Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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111. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to her publication of the senior cycle redevelopment implementation support measures, which commits to establishing a dedicated post of responsibility in schools which offer level 1 and level 2 learning programmes, what will the role of the post of responsibility entail; if it will be a new recruitment; if it will involve actual teaching hours with children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39936/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Level 1 and Level 2 learning programmes were made available to students in Senior Cycle last September for the first time. I am aware that a number of both special and mainstream schools have begun to offer these programmes.

As the Deputy is aware, in the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document, published by my Department in May of this year, there is a commitment to establish a dedicated Post of Responsibility in schools which offer Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 learning programmes. The post will assist those schools in continuing and enhancing their support of students with special educational needs.

The introduction of Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 learning programmes is particularly welcome, and particularly so given that these programmes will be certified by the State Examinations Commission. Ensuring schools receive the optimum supports to deliver these enhanced levels of provision is a priority for my Department. My Department recognises that schools require significant time for coordination, planning, tracking, consultation, communication, and reporting regarding students with special educational needs who undertake these programmes. As acknowledged in the Implementation Support Measures document, the post-holder would also have a role in planning for student transitions of those students on the Level 1 and Level 2 learning programmes.

The parameters surrounding this specific Post of Responsibility, including agreeing the criteria that might apply, as well as a comprehensive role description, form part of the discussions of the Post-Primary Implementation Group, recently established as a measure also committed to in the Implementation Support Measures document. There will also be consultation with the school management bodies in finalising these arrangements. My Department will then communicate with schools on this during the coming school year, ahead of the introduction of the role from September 2026.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent of his engagement on the pension claim of school caretakers and secretaries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38946/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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School secretaries and caretakers are at the heart of the school and are the key interface between students, parents, school leaders and other staff. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable. In supporting these vital school staff members, we also support the school community as a whole.

Since September 2023 my department has been providing a payroll service for former grant funded school secretaries. This happened on foot of an agreement reached in 2022, under the auspices of the WRC, that secretaries would move to a centralised pay roll managed by the Department and receive new terms and conditions of employment. These included a pay scale aligned with that of Grade III/CO in ETBs, improved annual leave entitlements, improved maternity provisions and paid sick leave in excess of the statutory requirement.

I acknowledge that Fórsa are looking to further improve terms and conditions for secretaries and caretakers and recognise that for them, access to a public service pension is understandably an important objective. This is a complex issue and needs to have regard to the state of the public finances and the repercussive effects of any such proposals for other grant-funded groups of non-public servants. For those reasons, any proposals must be considered in detail by my own officials and those in Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation as the granting or otherwise of public servant status is not within the scope of this Department.

A comprehensive analysis of the cost of providing access to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme for secretaries and caretakers is currently being conducted and it is expected that my officials, who are liaising with official from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation will shortly have the outcome of this analysis.

As the Deputy will appreciate, industrial relations matters involve detailed and complex work with all stakeholders on sensitive issues in order to engage meaningfully and it would be inappropriate for me to comment further outside of that engagement process.

Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, following the recent newspaper editorial (details supplied) that claimed "almost all primary schools, for example, had to employ unqualified individuals without teaching qualifications as substitutes in the past year", her Department will recognise early childhood care and education graduates as being a viable workforce for the junior classes of primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39995/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Teaching Council is the professional standards body for the teaching profession, which promotes and regulates professional standards in teaching. The Teaching Council registers teachers under the Teaching Council Act 2001-2015 and in line with the Teaching Council Registration Regulations, 2016. There are five routes of registration, the minimum registration requirements for each route are set out in the Schedule of the Regulations.

Under the Teaching Council Acts 2001-2015 the Teaching Council is the body with the statutory authority and responsibility for the regulation of the teaching profession in Ireland including the registration of teachers in the State.

It is the Council’s responsibility to ensure that all teachers entering the profession in Ireland have met the required standards. These standards have been established following extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, research, and in accordance with Department of Education policies and priorities and developed over a number of years. A core tenet of Department policy is that all teachers should be qualified Primary or Post-Primary teachers in the first instance.

The Teaching Council has published Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education, which set out the requirements which all programmes of qualification for teaching in Ireland must meet in order to gain accreditation from the Teaching Council. All initial teacher education programmes in Ireland that lead to registration must have professional accreditation from the Teaching Council. It is also a benchmark for anybody seeking to register as a teacher in Ireland.