Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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254. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans for a specific TY curriculum. [62318/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Transition Year is a valuable programme for students and under the redevelopment of Senior Cycle programme, it is my ambition that in the future every student who wishes to avail of Transition Year will have the opportunity to do so.?

As part of the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, a new Programme Statement for Transition Year was published in 2024. The Programme Statement guides schools in developing innovative programmes that facilitate students to explore diverse future pathways, gain first-hand workplace experience, and develop career-related competencies.

Each school designs it's own Transition Year programme, within the parameters of the Programme Statement, to suit the needs and interests of its students. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, schools are advised to take into consideration students’ needs, parents’ views, employers and the wider interests of the local community. The level of autonomy is valued by schools and was reflected in the feedback received during the consultation conducted by the NCCA as the Programme Statement was being developed.

Schools can also offer students specific micro modules during Transition Year. A TY micro-module is typically designed to provide a concentrated learning experience, within the parameters of the TY Programme Statement, to enhance the educational experience of students. They can be designed and delivered as standalone components or designed to be integrated with other TY components.

TY micro-modules can be developed for a duration of up to 10, 20, or 30 hours, whilst having the flexibility for schools to decide on the most suitable balance of class contact time and self-directed, independent learning. Schools can offer micro modules that are designed by the NCCA or external providers. You can find out more about these modules .

In January 2025, the NCCA, in collaboration with ETBI and SOLAS published the initial vocational education and training (iVET) module. This is a flexible module that gives students the opportunity to engage in interactive programmes and off-site learning through collaboration with industry and Further Education and Training (FET) providers during their Transition Year. The specification is available .

In the 2024/25 school year, over 60,000 students are enrolled in TY programmes representing a record level of participation. Since 2018, the number of students choosing Transition year has increased by more than 14,000. The Programme for Government commits to promoting the expansion of the Transition Year programme and addressing the barriers faced by some students in accessing it.

Under the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, I am committed to ensuring that in the future, every student in every school who wishes to participate in the programme will have the opportunity to do so. The measures necessary are not likely to be uniform in nature nor are they likely to be all amenable to implementation in the short term particularly where capital investment may be required. However, my Department is determined to work with schools incrementally to realise universal access.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to address inequalities in TY programmes across schools; and in particular DEIS schools. [62319/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Transition Year is a valuable programme for students that offers opportunities to develop future life skills, for personal, social and academic development and to experience other aspects of adult and working life. Transition Year can bring a unique and important value into the lives of students.

The management authority of each school carries responsibility for making decisions regarding the Transition Year programme in that school. Each school designs its own Transition Year programme, within set guidelines, to suit the needs and interests of its students.

As part of the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, a new Programme Statement for Transition Year was published. in 2024 It guides schools in developing innovative programmes that facilitate students to explore diverse future pathways, gain first-hand workplace experience, and develop career-related competencies.

Under the redevelopment of Senior Cycle, I am also committed to ensuring that in the future, every student in every school who wishes to participate in the programme will have the opportunity to do so.

The Programme for Government and the Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document (published in May of this year) contain commitments to work with students and schools to identify and address any barriers that remain to ensuring that all student who wish to avail of Transition Year can do so.

At present, over 99% of schools indicate that they offer a Transition Year programme, however, not every school is able to accommodate every student who wishes to participate. The 2024/25 school year saw a continued trend of record participation in TY with over 60,000 students enrolled or just over 80% of the number of students enrolled in Third Year in the previous year.

My officials are currently assessing the level of unmet demand for access to TY, identifying the causes, and determining how to allow schools met that demand, whilst recognising that some students prefer to proceed directly to a Leaving Certificate programme.

Currently, the Transition Year programme is supported by the Transition Year Grant, which is paid on a per capita basis each year in addition to regular capitation payments to all post-primary schools in the free scheme. As part of the capitation package in Budget 2024, the rate of the Transition Year Grant was restored to the pre-2011 level of €100 per student in post-primary schools.

Under the final phase of the Post-Primary Schoolbooks Scheme, free schoolbooks and core classroom resources are being provided to all students in post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme from the 2025/26 school year. Under this scheme schools are being provided with funding of €142 per Transition Year student in this regard.

Schools may also apply a contribution from students who participate in Transition Year which ranges across schools depending on their particular circumstances and to the extent that external experiences form part of the school’s programme.

If the school is a DEIS school, they receive a DEIS grant annually, which must be directed at those children and young people most at risk of educational disadvantage. The DEIS grant should be utilised to attain the targets set in the schools DEIS Action Plan for Improvement across the DEIS themes.

Tackling educational disadvantage and helping students reach their full potential is a key priority for the me as Minister for Education and Youth. Currently, the DEIS programme supports almost 1,200 primary and post-primary schools, reaching approximately 260,000 students, with an annual investment of over €180 million. Budget 2026 allocates an additional €16 million in 2026, rising to €48 million in 2027, to support the implementation of the new DEIS strategy and introduce the DEIS Plus scheme, which will commence in 2026.

