Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which he remains confident that investment in education and the sciences at all levels will continue to be available in the future having particular regard to the need for excellence in the face of growing competition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45258/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In 2018, the budget for my Department will increase by €554 million to over €10 billion, a 5.8% increase on last year’s budget allocation, and the largest ever allocation. This allocation reflects the strong belief of this Government that investment in education is vital to creating a Republic of Opportunity, where every person and every family has the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

The Programme for Government states that 'Education is the key to giving every child an equal opportunity in life. No child should be left behind in economic recovery and we should use our strengthening economy to become a leader in the provision of world-class education and skills.'

The Action Plan for Education 2016-1019 which I published last year sets out what we intend to achieve in the coming years. The central vision of the Action Plan is that the Irish Education and Training system should become the best in Europe over the next decade. This is achievable as we are already a high performer in many fields, but it is also a challenge towards which the many stakeholders in education and training can work together. Education has been central to Ireland’s transformation over recent decades. It will be central to our ambitions as a nation - economically, culturally, scientifically and socially - over the coming years. It will also allow us to lead in innovation.

Success in education is built on the quality of leadership, the ingenuity in teaching, the support in the community for learning and the Action Plan for Education aims to harness those human resources. To be the best we need to ensure that leadership, management, quality frameworks, teaching methods, and initial and continuing training are all operating to the highest standards.

The Action Plan for Education for 2016-2019 and the National Skills Strategy contain a clear commitment to supporting and developing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. This Government is committed to building upon our provision of STEM education in primary, post-primary and third level education in order to ensure that we have the graduates to fulfil the existing and growing needs in STEM. A STEM Policy Statement and Implementation Plan will shortly be published by my Department.

Within our school system, STEM education is growing, while new initiatives will continue to support greater participation and improved performance in STEM. My Department is committed to curricular reform in relation to STEM, for example

- Introduction of a new Computer Science subject at Senior Cycle, on a phased basis, starting in September 2018

- Introduction of new Science Syllabus for Junior Cycle in September 2016

- New Junior Cycle Mathematics specification to be implemented in 2018

- Three new Leaving Certificate specifications for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics approved on a provisional basis, pending the outcome of a trial of the practical assessment arrangements outlined in the specifications. This trial is taking place in Q4 2017, led by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and the State Examinations Commission.

- Development of a new primary mathematics curriculum which will support all children in the development of algorithmic and computational thinking to include coding

I also, earlier this year, announced an ambitious implementation plan to activate the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020. The plan contains a number of actions that will help realise the potential of digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning and assessment to help students become engaged thinkers, active learners, knowledge constructors and global citizens.

We need to promote Innovation and Excellence, recognise high achievement and seek to mainstream successful approaches. The pursuit of this goal will require to take account of the availability of scarce resources. However, it is the clear articulation of the scope for education and training to impact on major national priorities, through the Action Plan for Education, which will help education and training promote the case for continued investment in this area.