Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for coming to the Seanad. This is an important issue and I am proud to speak about something that matters deeply to all of us, namely, ensuring that all children get a chance to learn, grow and reach their full potential. That is what our education system is all about. Ireland is working hard to build a world-class education system, not just for some children, but for all children no matter where they come from or what challenges they face. This system is built on a strong foundation, supported by dedicated professionals, and I take this opportunity to acknowledge all those working in our education system who play a part in ensuring a standard of education is delivered and the potential of our youth is fulfilled.

I listened to the Minister's words and a lot of things from her speech tick the boxes I have written down. I welcome the professional development and empowerment for teaching staff. I am glad to hear the Minister is committed to recognising the evolving needs of our world, bridging skills gaps and enhancing curriculums for our teachers. The Minister confirmed that three new upskilling programmes for post-primary teachers would commence this September, offering free and flexible two-year courses in computer science, French, and politics and society. Upon graduation, teachers will be empowered to teach these subjects at a higher level.

I will also highlight some key areas. The Minister mentioned the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme. Schools in disadvantaged areas get support to help children succeed. This programme has shown considerable success in improving the outcomes of students from disadvantaged areas. Key achievements include increased retention rates, higher levels of school completion and enhanced access to higher education.The programme has also contributed to school planning and teaching practices. As the Minister said, we need to continue to invest in that programme and to further develop it.

A cornerstone of the Government’s commitment is special education. Supporting children with additional needs is not just a priority but an absolute imperative for Fine Gael, and for the upcoming school year the Minister has sanctioned an incredible 399 special education classes. These classes are strategically placed in areas with identified needs and, crucially, the Minister has sanctioned them much earlier this year. This proactive approach gives schools ample time to prepare, open enrolment and ensure classrooms are fully ready for September. The Minister is working with the National Council for Special Education on this so schools can expedite the process. As she said, from September there will be 3,900 additional places in special education. Similar to the DEIS programme, we need to build on that and continue to invest in that.

Beyond teachers, our unsung heroes are probably our special needs assistants. Thousands of students in both mainstream and special education settings benefit every day from SNAs’ invaluable skills, dedication and knowledge. Recognising their pivotal role, the Minister has confirmed a new SNA redeployment scheme is now under way and for the very first time SNAs in posts that may no longer be required, perhaps due to falling enrolment numbers, reduced care needs or changing demographics, will be redeployed to schools with vacant posts. This is a vital step in increasing job security for SNAs, encouraging new talent to enter this essential workforce and ensuring our children and schools continue to benefit from their immense wealth of experience.

I heard the Tánaiste speaking recently about how we are about to embark on the transformative initiative of introducing national therapy services in education. It is an ambitious plan that will see therapists working directly in schools across the country and will begin with speech and language therapy and occupational therapy being provided in some special education schools later in the next academic year, with a further roll-out in September 2026. By providing these crucial therapies directly within the school system, we are ensuring the children who require the most intense support can access the services they need precisely where and when they need them. This seamless integration of therapy into the educational environment will be a game-changer for many families.

I also commend what has happened with the hot school meals. Almost 500,000 primary school pupils across 2,850 schools nationwide are now receiving a hot, nutritious meal every day. I mentioned to the Minister recently that I would like us to look at procurement to open up the potential for smaller, more rural caterers to deliver these meals to the schools. If the tendering thresholds can be brought up in line with Europe, we may be able to deliver better quality meals to more rural schools while also serving rural businesses as well.

We should be very proud of the world-class education system we have but we should not be getting complacent either. Regarding educational disadvantage, which the Minister mentioned, I wish to highlight the work of iScoil, as it is an organisation we can look at working more closely with to ensure every child can achieve their full potential. iScoil is just one organisation but it is a not-for-profit delivering online learning services that offer a pathway to learning, accreditation and progression for young people between the ages of 13 and 16 who, for a range of reasons, cannot attend mainstream school. As we are talking about an education system that delivers for all, we need to start looking at the really small grouping that is not currently being served. iScoil is a national service that works with some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach young people in the State and provides a safe learning environment where young people can re-engage with education, achieve recognised QQI certification and access further education, training and employment.

I, along with my fellow Fine Gael Senators, believe we need to do more in providing life skills to our students in secondary education. We have had discussions on the delivery of driver theory within secondary education and Safe Pass courses. We are looking at a programme like that because we talk about young people nowadays not having job opportunities during the summer or when they go off to third level education. If we can provide the skills within second level education, we can empower them to do what we all had the opportunity to do years ago, that is, work on building sites and drive to and from work. The Irish School of Excellence down in Clare delivers training to 30,000 transition year students annually across 727 schools. That is something that needs to be looked at seriously in conjunction with the RSA to ensure it could be rolled out as a module within transition year and supported nationally. On Safe Pass, I spoke about an initiative recently in this Chamber. It is the brainchild of a lady from Roscommon called Selina Galvin and supported by JF Hanley Limited. Transition year students were allowed complete industry standard health and safety training free or charge with a view to encouraging interest in the construction sector. The pilot scheme is being jointly sponsored by JF Hanley Limited and Shannon Valley Limited, which are both Roscommon-based companies. Selina said the idea was to remove cost barriers and provide a pathway for students to explore the industry with real, recognised certification. The equivalent of Safe Pass in the UK is the Construction Skills Register card, training for which is delivered online. Looking at something like that would be another way of removing barriers.

Delivering a world-class education system that breaks down barriers and ensures every child can achieve their full potential is a continuous journey. Through strengthening our teacher supports, prioritising special education, valuing our SNAs, integrating vital therapy services, ensuring nourishing meals and providing free school books, we are systematically building a more inclusive, equitable and excellent educational landscape for all children in Ireland. These initiatives are not just policies but investments in our children, in our communities and in the bright future of our nation. As the Minister said, we cannot just sit still. We need to keep building on the successes and the positive numbers coming out of her Department. I hope that, through the national development plan, she will be supported with the building blocks she needs to deliver on that regionally.