Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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417. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the rationale behind the relocation of the Donegal Education Centre to Letterkenny. [2366/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Education Support Centres (ESC) are independent bodies recognised under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998). This legislation states that “An education support centre shall have a management committee, to manage the business and staff of that centre.

Decisions about how to run the centre to achieve the best teacher professional learning (TPL) opportunities for all teachers in the ESC catchment area are a matter for the management committee in the first instance.

My Department’s role in relation to ESCs is to resource and monitor to ensure effective operation and focus on TPL activities to bring about positive impact in the classroom in respect of teaching and learning.

The management committee of Donegal ESC (DESC) contacted my Department to make us aware of the proposed relocation to Letterkenny last year. My Department reviewed the detailed business case submitted. Following engagement, the Department informed DESC in mid-December that it accepted the reasons underpinning the decision of the management committee to relocate to Letterkenny. Work to progress the relocation has now commenced.