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.
70. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth If she has any further plans to expand Deis plus status; the criteria for a school to qualify; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69181/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAddressing educational disadvantage and ensuring that every child and young person can reach their full potential is a key priority for the Minister for Education and Youth and for the Government. The DEIS Plus scheme, launched as part of the DEIS Strategy to 2035, represents the most significant expansion of targeted supports since the establishment of the DEIS programme.
DEIS Plus provides enhanced, evidence-based supports to schools with the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. Schools were identified through a nationally consistent, data-based model that draws on a range of indicators associated with persistent and intergenerational disadvantage. Following the conclusion of the identification and appeals processes, 129 schools were identified for inclusion in the DEIS Plus scheme.
The DEIS Plus identification model was developed and refined as part of the introduction of the scheme, drawing on the most up-to-date data available and an assessment of indicators of concentrated and persistent disadvantage over a three-year period. The identification model is underpinned by a range of administrative data on every child and young person enrolled in primary and post-primary school. This data includes:
• The Pobal HP Deprivation Index for the small area in which the child or young person lives, obtained through the child’s or young person’s address data provided by their school on the DEY Primary Online Database (POD) or the Post-Primary Online Database (PPOD).
• The child’s or young person’s ethnicity, if provided by their school on POD or PPOD.
• If the child’s or young person’s address on POD or PPOD matches an address of State-funded homeless accommodation.
• If the child’s or young person’s address on POD or PPOD matches an address of an International Protection Accommodation Centre (IPAS) or Emergency Reception and Orientation Centre (EROC).
The DEIS Plus identification model includes the addition of a DEIS Plus index. The DEIS Plus index was developed by the department’s statistics unit to support the identification of schools for DEIS Plus. The DEIS Plus index uses the same factors as the Pobal HP Deprivation Index but places greater weight on lone parenthood and unemployment, which have been widely identified as key factors in persistent and intergenerational disadvantage.
Children and young people from ‘very disadvantaged’ or ‘extremely disadvantaged’ areas (HP score -20 under either the Pobal HP Deprivation Index or the DEIS Plus index), residing in State-funded emergency accommodation, residing in IPAS or EROC accommodation, or identifying as Traveller or Roma are designated priority cohorts within the model.
Following an assessment of the past three years’ data, only those schools identified as having the highest concentrations of children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage have been included in the scheme. If a school has not been identified for inclusion, this does not imply there is no disadvantage in the school community. While many schools experience significant need, not all will meet the statistical threshold for inclusion at this stage. Schools will continue to be supported through the range of additional resources provided through the DEIS programme.
The department is currently working with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other government departments to examine whether other administrative data sources can be factored into future iterations of the model to improve how we can resource schools in a targeted way to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage.
Any further extension of the DEIS Plus scheme will be considered within the overall DEIS Strategy to 2035.
71. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there will be an increase in the school capitation grant in Budget 2027; the amount by which; and the supports that are available to schools that are struggling to pay bills. [69256/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra73. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether an increase in the current capitation grant to primary and post-primary schools is being considered in advance of Budget 2027. [69277/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 73 together.
The 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.
This commitment builds on the progress made in recent years. The Department of Education and Youth has 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, and DEIS Plus 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 mainstream capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. These increases will take effect from September 2026. 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 mainstream 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. 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.
The Government remains committed to funding recognised primary and post-primary schools under the Free Education Scheme to help meet day-to-day running costs as set out in the Programme for Government. The priority is to continue to deliver on Programme for Government commitments. Budget 2027 negotiations are ongoing, and any further funding measures will be considered as part of that process.
72. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeline for the completion of the permanent campus (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69327/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Celbridge campus project referred to by the Deputy comprises Scoil Naomh Padraig, St Raphael’s Special School and Celbridge Community School.
The project represents an important element of our overall school building programme, and I welcome the opportunity to outline the current position and provide you with an update on progress.
The 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. During this stage, the project design is further developed, cost planning is progressed and preparations are made to submit the project for statutory approvals.
The Stage 2a meeting took place in April 2026, at which the department's professional and technical team provided technical feedback. The NDFA subsequently submitted an addendum report addressing the comments made. The department provided further feedback in relation to the addendum report which is currently being addressed by the Design Team and NDFA.
As I am sure you will appreciate, all school building projects, as they progress through the pipeline, must undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines and Capital Works Management Framework.
The timing of a project moving from one stage to the next requires careful planning and takes account of factors such as compliance with all scope, design and cost requirements; timing of affordability; and the prioritisation necessary for the school building programme to remain within agreed annual funding allocations.
The current status of all projects is listed on a county-by-county basis at www.gov.ie. and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
74. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is responsible for the allocation of school bus tickets for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69378/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).
School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
Children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
On receipt of an application, the SENO is required to confirm that the criteria for the provision of school transport is met. Once the SENO has completed their section of the form, they will forward it to the School Transport Section of the Department of Education and Youth for consideration.
