Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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405. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any plans in place to set up a regional scheme to assist parents who wish to give their children the opportunity to complete transition year, but whose school either does not provide the year or holds lotteries that exclude students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14076/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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407. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason schools, that have autonomy on enrolment but nonetheless must complete the designated curriculum, are given leeway in terms of running a transition year programme or limiting numbers and subjecting students and parents to lotteries; whether there are plans to make transition year a mandatory component of the senior cycle; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14078/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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408. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what legal mechanisms exist for parents whose children have been refused a transition year place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14079/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 405, 407 and 408 together.

Transition Year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities for life skills, personal, social and academic development and experience of adult and working life.

As Minister for Education I am committed to expanding access to Transition Year as part of the ongoing redevelopment of Senior Cycle, so that in the future every student who wishes to participate in Transition Year will have the opportunity to do so.

Since its introduction, the popularity and uptake of Transition Year has increased significantly to the point and is now offered in almost every post-primary school. The number of students participating in Transition Year has also grown in recent years, with the latest figures showing that over 60,000 students are currently in Transition Year, equivalent to just over 80% of the number of third year students in the previous school year.

All schools design their own Transition Year programmes within set guidelines to suit the needs and interests of their students. A new Transition Year Programme Statement was published last September and provides a framework for schools to develop their programmes.

The new Programme Statement continues to offer schools a significant level of autonomy while placing more structure on the design of Transition Year programmes. The Programme Statement was developed following public consultation in which the level of autonomy for schools was welcomed while also providing parameters and guidance within which schools will work to develop the TY Programme.

With regard to parents whose children have been unable to access a Transition Year place in a given school, it would not be appropriate for me or my Department to provide legal advice.

More generally, under the Education Act 1998, the Board of Management of a school is the body charged with the direct governance of a school and is accountable to the Patron of the school. The School Principal manages the school on a day-to-day basis.

Timetabling for the academic year is arranged by the school and unfortunately this may not always be able to accommodate every student’s subject or programme choice. In cases where restrictions apply, schools should have clear procedures regarding admission to the programme which indicate how places are allocated to students if there is over or under subscription for a particular subject or programme.

Where a student has been unable to access a Transition Year place, it is open to them and/or their parents to discuss any concerns with the Principal and/or guidance counsellor.

A school may also have a formal complaints process in which case this should be followed in pursuing any complaint. In the event that a parent is of the view that a school's board of management has failed to investigate or adequately investigated her complaint, it is open to them to raise the matter directly with the Chairperson of the Board of Management by correspondence.

As part of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme, I am committed to expanding access to Transition Year and to supporting schools in giving every student the option of participating in Transition Year in the future. My officials are currently working to identify barriers to participation and understand their causes and this work will inform my approach to making Transition Year accessible to all.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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406. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills on the assumption that a child who wished to complete a place in transition year, but was denied the opportunity due to not being picked in a school lottery, to clarify that her Department will accept any application to repeat fifth year on that basis, so that students can take their Leaving Certificate exams at an appropriate age relative to their peers who got the opportunity to complete transition year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14077/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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409. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what advice parents should be given if their children do not get offered a desired place on a transition year programme; whether leeway would be given by education welfare officers to parents who arrange work experience and educational trips for their children in terms of missing official school days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14080/25]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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410. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will facilitate parents who have suitable arrangements in place collectively or individually and who wish to give their children a transition tear experience in the absence of a place being available in the school, by means of a home tuition grant being made available to these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14081/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 406, 409 and 410 together.

The circumstances under which a student may repeat a year at Post Primary level are set out in Department of Education Circular M02/95. A copy of this circular is available at: circulars.gov.ie/pdf/circular/education/1995/M02.pdf

Under this Circular, school management have delegated authority, within defined limits, to permit students to repeat a year at Post Primary level. Application should be made by the parents/guardians concerned directly to the school authorities, citing the reasons for the application to repeat the year. The school authorities may then consider the case in conjunction with the criteria set out in the Circular M02/95 and reply directly to the parents/guardians.

Opting not to take Transition Year (where it is available) or not being allocated a place in Transition Year cannot be a guarantee that a pupil may repeat fifth year as the pupil must still satisfy the criteria to repeat set out in the afore-mentioned Circular.

Regarding students missing official school days, education welfare officers deal with the children attending school between the mandatory school age of 6 year to 16 years. Where a child is under the age of 16, and in line with the procedures for referrals from schools to the Educational Welfare Service, schools are advised to use their discretion in determining whether a student’s attendance warrants a referral. A student’s absence may be satisfactorily explained by certified illness, bereavement or other valid reasons.

My department does not provide a Home Tuition grant for children who are not offered a place in their school's Transition Year program.