Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his Department's costings and timeframes of delivery for his recently announced action plan for education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34289/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In September, I launched the first ever Action Plan for Education aimed at making the Irish education and training service the best in Europe by 2026. This plan, which incorporates my Department's Strategy Statement as well as the Action Plan of Education outlines over one hundred actions to be implemented across the period 2016-2019.

It provides the strategic framework for planning and reporting across the Department and its agencies over the next three years and timeframes for each action are included.

The Plan contains commitments to ensure its successful delivery:

1. Actions and sub-actions have delivery timelines and are the responsibility of assigned officials

2. Quarterly progress reports will be published

3. Updated annual plans, which will take new developments into account, will be published

My aim for 2017 and subsequent years is to progressively deliver on the commitments set out in the Action Plan for Education 2016-2019, subject to the availability of resources. It must be recognised that the Plan is being implemented within the context of overall budgetary constraints, and the large number of competing demands for available funding. The Programme for Government commits the Government to working with the Oireachtas to increase expenditure on public services in order to meet the rising costs of demographics and to make targeted improvements in public services, including education, having regard to economic growth forecasts and adherence to fiscal rules.