Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding educational supports for IPAS centre residents; how any school place shortages at a local level are addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29503/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s approach is to prioritise integration and inclusion into mainstream education for all children and young people who arrive into the State seeking international protection.

In March 2022, in response to the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) were established to support the needs of Ukrainian children arriving in Ireland. These teams now also support children who arrive seeking international protection arrivals to find a place and enrol in school.

The primary role of REALT is to assist children in finding school places, to support schools to meet the needs of these children as they arise and to co-ordinate the provision of education services to children and families across their defined area. The teams ensure that clear, accessible information flows are in place between schools, local education support services and national support structures.

All children and young people up to the age of 18 years, irrespective of their immigration status, have access to free primary and post-primary education in the same manner as Irish nationals. A school must admit all students applying where it is not oversubscribed and places are available. Schools must also include a statement in its admission policy stating that the school will not discriminate in its admission on any of nine specified grounds, including race and religion.

If a situation arises where is no additional capacity in any local schools for a child who is seeking international protection, the REALT co-ordinator will then seek to identify capacity in another area and to organise school transport to those locations.

Where all capacity in a reasonable transport radius has been exhausted, the REALT will then engage with local schools and my department’s Planning and Building Unit to identify an appropriate solution.

Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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549. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding English-language training facilities in IPAS centres to allow for easier integration into the local community for residents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29504/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s approach is to prioritise integration and inclusion into mainstream education for all children and young people who arrive into the State seeking international protection. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

To assist students' integration into school life and to support those learning the English language, my Department allocates EAL (English as an Additional Language) tutoring hours to both primary and post-primary schools. EAL hours are available to these students. Schools apply for these resources directly to my department. Schools may also apply for further language support through the staffing appeals process.

Since 2022, additional temporary special education supports have been put in place to support schools with large Ukrainian enrolments. The same level of resources is available under a separate process to support schools that have enrolled a significant number of children seeking international protection. Schools in which ten or more students who are seeking international protection enrolled are provided with additional special education teaching resources and schools with 15 or more pupils are provided with additional special needs assistants.