Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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873. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider introducing a standalone financial literacy module at junior and or senior cycle level, considering recent research is showing that almost 50% of Irish adults are financially illiterate and that there is a clear link between early financial education and improved long-term financial wellbeing (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19314/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As set out in the National Financial Literacy Strategy, opportunities for financial literacy exist across the school curriculum across Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

A new Primary Curriculum Framework was published in 2023, which includes a set of seven key competencies which are designed to empower children ‘to act and make decisions in relation to specific learning experiences, events, and situations. This includes ‘Being mathematical’ which supports the application of mathematical thinking and logic in the wider world.

2023 also saw the introduction of a new Primary Mathematics Curriculum where Money, as a stand-alone strand unit, provides an opportunity for children to incrementally develop an awareness of money and its uses and recognise the value of money and use notes and coins in meaningful contexts. The new Primary Mathematics Toolkit has also been published on the Curriculum online website.

'Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood' and five-year implementation plan was developed between the Department of Education and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The strategy is set across all stages of the learner's journey from early learning and care to post-primary school. It aims to promote the development of essential literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills, knowledge, and dispositions including successfully navigating the digital world. The strategy provides the vision that ‘Every learner, from birth to young adulthood, develops the necessary literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills to thrive and flourish as an individual, to engage and contribute fully as an ethical, active member of society and to live a satisfying and rewarding life’. Work is underway in relation to action 2.1.12 of the Strategy ‘Enable teachers to provide a focus on financial literacy across the curriculum at primary and post-primary level’.

Within the eight principles of the Framework for Junior Cycle, there is a focus on the development of broader life skills as it is expected that the student experience connects with life outside the school and supports students in developing greater independence and in meeting the challenges of life beyond school. There is an explicit focus on financial wellbeing in Statement of Learning 14 where it refers to the student making ‘informed financial decisions and developing good consumer skills”. The eight key skills provide further opportunities for the development of financial wellbeing through a focus on being numerate, being literate and on setting and achieving personal goals and making considered decisions. In addition to these principles, a number of Junior Cycle programmes and subjects also provide for the development of specific financial literacy knowledge, understanding and skills. These include Mathematics, Business Studies and Home Economics, and Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes, which target a very specific group of students with general learning disabilities.

In 2022, an ambitious programme of Senior Cycle Redevelopment that delivers “equity and excellence for all” and will empower students to meet the challenges of the 21st century was announced.

The redeveloped senior cycle key includes a focus on the development of ncca.ie/en/senior-cycle/senior-cycle-redevelopment/student-key-competencies/, to support students become more engaged, enriched and competent, as they further develop their knowledge, skills, values and dispositions in an integrated way. As part of teaching, learning and assessment, students will have many opportunities to demonstrate their key competencies.

As part of the redevelopment programme, a new www.curriculumonline.ie/senior-cycle/transition-year/, was published last September by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which provides schools with a framework for developing their own bespoke Transition Year programmes. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, the school takes into account the possibilities offered by local community interests.

The Programme Statement provides a framework for schools to develop their own Transition Year programmes within set guidelines and advocates four Student Dimensions as the core foundations upon which Transition Year programmes should be designed, including those that may focus on financial literacy. Schools can also offer students specific micro modules during Transition Year. A TY micro-module is typically designed to provide a concentrated learning experience, within the parameters of the Transition Year Programme Statement, to enhance the educational experience of students. They can be designed and delivered as standalone components or designed to be integrated with other TY components.

TY micro-modules can be developed for a duration of up to 10, 20, or 30 hours, whilst having the flexibility for schools to decide on the most suitable balance of class contact time and self-directed, independent learning. Schools can offer micro modules that are designed by the NCCA or external providers, including those focussing on financial literacy developed by financial institutions and other financial interest groups.

As part of Senior Cycle Redevelopment, the curriculum and assessment arrangements for all Leaving Certificate subjects will be updated in line with a published ncca.ie/en/senior-cycle/senior-cycle-redevelopment/schedule-of-senior-cycle-subjects-for-redevelopment/ of subjects for redevelopment. For example, the redevelopment of the Leaving Certificate Mathematics specification is in Tranche 3 and is intended to be introduced to schools in the 2027/28 school year. The Draft Specification for Leaving Certificate Community, Life and Work Studies (formerly known as the LCVP Link Modules), and Accounting, scheduled for introduction in schools for the 2026/27 school year was open for consultation from 24 February to 25 April 2025. The consultation is now closed.

The approach to Senior Cycle Redevelopment has been, from its outset, about collaboration and engagement with all our partners in education to deliver for students. Through the consultation process that is integral to the redevelopment of each subject specification, there are opportunities for stakeholder feedback and input.

My Department will continue to support the Department of Finance and other stakeholders in regard to the implementation of the National Financial Literacy Strategy.