When the application has been processed by School Transport Section and it has been confirmed that the child/young person is eligible for transport, their details are submitted to Bus Éireann who operate the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department. Bus Éireann will then advise what transport options may be available.
In some cases, the SENO may advise that the child/young person does not meet the criteria under the terms of the Scheme, and the Department will engage with the family in these cases.
Where a service has been approved by the department, Bus Éireann are required to tender services in line with procurement guidelines and are responsible for the allocating and vetting of a contractor to operate this service.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs.
In such circumstances where there is no existing suitable service available to meet a child's needs, and/or while Bus Éireann are in the process of sourcing a specialised school transport service, the Department will offer a Special Transport Grant (STG) to families of eligible children towards the cost of private transport arrangements based on the number of days attended from the date of application until a suitable dedicated specialised service becomes available.
Bus Éireann then liaise directly with families where a service becomes available with the detail of that service.
75. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide €27.3 million in Budget 2027 to protect existing youth work foundations, secure existing services and support retention of staff. [69151/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, arising from Budget 2026, an additional €8 million in current and capital funding has been allocated to support the sustainability and development of youth services. This brings the overall core current and capital funding available to support existing youth services and youth work infrastructure to €94.1 million for 2026, representing a 9.3% increase on the corresponding funding available in 2025.
In 2026, the core current funding allocation of €90.1 million supports existing youth services and youth organisations across both targeted and universal provision for young people and also provides support for the retention of staff. This significant investment contributes directly to sustaining and enhancing participation levels across all youth funding schemes, which now involve over 450,000 young people nationwide.
Furthermore, capital funding of €4.0 million will be available to support youth organisations and youth services in 2026, representing a significant increase of €3.5 million compared to the 2025 allocation. This capital funding will enable targeted investment in essential upgrades to youth facilities, equipment, and digital infrastructure in a modern youth work environment to ensure safe, modern and inclusive spaces for young people.
Regarding Budget 2027; this will be considered by government as part of the annual estimates and budgetary process. As this process is currently underway, the deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this stage.
I would like to note that the department hopes to build on the progress achieved through Budget 2026 and previous years. The department remains committed to advancing key priorities and will continue to explore opportunities for investment that respond to the evolving needs of young people.
76. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children that have not received a school bus place for the current school term in North Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69373/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of the scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school. It is made up of the Mainstream scheme at Primary and Post Primary level, as well as the scheme for pupils with Special Educational Needs.
The scheme has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the numbers of children and young people using the service have grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to over 180,000 pupils in 2025, which equates to an increase of close to 50%.
it is not possible to provide the number of pupils that have not received a school bus place for the current school term, as there may be a number of reasons for this, including families not applying and paying on time, a remote area grant being offered or a pupil not being eligible for school transport. In addition, Bus Éireann continue to issue tickets to families as they become available on services.
However, I can advise that as of 23 September 2026, 6,541 pupils have been issued with a ticket for a mainstream service in County Kildare. This figure is subject to change as tickets continue to issue to families throughout the year.
77. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department via Bus Éireann is responsible for the allocation of school bus tickets for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69376/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The National Council for Special Education acts in an advisory role to the Department on the suitability of placements for children with special educational needs. Under the terms of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs, the Department will consider the report of the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).
School transport is provided to children with special educational needs who are attending the nearest school to their place of residence that is or can be resourced to meet their educational needs, as identified by the SENO.
Children are eligible for transport where they have special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability and are attending the nearest recognised mainstream school, special class/special school or a unit that is or can be resourced, to meet their special educational needs.
Eligibility is determined following consultation with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of Special Education Needs Organisers (SENO).
On receipt of an application, the SENO is required to confirm that the criteria for the provision of school transport is met. Once the SENO has completed their section of the form, they will forward it to the School Transport Section of the Department of Education and Youth for consideration.
When the application has been processed by School Transport Section and it has been confirmed that the child/young person is eligible for transport, their details are submitted to Bus Éireann who operate the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department. Bus Éireann will then advise what transport options may be available.
In some cases, the SENO may advise that the child/young person does not meet the criteria under the terms of the Scheme, and the Department will engage with the family in these cases.
Where a service has been approved by the department, Bus Éireann are required to tender services in line with procurement guidelines and are responsible for the allocating and vetting of a contractor to operate this service.
Both the Department and Bus Éireann are very conscious of the challenges faced by parents awaiting transport for students with special educational needs.
In such circumstances where there is no existing suitable service available to meet a child's needs, and/or while Bus Éireann are in the process of sourcing a specialised school transport service, the Department will offer a Special Transport Grant (STG) to families of eligible children towards the cost of private transport arrangements based on the number of days attended from the date of application until a suitable dedicated specialised service becomes available.
Bus Éireann then liaise directly with families where a service becomes available with the detail of that service.
78. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport the funding or schemes that are available to sports clubs in County Kerry; when can they apply for funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69100/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra79. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to explain how An Post is allowed to pay nothing into the An Post superannuation scheme in 2025; and the reason they are allowed to pay a reduced rate of 8.4% in 2026, and 2027. [69161/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra80. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware that the Athy Municipal District's annual Local Property Tax allocation is due to reduce by approximately €217,000 from 2027 onwards; his views on the potential impact this may have on the delivery of local infrastructure and community projects; and if he will intervene to reverse this decision. [69013/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra81. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the role, if any, his Department has in overseeing the distribution of Local Property Tax funding between municipal districts within a local authority area; whether concerns regarding equity and need can be reviewed by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69010/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra96. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to provide a detailed breakdown of the methodology used to calculate the allocation of retained Local Property Tax to the five Municipal Districts within Kildare County Council for each of the years 2027, 2028 and 2029; and to outline specifically the allocation made to Athy Municipal District in each of those years. [69180/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 80, 81 and 96 together.
Local Property Tax (LPT) is administered and collected by the Revenue Commissioners and subsequently transferred into the Local Government Fund (LGF). The funds are redistributed, by my Department, to local authorities in accordance with the Government’s allocation policies.
Funding allocations are decided in advance of collection, based on estimates (from the Revenue Commissioners) of the LPT yield in individual local authority areas for the following liability year. Accordingly, the allocations are determined on a local authority basis, rather than by Municipal District, or any other geographical area.
In July 2025, Kildare County Council passed a resolution to vary the base rate of LPT in Kildare upwards by 10% for the 2026 and 2027 liability years. This decision will generate an additional €2.9m for the authority’s own discretionary use in 2026 and again in 2027. The overall 2026 LPT allocation for Kildare County Council is €32.3m, of which €27.3m is for the authorities own discretionary use with the remaining €5m required to self-fund housing services in the local authority area.
It is a matter for Kildare County Council to determine the spending priorities of its ‘own use’ LPT funding in the context of the annual budgetary process having regard to both locally identified needs and available resources. Any further redistribution of LPT funding by a local authority to a Municipal District is a matter for the authority itself, in accordance with its own budgetary priorities.
82. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has plans to review the tenant (incremental) purchase scheme. [69032/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Schemes (the Schemes) are open to eligible tenants of local authority homes that are available for sale under the schemes.
Schemes such as these are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that they remain effective and sustainable. As such, when the need has arisen, my Department has acted and introduced amending legislation to review access criteria for prospective purchasers. For example, in the case of the Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme for Pre-Existing Local Authority Houses 2016, this was most recently updated with effect from 1 February 2024 with the introduction of the Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) (Amendment) Regulations 2023. This amendment opened this particular scheme to a wider group of social housing tenants.
However, an appropriate balance must be struck between increasing access for those in receipt of long-term housing support to purchase their local authority home, and ensuring, at a time of unprecedented demand, that local authority housing stock is not unduly diminished. As such, there are no immediate plans to introduce amending legislation or further review the eligibility criteria for access to the Schemes.
83. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when his Department will open the next round the built heritage investment scheme for private property owners; and the amount of funding that will be allocated to this scheme. [69047/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder my Department, the National Built Heritage Service (NBHS) provides two main grant schemes to support for the protection of eligible heritage buildings and historic structures. These include capital grants for conservation works as well as financial assistance for owners to obtain conservation advice for their historic structures. The Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF) are, in the main, administered by the local authorities.
The BHIS provides capital funding of between €2,500 and €50,000 for repair or conservation works to the following types of buildings:
Protected structures
Proposed protected structures
Structures in Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs)
Vernacular buildings
Under BHIS, each local authority receives an allocation of funds from my Department based on the proportion of structures on their Register of Protected Structures (RPS) when compared to the national total. Each local authority can award funding to eligible applications within their area that meet the terms and conditions of the BHIS circular. Within the BHIS separate ring-fenced funding is available for thatched buildings under the Historic Thatch Grant. The purpose of this scheme is to protect the heritage value of historic thatched roof buildings. Any historic thatched structure, including domestic or commercial, is eligible for this scheme.
The Historic Structures Fund provides capital funding of between €50,000 and €200,000 for works to qualifying structures which include the following:
Protected Structures: Structures in the Record of Protected Structures (RPS) of each Local Authority;
Structures eligible for or proposed for inclusion in the RPS but not yet formally approved for inclusion.
Structures or works within Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs), or within the amenity of a National Monument, where exceptional circumstances apply.
The window for application for both schemes is now open. The closing date for applications to local authorities is October 30, 2026 for the BHIS and HTB, and November 27, 2026 for the HSF.
My Department provides funding each year for a variety of programmes to encourage and support investment in built heritage, including the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and Historic Structure Fund (HSF). The funding available for these programmes in the current year was determined in Budget 2026.
This year there is €8.1m of funding under the BHIS. I am aware of the competitive nature of the BHIS grants and the high level of demand that there is for support of this type. I intend to continue to make the case for enhanced support for these structures in the upcoming Budget, bearing in mind of course the many competing priorities for government funding which exist.
