There were a number of questions there, along with a number of grenades. The planning and building unit in the Department is very conscious that we need to ensure adequate capacity right across the system in primary schools, post-primary schools, special classes and special schools. We are working to that. Resources are not endless but it is important to work with what is available. The Deputy raised the issue of school choice and so forth. There is a lot of work and research going on behind the scenes in that rega…

The information has been given to the Department and work is ongoing in relation to it. Regarding the education convention, the Deputy reflected the truth in the phrase he used when he said that every sector would be there fighting its corner. However, I genuinely believe that this is a very serious attempt being made by the Department of education to engage with all the stakeholders in a meaningful way to embrace all the issues that are out there. We have to drop the sense that you either have to fight your corner…

I thank the Deputy for his kind comments and also for his engagement on education. The opening of St. Michael's House Special National School was a wonderful day. I congratulate that community for the day and also for the work they do and the atmosphere that was within that school. We do not acknowledge enough the commitment to the work that school leadership and school teams do within special schools and right across schools. I can confirm to the Deputy that the school to which he refers has been approved for acco…

I accept that totally. The school authority, together with the National Council for Special Education and the Department, came up with a contingency plan. I welcome that they put a contingency plan in place but there is a planning issue here that is outside the role of the Department. As of yesterday, my information is that the local authority has requested further information in respect of the planning application. It is important that this be responded to and we expedite it. As we have populated these classes, th…

I will certainly give the Deputy a commitment on that. He was spoken to me many times about this school in Finglas and the challenges that are faced by the parents. I commend him for working so closely with the parents and the school communities. I encourage all Deputies across the House to continue to liaise with their school communities because they are hugely vital and we should be constantly engaging with them. We will work very closely with Deputy McAuliffe and the school community to make sure there are no de…

Enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, for the Department and for the National Council for Special Education. The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive ed…

Senior staff at the NCSE are working with the families who notified the council by 1 October this year. We are working through those figures at the moment. We want to identify the communities where the need is and match the places appropriately in order that we do not have students travelling long distances out of their communities. We want, as far as possible, to provide special classes and special schools within local communities. The family the Deputy mentioned should continue to liaise with the SENO. This week,…

A huge body of work is ongoing between the Department and the NCSE on the provision of special class places right across the country. There are no definitive decisions made. A number of decisions will be made this week and into the new year as to where those special classes will be made available. When they become available, the NCSE will liaise directly with families. I take Deputy Ward's point about the parents he mentioned not knowing if their child has a place. We brought in the deadline of 1 October to give fa…

Arising from budget 2026, an additional €8 million in current and capital funding is being allocated to support the sustainability and development of youth services. This investment builds on recent increases. In 2025, €84.9 million was allocated for current and capital expenditure for the benefit of young people, which was an increase in funding of €7 million, or almost 9%, on the 2024 budget. Of this, €500,000 in capital funding was allocated to strengthen youth service infrastructure. Over the period from 2021 t…

It was a pilot event on 21 November. A number of short weeks later, the Department is currently evaluating the event. The Deputy is quite right and on the button that it was extremely successful. A lot of public representatives and community members attended the events and they were very successful. We are looking at how it can be improved. It has to be an annual event because of the benefit it brings to the communities. It also brings out our great resource, namely, young people. With Christmas fairs the length an…

We have seen an increase in funding in the section. Youth services have seen an increase of €8 million in current and capital funding. Looked at within the overall budget of the Department of education, it appears small, but it is dedicated funding and is being brought back into that Department. There was always a huge collaboration between the Department of Education and Youth and the youth section of the Department of children. It is in its right home. We have to build the strategy into the coming years and it ha…

Since 2020, the Department of education has invested over €6 billion in school projects throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,300 school building projects. Over €159 million has been invested in schools across County Westmeath and €234 million in schools across County Wicklow in that period. Project Dargle, the project bundle referred to by the Deputy, comprises seven post-primary schools in Westmeath and Wicklow devolved for delivery to the National Developm…

I thank the Deputy for his ongoing interest in these projects across Wicklow. Wicklow is one of the major challenges we have in terms of school capacity each year. At post-primary level, there is always a challenge. The projects are at stage 2b, with full planning permission granted. I have had a number of conversations with Deputies this morning about projects where planning permission is awaited but in these cases it has been granted. I take the points the Deputy made about capacity issues in Dunlavin, Rathdrum a…

I would appreciate if Deputy Ó Murchú could pass me the roll number of the school. We will then take up the matter and I will see what we can do with it. On the school in Blessington, I do not have the details to hand but we will come back to Deputy Timmins on it. I take his point in relation to the sod-turning and so forth. There is nothing more frustrating than commitments being given and deadlines being passed. On the schools in Carnew and Arklow, these are parts of projects that have been delivered under the ND…

The programme for Government provides for a number of measures to support small schools, including the introduction of new national small school projects and training in new administrative supports. The Government is very aware that small schools are an important part of local communities and glue a community together, not just for the students and the school community but for generations to come as well. The current small schools action plan research, established in 2021, is due to conclude at the end of the next …

The importance of this project is that it will inform policy into the future in regard to small schools. In the first instance, I acknowledge the huge work that small schools do in every county in Ireland and in some city locations as well, due to having different demographics. These clusters are to understand the challenges small schools have. The Deputy is right that more schools are looking to get into the pilot scheme as fast as possible because they see the benefits of it. The evaluation of the pilot project w…

The project is a step in the right direction. The previous Minister in the Department, the Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, moved the initiative on. It is a clear indication of the importance of small schools in communities. We have visited a number of schools over the past eight or nine months. Some city schools are small too, for different reasons. On having an administrator within the cluster, there is huge collaboration within the schools that are part of the cluster. They can benefit from co-operation, not just i…

The school campus referred to by the Deputy comprises a junior school and a senior school. The junior school has a major project with the Department for a new school building on the existing site, which is currently at construction stage. This project will provide modern facilities for the school community, including provision for children with special educational needs. As part of this project substantial external play facilities such as three ball courts, two junior play areas, one secure hard and soft play area …

I accept the genuine frustration of the Deputies on this. The Department of Education and Youth is very committed. Many facilities paid for by the State and built up over the years close on Friday evening and do not open again until Monday morning. We do want to make sure every facility, be it in Jobstown or anywhere else, is used. I have considerable experience as a public representative over a number of years in trying to unwind the challenges faced by local communities. Forgive me if I do not have the exact deta…

The capitation grant is specifically paid for costs relating to the running of the school, such as the cost of heating and lighting. We had debates earlier in the session regarding that. I do not think it should affect this issue. Is the archdiocese looking for some information? I find it difficult as well. We are dealing with a very protracted system across the patron bodies as well. I would have no difficulty in trying to bring clarity from our Department's point of view or maybe some advice I might have.