Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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1. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [22233/25]

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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2. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [23201/25]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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3. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [23202/25]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [30268/25]

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [32141/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [32399/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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7. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [32402/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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8. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33552/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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9. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education will next meet. [33564/25]

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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10. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33565/25]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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11. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33779/25]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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12. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33926/25]

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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13. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [35041/25]

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 13, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on children and education oversees the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education. It receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being and education. The membership of the Cabinet committee on children and education comprises the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for foreign affairs and Defence, the Minister for Finance, the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, the Minister for Children, Disability, and Equality, the Minister for Health, the Minister for Social Protection, the Minister for Education and Youth and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The programme for Government contains many important commitments intended to improve the lives of all children, and especially those children who need our help most. One of the key areas relates to Government ambitions to reduce child poverty and enhance child well-being. The programme for Government commits to retaining the child poverty and well-being office in the Department of the Taoiseach to break down silos between Departments and drive delivery of measures aimed at reducing child poverty. The programme for Government also contains many commitments directly relevant to reducing child poverty and promoting child well-being. These commitments include setting an ambitious child poverty target, progressively increasing the child support payment, expanding eligibility for the fuel allowance to families in receipt of the working family payment and exploring a targeted child benefit payment.

Investment in education is central to this work to address child poverty and disadvantage. The Government’s vision for education is to deliver a world-class education system which breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential. That is why we remain committed to building on the work of the DEIS programme, which since 2006 has been operating to tackle educational disadvantage. The Cabinet committee meets quarterly and will meet for the second time shortly.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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In terms of access to education for children with additional needs, I know Cara Darmody is speaking again today with Oireachtas Members about waiting lists for assessments for those with additional needs, and delays in accessing services and therapies. Will the Taoiseach confirm what extra capacity has been added to the system in recent months?

Second, I welcome the announcement that the Minister for education has today confirmed the establishment of a commission of investigation into historical sexual abuse in schools. I pay tribute to survivors like Mark and David Ryan, to Mary O'Toole for her scoping report and to all of those who came forward to share their experience of abuse and shine a light into the dark and shameful corner of our history of education.

I have two questions for the Taoiseach. First, what levers will he establish to ensure that religious institutions will pay their fair share of redress? We have a Labour Party Bill to remove legal obstacles to pursuing religious organisations and unincorporated associations. I will supply him with that, and he might consider taking it on board. Second, will he establish a parallel redress scheme for survivors, so they do not have to wait five years for the outcome of the report?

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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I am sure the Taoiseach is aware of the teacher fee refund scheme. In 2025, it is aimed at assisting teachers with upskilling and paying for some of their course fees or examination fees. The Department of education has informed me that courses that fall under that with regard to professional development for teachers include tackling disadvantage, discrimination and equality and promoting well-being. I am aware of a career guidance counsellor in a secondary school who has done a counselling course and is not qualifying for the refund scheme. I believe we need to look beyond just the teaching environment to teachers in an example like that, where they are upskilling to be able to help their students, particularly in a counselling or career guidance capacity. When we talk about well-being and the benefits to students outside of a purely teaching and learning environment, I believe it would be a good thing to encourage our teachers and to assist them in that. I ask that the scheme be looked at to see if counselling can fall in under the teacher fee-----

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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So, counselling does not fall under it.

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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It does not fall under the teacher fee refund scheme.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, informed the House last week that all teacher training courses will now include a period where the trainee teacher will work in a classroom for children with additional needs. That is welcome. However, I am concerned by the Department of education payroll review, which highlighted there were 1,800 vacant teaching positions within the system. Some 1,200 of the vacancies are in the primary sector. This correlates with the figures that the INTO has published, which show a significant number of vacant positions and schools having difficulty filling the roles. We have announced 400 additional classes for children with additional needs for this September. I have a great concern that schools will find it difficult to fill the roles associated with those new classes, which will provide schools with great challenges. Some measures have been taken to address the teacher shortage and the lack of teachers available, but the defining measure for me would be an increase in places in the colleges for teacher training. I know the University of Galway has indicated its desire to allow for a postgraduate programme for training primary teachers. I ask the Taoiseach to look at that.

Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I would like to know the Government's plans to ensure there is an appropriate class place for all kids, particularly those with additional needs. We have seen the issues that occur every year. It has already been stated that the issue of assessment of need has been brought up again by Cara Darmody. We know there is a big fear that legislative changes would take away the right people have with regard to delivery of the assessment of need within six months. Many parents have contacted me in the past while about the issue with school places and what school their children can go to. They have no surety because they have not been able to get an assessment of need. We have the issue of those with mild learning disabilities who fall between stools. There is no space for them. Certain schools will say their complex needs are too complex or not sufficiently complex to fall into this bracket. That is an issue we need to deal with. I bring up the issue of Tallanstown National School, where we had an assessment with regard to class places. There were 281 children in September. There are now 284, but it has resulted in a kid who has Down's syndrome possibly ending up in class of 36. It is a specific issue that needs to be looked at.

