Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to reduce the workload and administrative burden on school principals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30558/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I recognise the key role school leadership in improving educational outcomes by creating a positive school climate and environment as well as motivating and empowering educators and learners within their school communities.

Recent improvements in relation to school management and leadership structures include:

• all primary schools with a teaching principal have a minimum of 37 Principal Release Days, that is, one administrative day per week. Schools with one special class have 4 additional release days, a total of 41 in the school year.
• schools with two special classes have administrative principal status regardless of enrolment
• the Administrative Principal pupil threshold has been reduced from an enrolment of 178 to 169, with the Deputy Admin Principal threshold reduced from an enrolment of 655 to 573.
• Budget 2024 removed the threshold for the appointment of an Administrative Deputy Principal in Special Schools.
• the second teacher in two-teacher schools have Deputy Principal status as opposed to holding Assistant Principal II posts.
• the Sectoral Bargaining process under Building Momentum for the primary sector has been used to increase posts of responsibility (POR) in primary and special schools by 1,450 posts. The last two budgets have provided for an additional 1000 posts of responsibility at primary level. 500 AP II posts were allocated to primary schools in the 2024/25 school year. For the 2025/26 school year, the equivalent of 500 AP II posts is being distributed as 110 AP I and 251 AP II for the purposes of fully restoring all POR's in primary schools. A revised Post of Responsibility Schedule issued to schools in April to reflect this increase in posts of responsibility available to schools for the coming school year.