Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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1050. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will increase the 2025/2026 transition year programme funding for a school (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20947/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Since its introduction, the popularity and uptake of Transition Year has increased significantly to the point where it 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.

As a result of this increase in participation in Transition Year, the amount of Transition Year grant funding provided by my Department has risen from approximately €3.1 million in 2014 to €5.1 million in the 2023/24 school year.

Transition Year is also supported through the payment of teachers’ salaries and the provision of capital funding to schools.

The Transition Year Grant is paid to non-fee charging voluntary secondary schools, community and comprehensive schools and schools in the ETB sector in addition to capitation payments. The Transition Year Grant is paid on a per capita basis – therefore it increases or decreases in line with the number of actual participants in a given year when compared with other years.

It is a matter for a school to determine the number of places it makes available in Transition Year in a given year and no quota is imposed on a school in that regard, nor is there a cap on the total subvention available to schools under the Transition Year Grant.

The amount paid to schools under the Transition Year Grant is based on the returns made by Post Primary Schools for students that are present and attending their school on 30 September each year, which includes all Programmes and Programme Years. That means that if the school referred to by the Deputy enrols 69 students in 25/26, the grant paid in June 2026 will increase accordingly in comparison to the 60 students they have received funding for in 24/25. Funding for schools in the ETB sector such as the school referred to by the Deputy are made to the relevant ETB along with the Transition Year and other programme grants for the other schools of that ETB.