Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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60. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way he plans to progress the three areas in the education sector that he has identified as his core priority areas of focus in the sector, including assisting children with special needs, supporting schools and building a stronger bridge between education and the workplace; the reason he has prioritised these three areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34875/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Last September, I launched the first ever Action Plan for Education, covering the period 2016- 2019. The central vision of the Plan is that the Irish Education and Training System should become the best in Europe over the next decade. This will be achieved through focusing on five high level goals:

1. Improve the learning experience and the success of learners

2. Improve the progress of learners at risk of educational disadvantage or learners with special educational needs

3. Help those delivering education services to continuously improve

4. Build stronger bridges between education and wider community

5. Improve national planning and support services.

In order to ensure that progress is made in all five of these areas, updated annual Action Plans will be published each year, covering the actions that will be implemented during the subsequent 12 months. As part of this process:

- Actions will be monitored against published timelines

- Each year a new Action Plan will be developed and published to further our goals in consultation with stakeholders

- Responsibility for actions will be clearly assigned.

Furthermore, my Department will publish progress reports each quarter that will evolve and improve from the experience of implementation.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he expects to be in a position to make adequate provision as required to meet the full pre-school, primary, second, third and fourth level current and future educational needs in all areas throughout the country, having particular regard to demographic trends, overcrowded classrooms, the schools building programme, special needs and the challenge of the varying and increasing demands of the workplace and apprenticeships; if he remains satisfied that the plans in place remain adequate to meet the challenges of an expanding economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35184/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Education sets out this Government’s ambitions for the education system over the coming years, including how we will implement the commitments in the Programme for Government and the Confidence and Supply Arrangement. 

The Action Plan sets out hundreds of measures which will be implemented, with a particular focus on disadvantage, skills and continuous improvement within the education and training system. 

Budget 2017, announced last month, represents the first phase in implementing the Action Plan and the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education.

Next year, an additional €458 million will be invested in the education system, which represents an increase of over 5% on my Department’s allocation for 2016.  This will allow us to make significant progress in a range of areas across the education and training sector.

- This will mean over 2,500 additional posts in schools, including more classroom teachers, more resource teachers and more Special Needs Assistants.  We will continue to restore guidance posts in schools.  

- Funding will be available to make continued progress on curricular reform, including through the allocation of individual professional time for teachers of Junior Cycle. 

- We will implement the recent agreement reached with the TUI and INTO on salary increases for new entrant teachers. 

- A new package of support is being provided for the critical area of school leadership. 

- Resources will be made available to implement the new Action Plan for Disadvantaged Schools which will be launched later this year.

- We are also making the first significant investment in higher education in a number of years, with at least an additional €160 million committed over the next three years. 

- We will also carry out a review and consultation with the aim of developing a multi-annual funding model for higher and further education and training from 2018. This will include consideration of an Employer-Exchequer investment mechanism and will complement the Oireachtas Committee’s consideration of the Cassells report. 

- On the capital side, my Department will spend €690 million which will allow for around 20,000 new school places to be provided. 

The investment secured as part of the Budget is an important first step in achieving our ambitions.  Over the coming years, I will continue to work in partnership with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to secure the resources needed to implement in full the commitments set out in the Action Plan for Education.