Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2092. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review staff to pupil ratios in Youthreach facilities across the State, as in many cases the staff to pupil ratio exceeds the health and safety and child protection guidelines; and the funding that has been provided in Budget 2026 to provide additional staff at these centres. [57720/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2095. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures he is taking to provide a guaranteed routine for neurodivergent learners in Youthreach, particularly when routine is looser during the summer months. [57723/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2096. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if rather than enforcing the full programme during the summer months, he would consider if this time could be used more strategically to allocate resources where they have the greatest impact, such as optional targeted supports for high-needs learners in Youthreach centres. [57724/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2097. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason some Youthreach centres remain open during midterm breaks and summer, while others close; and the measures he is taking to ensure that all Youthreach centres have a uniformed approach to opening and closing days. [57725/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2092 and 2095 to 2097, inclusive, together.

By way of background for the Deputy, Youthreach provides a two-year education and training pathway for young people who have left mainstream education with limited qualifications. The programme supports learners in gaining the skills, knowledge, and confidence to progress to further education, training, or employment. Certification is typically achieved at Levels 3 and 4 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

Learners receive a weekly training allowance of €45. Upon reaching the age of 18, while enrolled in the programme, this allowance increases to €244 per week.

Youthreach was originally envisaged as a training initiative, delivered in out-of-school settings. The hours and conditions were intended to align with those in the industrial and commercial sectors rather than those in formal education, to support learners’ transition to employment following periods of school absence.

Youthreach operates under 2015 Guidelines by the then Department of Education. These Guidelines were developed to outline core operational parameters while allowing flexibility for local management to tailor programmes to learners’ specific needs, including those of neuro-divergent learners, and to local contexts.

According to the Guidelines, Youthreach is a full-time, two-year programme with 226 days per year and 35 hours a week. Learners are expected to attend for 209 days per year with a 28-hour timetable over five days a week. Youthreach Coordinators and Resource Persons are expected to be onsite on the days when learners attend.

At local levels, the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are responsible for day-to-day operations, including determining closures during easter and summer holiday periods, and the allocation of resources for greatest impact, as per the Operator Guidelines.

Each ETB receives 4,200 tuition hours per group of 25 learners, with pro-rata adjustments for smaller or larger groups. Staffing in Youthreach, according to the Operator Guidelines, enables centres to meet their requirements in relation to health and safety and child protection.

Turning to the question of funding, SOLAS has advised that funding allocated to Youthreach in 2024 and 2025 was €74 million and €76 million respectively. Programme level allocations for 2026 are not available at this stage.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2093. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he believes that the 225-day calendar poses serious industrial relations risks due to long standing disparities in contracts, entitlements and workload between Youthreach staff and their post primary counterparts. [57721/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2094. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he believes that the 225-day calendar poses serious industrial relations risks due to long standing disparities in contracts, entitlements and workload between Youthreach staff and their post primary counterparts. [57722/25]

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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2100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on discussions regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the post-primary level calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58022/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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2117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is an update on the matter raised by the Workplace Relations Commission regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar with that of post primary schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58439/25]

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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2133. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58813/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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2150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on discussions regarding the alignment of the Youthreach calendar year with the second level calendar year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59774/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2093, 2094, 2100, 2117, 2133 and 2150 together.

By way of background for the Deputy, Youthreach provides a two-year education and training pathway for young people who have left mainstream education with limited qualifications. The programme supports learners in gaining the skills, knowledge, and confidence to progress to further education, training, or employment. Certification is typically achieved at Levels 3 and 4 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).

In 2023, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) requested that the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) recommence conciliation on a previously submitted claim that sought alignment of the 225-day Youthreach calendar with that of the post-primary school calendar.

My Department has been engaging with the TUI on this and agreed on a structured approach to consider the proposal. As part of this process, officials have undertaken a comprehensive data collection exercise, consulted with key stakeholders, and analysed the data gathered. I expect to receive a paper for consideration in the coming weeks. This paper examines TUI’s proposal in terms of potential industrial relations implications, impacts on learners, value for money, and other relevant factors.

Given the significance of the proposed changes to the delivery of this important national programme, I am sure the Deputy will agree that, in considering TUI’s proposal, a thorough and evidence-informed process is essential.