Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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316. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any local representatives, councillors or TDs were consulted at any stage during the relocation process of the Donegal Education Centre, Donegal Town; if so, who, when and for what reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5506/25]

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.

I understand that in advance of their decision to relocate, the management committee of Donegal ESC (DESC) consulted with stakeholders including teachers, school leaders, Donegal ETB, NEPS, ATU and Oide during March and April 2024, and that stakeholders supported and encouraged the move. The TL21 programme in the region (run by Maynooth University and funded by the Department) and NEPS face to face courses are already run in rented locations in Letterkenny. The ESC umbrella representative group, Education Support Centres Ireland (ESCI) has also written in support of the move. Following the consultation and a survey of teachers in the catchment area, Donegal ESC management committee decided in favour of the relocation.

The management committee then supplied my department with a detailed business case supporting the relocation.