Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will review the allocation of release days for teaching principals in order that there would be a sliding scale of allocations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27444/24]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to examine the requirements for principal release days (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27515/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 79 together.

Prior to 2022, principal release days were allocated on the basis of the number of mainstream teachers in the school.

As part of Budget 2022 measures, I ensured that all schools with a teaching principal have a minimum of 37 Principal Release Days. i.e. one administrative day per week. Schools with one special class have 4 additional release days, a total of 41 in the school year and schools with 2 special classes have administrative principal status. These allocations are set out in Circular 26/2022, which superseded previous circulars 19/2020 and 14/2001.

Schools may employ a substitute teacher for the day to facilitate the principal’s release day. Alternatively, schools may cluster their release days with other schools in order to create a full-time fixed-term post. For the 2024/25 school year, schools may combine their Special Education Teaching (SET) hours with principal release days in order to create a full-time post. The inclusion of principal release days in cluster posts allows for consistency in the teaching cover provided to schools.

Any further improvement would have to be considered in the context of the overall budgetary process.