Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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222. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's plans and intentions for formal recognition by her Department of post-primary parental representation at a national level (details supplied). [28030/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department has an obligation to ensure that all Exchequer funds are accounted for and properly managed and that there is transparency and accountability in the management of public money. The Department contracted a company with governance expertise to conduct a review of the governance and financial arrangements applying in the National Parents’ Council post-primary (NPCPP). The NPCPP's Board consistently declined to engage with this review process. The final report, which was undertaken without the co-operation of the NPCPP, has now been published and is available at gov.ie - Governance and Financial Review - National Parents Council - Post Primary (NPCpp) (www.gov.ie)..

It is an extremely serious matter that a body in receipt of grant payments from Exchequer Funds would refuse to engage in such a review. The Department formed the view that to make any further grant payments to the NPCPP would be a breach of its financial oversight obligations and, in these circumstances, the Department also advised the NPCPP that it is no longer a body recognised as a ‘national association of parents’ under the Education Act 1998 Act. Individual parent councils or associations in schools are not impacted by this decision.

My Department is in the process of arranging a meeting with the National Parents Council Post Primary to finalise a number of outstanding issues. Once these matters are resolved, the Department intends to meet, - as appropriate, - with other parties, including the ETBsNPA.

The voice of parents is of critical importance to the Department of Education. In December 2022, in order to ensure continuity of support for parents, the Department of Education requested the National Parents Council Primary to extend its remit and support to post-primary parents.

I understand the National Parents Council Primary is actively working to ensure that post-primary parents receive a comprehensive support service and is reaching out to post-primary parents and other interested stakeholders, - including former constituent bodies of the NPCPP, - such as the ETBsNPA, - in this respect. The Department urges everyone with an interest in the voice of the parent (and student) in Irish education to engage positively with this new arrangement in the interest of ensuring a strong parent voice in education.