Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1039. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the work of the ETB financial and administrative personnel unit within her Department, particularly in relation to ensuring appropriate governance arrangements are in place across the sector. [20823/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s ETB Financial and Administrative Personnel Unit (ETB Unit) provides a range of operational, resourcing and support functions to Education and Training Boards (ETBs). The main areas of the unit’s work are -

• The administration and issue of a wide range of grant funding to ETBs in respect of their schools and head offices,
• The allocation of administrative and maintenance staffing to ETBs in respect of their schools and head offices,
• Engaging with the ETB sector stakeholders through external staff relations processes on national policy matters relating to the terms and conditions of administrative and maintenance staff in ETB schools and head offices,
• The administration of funding in respect of the payment of pensions and retirement gratuities to former staff of ETBs and Institutes of Technology,
• Promoting governance and accountability in ETBs, in accordance with Government policy and relevant statutory requirements.

A significant programme of work has been underway by my Department’s ETB Unit and other relevant units in my Department to strengthen and improve governance arrangements and compliance across the ETB sector over the years since the sector’s establishment. The work of the ETB Unit in this regard covers areas such as–

• A comprehensive review and updating of the Code of Practice for the Governance of ETBs, undertaken by the unit in consultation with the sector, resulted in the publication of a revised Code in 2019 which was followed by a programme of training for all ETB board members.
• A further review and updating of the ETB Code was completed by the unit in 2024 to bring it up to date with subsequent updates and additions to the DPENDR Code for State Bodies while ensuring it aligns with, and takes due account of the specific legislative and operational context in which ETBs and their boards operate, the particular role of the board in carrying out the reserved functions of the ETB, and its important overarching responsibilities and duties in the wider governance and oversight of the ETB.
• Following the turnover of board membership in 2024, the unit also worked with Education and Training Boards Ireland to ensure a governance training programme has been put in place for all ETB board members. The training developed and delivered by the IPA addresses the key concepts of governance in a public sector related environment and aims to provide ETB board members with a solid understanding of their responsibilities in this regard.
• The unit provides ongoing guidance to ETBs and monitors compliance in respect of the ETBs’ statutory reporting obligations under their governing legislation including in relation to the annual financial statements, service plans and annual reports.
• The unit is responsible for resourcing of the internal audit unit of ETBs.
• The unit is responsible for ensuring all necessary procedures, circulars and statutory instruments are in place to facilitate the election/ nomination of board members including following the local authority elections and for vacancies that may arise.
• The unit provides guidance to ETBs on their financial reporting obligations and works with the sector to improve, standardise and streamline the format of ETBs annual financial statements.
• The unit works with and supports the sector to address the registration of ETB owned properties.
• The unit works an ongoing basis to ensure that ETB head offices are adequately resourced and staffed to undertake their corporate governance, administrative and operational support functions.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1040. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the expected timeline for the remaining ETBs’ migration of expense functions to the education shared business service. [20824/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I refer to the Deputy’s question regarding the expected timeline for the remaining ETBs migration of expense functions to the Education Shared Business Services (ESBS).

Thirteen ETBs have now migrated their Travel and Subsistence (Expenses) payments function to ESBS, and ESBS processed 6,698 expenses payments on behalf of ETBs during the course of 2024.

A further two ETBs, namely City of Dublin ETB and Limerick and Clare ETB have commenced the process of their transition to ESBS and are scheduled to Go Live on the 21 July 2025.

The remaining ETB (Cork ETB) have also agreed to migrate their Expenses function to ESBS, and my officials are meeting with representatives from Cork ETB during week commencing 28 April 2025 to finalise the date for their go live, which will be no later than August 2025.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1041. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the work undertaken by officials within her Department to overcome the challenges presented by the prevalence of ‘software as a service’ system solutions. [20825/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Education has utilised cloud computing, including software as a service (SaaS) for many years. My department’s adoption and utilisation of cloud services has been informed by the DPENDR/OGCIO cloud computing advice notes from 2015 to date. These publications guide and inform my department on the latest industry, policy and legislative developments and enable informed decision making in relation to my department’s continued adoption of cloud services.

My department’s adoption and procurement of cloud services has also been informed by the OGP’s cloud service procurement guidance notes which provide complementary assistance for procuring cloud services including checklists and sample contracts. The checklists highlight the important differences and challenges between procuring and contracting for cloud services compared to on-premises ICT solutions, and the key contractual and commercial considerations regarding those differences.

In considering and evaluating cloud service utilisation and adoption my department officials also engage with other departments and public sector bodies as well as external advisors and industry.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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1042. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress of her Department’s work to resolve the issues presented by non-compliant IT contracts by the shared services implementation unit. [20826/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Department of Education officials in the Shared Services Implementation Unit are assisting their colleagues in the Education Shared Business Services to ensure all of their IT contracts are compliant and there is a plan in place to remedy any compliance issues with the IT contracts in place. This work includes;

• Shared Services Implementation Unit is assisting the ETB Finance team to replace a current non-compliant contract for the provision of a Financial Management System. A procurement process was published on eTenders on the 26th of March 2025. Following the completion of the procurement process, it is expected a contract will be signed with the successful Tenderer during 2026;
• The ETB payroll team has a non-compliant service contract for the provision of payroll software for part-time teachers. A procurement team is being established to compile the tender documentation. The Shared Services Implementation Unit will assist in finalising the documentation and plan to publish a procurement competition before the end of 2025;
• Working with HEAnet to replace a non-compliant central arrangement for the provision of a Schools Management Information solution. A procurement process has been completed and the successful Tenderers were advised the week of 14th of April 2025. It is expected the new compliant central arrangement for the provision of a Schools Management Information solution will be established in the coming weeks to enable Schools and ETBs to run their own mini competitions.