Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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618. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to make changes to school holidays (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36644/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Schools are required to be open for a minimum of 167 days at post-primary level and 183 days at primary level.

Subject to meeting this requirement individual schools may determine the precise start and end of the school year.

There are no plans at present to make any changes to the minimum number of teaching days.

The scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic year is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions, the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform under the auspices of the Teachers' Conciliation Council.

The current agreement as outlined in Circular 16/2014 covers the school years 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17.