The new DEIS strategy is focused on developing more innovative approaches to addressing educational disadvantage and working towards a more flexible system of support to ensure that schools can receive the right support at the right time.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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256. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure same sex girl schools have equal access to STEM subjects, equipment and opportunities. [62320/25]

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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257. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure girls have equal access to STEM subjects, equipment and opportunities in DEIS and DEIS plus schools. [62321/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.

The Department of Education and Youth is committed to providing an education system that is inclusive, equitable, and empowering for all. Every learner deserves the opportunity to thrive. Our focus is on high standards, inclusive practices, and strong supports to ensure no one is left behind.

The range of subjects offered depends on each school’s resources, staffing, and student needs. Each school retains autonomy to design timetables and determine which programmes and subjects to provide. Schools aim to balance available resources with student demand.

The promotion of STEM and digital learning is a key priority for the Department of Education and Youth. This commitment is reflected in multiple national strategies, including the STEM Education Policy Statement 2017–2026, the Digital Strategy for Schools, the National Skills Strategy, , and the Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy.

The STEM Education Policy Statement 2017–2026 aims to improve STEM experiences and outcomes for all learners, from early learning and care through to post-primary level.

It acknowledges that there is a need to increase the uptake of STEM subjects and to enhance STEM learning for learners of all backgrounds, abilities and gender, with a particular focus on uptake by females. Between 2019 and 2023, there was a steady upward trend in the number of students taking STEM subjects at Leaving Certificate level. Although modest, these increases reflect wider international patterns of growth in STEM participation.

The policy statement acknowledges the need for coordinated interventions across the STEM education ecosystem to drive meaningful change. It emphasises that no single initiative can achieve gender equity; instead, multiple, complementary interventions are required to address different components of the ecosystem. These interventions must collectively tackle barriers that exist within the home, educational environments, and broader society.

Curricular reform, with its stronger focus on key skills, has been a significant step in driving change and advancing many of the qualities promoted in STEM education. STEM related curricular reform which have been implemented since 2018 include Junior Cycle Mathematics, Leaving Certificate Applied Mathematics, Leaving Certificate Agricultural Science, Leaving Certificate Computer Science and Primary Mathematics Curriculum. The new Science Technology and Engineering specification for primary school was published in September 2025.

The STEM Education Implementation Plan (2022–2026) sets out targeted actions in relation to females in STEM to include:

• Embed gender balance in early learning and care training.
• Continue to ensure gender equity is considered in all curriculum and policy reviews.
• Develop a national accreditation framework to support whole-school culture change on equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Equitable access STEM/STEM and the Arts role models and career awareness activity.
• Development and provision of high-quality resources and professional learning.

• Supporting the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, led by NUI Maynooth, which will engage over 5,000 female students from disadvantaged communities by 2026.
• Providing ongoing support for informal STEM initiatives such as IWISH, the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, Scifest, and ESB Science Blast.
• Partnering with Research Ireland to fund STEM education and public engagement projects nationwide, with allocations of €500,000 in 2022, €869,474 in 2023, €510,666.50 in 2024, and €702,929 in 2025.
• Updating the Guidelines for STEM School–Business/Industry Partnerships to strengthen learning experiences, broaden career awareness, and inspire girls to pursue opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
• Collaborating with BioPharmaChem Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and STEM Southwest to undertake a Schools STEM Industry Engagement Survey, aimed at identifying gaps in provision and ensuring all schools are equally supported to access industry-supported programmes. The results and recommendations will be published later this year.
• Developing subject information leaflets, including STEM subjects at Junior Cycle, to support primary school students, parents, and teachers during the transition to post-primary. A pilot will commence in the coming weeks.
• Delivering professional learning events for teachers and guidance counsellors, ensuring students receive accurate information about STEM opportunities. Additional resources are being prepared to help families better understand STEM subjects and related careers.
• Undertake a study in relation to timetabling and availability of subjects at post-­primary level to understand where, how and why barriers prevent access to students to specific subjects. The results of this study will inform the development of guidelines for schools in relation to successful strategies to improve uptake and access to a wider range of STEM subjects.
• Refresh and supplement already collected data to inform an audit of STEM infrastructure in primary and post-­primary schools.

Budget 2025 introduced a €2,000 bursary for student teachers in STEM fields, payable in the final two years of their undergraduate programme, in exchange for a two-year teaching commitment. Work has begun on the implementation of this initiative, which aims to increase the number of STEM teachers.

Registered post-primary teachers, regardless of employment status, can avail of free upskilling programmes including in STEM subjects. These flexible programmes boost teachers’ employment opportunities while addressing subject-specific teacher shortages. Existing upskilling programmes are in high demand subjects such as maths, Spanish, Irish and physics. French, politics & society and computer science will commence this year. Over 980 post-primary teachers have already completed or are currently participating in such upskilling programmes.

The Department is committed to ensuring that all learners, including those in geographically isolated areas, can access a wide range of subjects. Under the Policy on Gaeltacht Education, the e-Hub project allows students in Gaeltacht post-primary schools to study Leaving Certificate subjects remotely through the medium of Irish. In the 2024/2025 school year, 24 students across eight schools, including four island schools, studied Physics and/or Chemistry through the e-Hub.