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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Ireland is becoming the most expensive country in Europe to go to college. With the threatened withdrawal of the €1,000 assistance to parents, this will further be the case. Parents and students are making CAO decisions now about whether or not they can limit or pick cheaper courses or courses nearer to where they live, but the Taoiseach will not decide until July. Some 100,000 children are living in consistent poverty. College will become elitist once again, as it always was in decades past. The dropout rate among working class young people is 23%, compared with 11.5% in general. Full-time and part-time jobs are a necessity for working class youth going to college. Will the Taoiseach please give a commitment now, not in July as the cost-of-living crisis bites, that he will restore this? I welcome that there will be a protest outside Leinster House at 6 p.m. this evening, where young people will make their position crystal clear on this.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the establishment of the commission of investigation into historical sex abuse in schools and the appointment of the chair, announced today. I have questions about the methodology, particularly as it relates to sampling and other areas. However, I ask about redress and pursuit of financial accountability. The Minister says that further work is being to examine the matter of financial redress, and how any future scheme could be funded. This is important to many survivors. It is viewed as a measure of accountability for those responsible for sexual abuse in schools and it is important to get it right. I totally agree with that. I brought amendments to the survivors Bill, which will go through the Dáil tomorrow, specifically to provide a time-framed six month options paper that the State would look at every option available to it to seek financial redress, particularly from religious institutions and orders.

Is there a detailed plan in place? What will the pursuit of financial options look like?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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We all understand the importance of workforce planning, nowhere more so than in the area of children, education and health. I heard something concerning last week. It was that pay and numbers are yet to be agreed between the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE. TDs like myself come in here every week talking about delays for speech and language therapy and physiotherapy and about the delays inherent in the assessment of need system. If pay and numbers have not been agreed yet or the Department of children has not submitted something to the HSE, I am concerned we will be back here next year with further delays and posts not being filled. It is fundamental we get to the bottom of it immediately.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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An tseachtain seo caite bhí Deputy Brabazon ag caint faoi Belgrove girls' school. Since then a decision was made by the diocese not to allow the addition of a privately sourced teacher for the school. I do not understand how religious entities can dictate public schools' resourcing of their teachers. Is there anything that can be done for Belgrove girls' school?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I raise again the critical shortage of special needs assistants and the devastating consequences of that in our schools. I will offer two examples from my constituency. Max Ryan is a nine-year-old student at St. Vincent's National School, Glasnevin. He has autism, global development delay, sensory issues, speech and language delay and separation anxiety. When Max entered junior infants, there was one other child in his class with additional needs and St. Vincent's had 2.5 SNA positions. Max is now going into fourth class, where there will be seven children with additional needs, and there are still only 2.5 SNA positions for the entire school. St. Catherine's Infant School in Cabra, like St. Vincent's, has engaged in the review by SENO for additional SNA provision but, like St. Vincent's, it has to date received nothing. The staff at St. Catherine's tell concerning stories of continual stress. They describe a situation that is hazardous for staff and traumatising for students. They are not exceptional. There are many schools in the same situation. They are doing incredible work. Max is just one of hundreds of young children being let down every single day. When will SNA provision truly match the need in our schools?

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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School secretaries and caretakers have served their schools and communities for years and, in many cases, decades. They are the glue that holds our school system together and they do not want to go on strike. They just want fairness when it comes to pay and conditions but this Government has shown no such fairness. There has been zero engagement. Fórsa trade union has made numerous offers to talk and every one has been ignored. Forced into a corner, Fórsa has written to 2,000 schools to give formal notice of indefinite strike action at the end of August. These workers seek pay justice and pension parity and a basic recognition of their contribution. Instead of action, they have been met with silence. The Ministers, Deputies McEntee and Chambers, have failed utterly to respond despite knowing what is at stake. Will the Taoiseach intervene, direct his Ministers to engage for Fórsa and take immediate steps to deliver a fair and just resolution, or will he allow this strike to proceed?

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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There is quite a substantial number of questions there. Deputy Bacik raised the establishment of the commission of inquiry.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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I welcome it.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I pay tribute to Mark and David Ryan for what they did in providing a catalyst for the establishment of this inquiry and the scoping inquiry before it. It would be unprecedented to have a redress scheme in advance of a commission of inquiry.

Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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In parallel.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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That is difficult as well. One has to make an assessment of what is happening. That said, the Department is working on this. Fundamentally, those who have committed the crimes and those responsible for them should pay. That is the religious orders, in particular. A significant degree of work is under way in the Department to identify various scenarios. In previous times, the State went first and got roundly criticised by everyone in this House. I am particularly thinking of the institutional abuse case, where the State got criticised even though it moved quickly to avoid people having to go through the courts and provided a redress scheme for survivors of institutions. In this instance, many of the orders have resources that they can allocate. In any event, that work is under way. As well as setting up the inquiry, the Minister and her Department are working on that issue.

Deputy O'Meara raised the teacher refund scheme. I will talk to the Minister in that regard. I think that is an omission. Counsellors in schools are teachers, predominantly.

Deputy Connolly spoke of teacher vacancies. I want to make the point to everyone in the House that the annual education indicators report for the 2023-2024 school year was presented to Cabinet today. It is published jointly by the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. We have more teachers than we ever had. Total teaching posts rose to 76,223 in the last year; that is up from 69,221 in 2020. The pupil-teacher ratio is declining. Class sizes have decreased from 23.3 to 22.5 since 2020. Dividing the number of teachers in schools by pupils gives extraordinary outcomes. The pupil-teacher ratio is 12.8 in a primary school, down from 14.5. It is 12.2 in post primary. That is dividing the number of teachers crudely into the number of pupils. That has created challenges as we seek to expand special classes this year. Some 400 special classes have been confirmed. We need to assess it again. There are particular issues in particular locations with housing and so on but the overall story when you stand back and look at what has happened in recent years is more and more people have come into teaching. Listening to some of the commentary, one would imagine it was going in the opposite direction. There needs to be balance and perspective in the debate. I just thought I would make that observation. I will come back to the Deputy on recruitment of teachers for the 400 extra classes.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised class places for children with special educational needs. Some significant work has been undertaken by the Minister with responsibility for special education, Deputy Moynihan, and the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee. Both are working hard on special education and securing places for children in advance of the school year. They have made good progress. Some schools will need structural work. Some may not be ready in September but will certainly be ready at some stage in the next school year. We are doing everything we can to ensure that in future years planning starts earlier. Trials are being conducted on a common application system to streamline that. When we provide additional places, it is important they are for children on the waiting list, primarily. That is why they are being secured and the NCSE is working hard on that.

In response to Deputy Coppinger, what is significant in terms of third level education is that we are now third in the OECD for tertiary attainment. In Ireland 54% of adults hold a third level qualification which is well above the European Union average of 35%. The national access plan, SUSI grants and the fund for students with disabilities have significantly widened access for disadvantaged, disabled and under-represented students. That is a story of progress that does not get highlighted at all. The share of higher education entrants with a disability rose from 12.4% in 2022 to 14.7% in 2024. Over 14,800 learners with disabilities are now in further education. A Fianna Fáil Minister introduced DEIS more than two decades ago. Norma Foley in the last Government dramatically expanded it.

The good news is that progression from DEIS schools to further and higher education has risen to 64%, closing the gap with the non-DEIS schools, which stands at 80%. These are real achievements at third level and we should not lose sight of them in all the other commentary. I dealt with that issue earlier. The budget and the Estimates will deal with the provision for third level education for the next academic year.

I think I answered Deputy O'Rourke's question on the commission of investigation, in that the Minister and the Department officials are working on that issue. They have a bit more work to do. They will come back to the House when that is completed.

I am not quite clear what Deputy O'Sullivan was referring to in respect of the Department of children and equality not reconciling pay and numbers between the HSE and the Department of children. I will check that with the Minister for children and come back to the Deputy.

On Deputy's Heneghan's issue, is it that the school has privately resourced a teacher?

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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It is looking to privately resource one.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I will have to look into the background of that and come back to the Deputy with an answer from the Minister. On Deputy McDonald's question about special needs assistants, the numbers are growing exponentially.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Not at St. Vincent's.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not know what is happening with individual schools' allocations but the numbers are growing exponentially. We are close to 23,000 SNAs now. It has been a story of increases and increases. I acknowledge the numbers of children who have been identified with a disability has increased as well. It was quite high in the most recent census, much higher than the previous census. Demand is rising but so are the allocations.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Not for those schools.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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I do not have the specifics of those schools and the Deputy has identified them-----

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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I have given them. I will write to the Taoiseach.

Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)
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----but maybe the Minister can respond to the specifics of that.

On Deputy McGuinness' question, as he knows there had been a previous industrial relations issue about secretaries' salaries. That was settled with Fórsa trade union. The term used at the time was full and final settlement. I acknowledge pensions is a separate issue. First of all, school secretaries are an extremely important part of the entire staff of a school and are key. I welcome the fact we were able to arrive at a settlement on the pay front. The Minister is keeping this issue under review. Obviously, this is an issue that at some stage has to get into a process to get resolved.