Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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293. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the number of teachers allocated in a school (details supplied) for the academic year 2025/2026 has been reduced; and if so, the reason. [40217/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September. The primary staffing arrangements for the 2025/26 school year are set out in Circular 0011/2025.

The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally, irrespective of location.  It is an important feature of the staffing schedule that all schools are treated equally and fairly.

Under the Programme for Government there is a commitment to aim to reduce the general pupil teacher ratio at primary level to 19:1 over the term of government and introduce targeted measures in schools with very large classes. This will build on the progress which has been made by the previous Government. The general average of pupils to teachers in the Primary Staffing Schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year; the lowest ever ratio at primary level.  Teacher allocations for DEIS Urban Band 1 schools have also been improved and now stand at an average of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. In addition, there has been a three-point reduction in the retention schedule, which has helped schools that would otherwise be at risk of losing teaching posts.

Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.5 in that time, while the ratio of pupils to teachers has improved from 15:1 to 12.8:1, through the investment we are making in schools.

The school referred to by the Deputy is due to have a reduction in teaching posts for the 2025/26 school year due to a fall in enrolments. The staffing arrangements includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain published criteria. The staffing appeals criteria are set out in Circular 11/2025, and they include specific appeals for small schools, enrolments in the previous October, projected enrolments, accommodation difficulties, infant class sizes, and language support.

The Primary Staffing Appeals Board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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294. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special education teachers and SNA's allocated to a school (details supplied), in tabular form. [40218/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, I have forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply.

Deputies are also welcome to raise such matters with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.

It is open to any school which feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students to submit to the NCSE a request seeking a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website ().

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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295. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to deliver pension parity for school secretaries and caretakers to remedy the current situation of unfair situation under which different rights are extended to different types of employees with the same employer; if he will engage with the trade unions on the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40219/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Department recognises the vitally important role of Secretaries and Caretakers within school communities, as a key link between students, parents, school leaders and other staff, ensuring that both the administrative and the caretaking needs of the school are met. Without them, our schools would be unsustainable.

The Department of Education and Youth is not the direct employer of former grant funded school secretaries, but rather has been providing a payroll service for this cohort of secretaries with effect from 1st September 2023. The provision of this payroll service is part of a package agreed with Fórsa, the trade union representing school secretaries, following a series of engagements at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in 2022. This was implemented under Circular 0036/2022. The agreement provided both pay stability and additional employment benefits for secretaries, who signed up for the package, such as: 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. It also made some provision for incremental credit, recognising previous relevant experience in their current or previous employing school. In addition, it was agreed that pay increases under future national agreements will be passed onto secretaries and this has happened with each pay increase since the implementation of the agreement.

The agreement which was given effect under Circular 36/2022 did not grant public servant status to school secretaries and therefore this cohort do not have access to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. The granting of such status is not a matter that this department can decide unilaterally, and proposals in this regard will need to be considered in detail by this department and the Department and the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.

At present, work is ongoing to review results of a comprehensive survey which will enable my officials to confirm their understanding of the current working patterns as well as terms and conditions of work for school caretakers. The Department is committed to ensuring that school caretakers will be afforded the opportunity to avail of a similar package offered to school secretaries, taking into account the differences in role, in the near future.

As is established process, requested changes to the terms and conditions agreed for these secretaries under Circular 0036/2022 must be considered under industrial relations processes, including engagement between this Department and the union representing the staff concerned, and discussion between this 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.

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