Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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380. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to clarify the reason a school (details supplied) was excluded from the science implementation support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56569/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, in December 2024 my Department announced €12m in funding for a Science Implementation Support Grant to support schools with the rollout of the revised science subjects in the 2025/2026 school year.

This grant was paid to all schools in the Free Education Scheme with a minimum base payment of €13,000 up to a maximum of €24,200 based on four bands of enrolment with a further 10% uplift for DEIS schools. This means that DEIS schools received an additional 10% on top of the base payment for their enrolment band which was in line with previous applications of a DEIS uplift in Departmental funding models, including the grant for ICT infrastructure.

The grant was paid to all schools in the Free Education Scheme in line with the approach taken by the Department in regard to a number of funding streams for schools such as the Post-primary Schoolbooks Scheme. This approach was communicated to schools from the outset in the Science Implementation Support Grant Guidelines for Post-primary Schools published on 3 December 2024. As the school referred to by the Deputy is a fee-charging school outside of the Free Education Scheme, it was not eligible to avail of the Science Implementation Support Grant. This approach was clarified to the school in question through direct correspondence with them in January 2025.

Grants such as the Science Implementation Support Grant are provided to schools in the Free Education Scheme as these schools are not able to derive an income from the charging of fees. Outside of teacher salaries, which are paid directly by my Department, per capita grants such as the Science Implementation Support Grant are the main source of income for schools in the Free Education Scheme.

Oide, the support service for teachers, is continuing to provide a comprehensive suite of professional learning events to support the implementation of new science specifications as part of senior cycle redevelopment, including dedicated supports aimed at school leaders, full day professional learning experiences for all staff in schools, subject specific full-day cluster workshops for teachers, as well as a wide range of elective events and classroom materials and resources. All post-primary schools can avail of this professional learning.