Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which financial literacy is currently delivered within the post-primary curriculum; the subjects and programmes through which it is provided; and whether her Department has assessed the proportion of students who receive structured financial literacy education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23338/26]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether her Department has assessed the effectiveness of the current cross-curricular approach to financial literacy education at post-primary level, including in the context of national and OECD data on financial literacy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23339/26]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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270. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether she is considering the introduction of a more structured or universal approach to financial literacy education at post-primary level, including the potential for a standalone module, subject or mandatory programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23340/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 268, 269 and 270 together.

As set out in the National Financial Literacy Strategy 2025-2029, many opportunities for financial literacy already exist across the school curriculum at Primary, Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.

A new Primary Curriculum Framework was published in 2023, which includes a set of seven key competencies which are designed to empower children ‘to act and make decisions in relation to specific learning experiences, events, and situations. This includes ‘Being mathematical’ which supports the application of mathematical thinking and logic in the wider world.

2023 also saw the introduction of a new Primary Mathematics Curriculum where Money, as a stand-alone strand unit, provides an opportunity for children to incrementally develop an awareness of money and its uses and recognise the value of money and use notes and coins in meaningful contexts. The new Primary Mathematics Toolkit has also been published on curriculumonline.ie.

Ireland’s Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy Strategy 2024-2033: Every Learner from Birth to Young Adulthood and five-year implementation plan, which was developed between the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, is set across all stages of the learner's journey from early learning and care to post-primary school. It aims to promote the development of essential literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills, knowledge, and dispositions including successfully navigating the digital world. The strategy provides the vision that ‘Every learner, from birth to young adulthood, develops the necessary literacy, numeracy, and digital literacy skills to thrive and flourish as an individual, to engage and contribute fully as an ethical, active member of society and to live a satisfying and rewarding life’. Work is underway in relation to action 2.1.12 of the Strategy ‘Enable teachers to provide a focus on financial literacy across the curriculum at primary and post-primary level’.

The Department of Education and Youth and the Department of Finance jointly developed the "Financial Education in Schools: Guidelines for the Financial Services Industry". These guidelines provide the basis for primary, post-primary schools and financial services providers to form quality, inclusive and relevant educational links, aimed at improving financial literacy, financial resilience and overall financial wellbeing for children and young people.

Within the eight principles of the Framework for Junior Cycle, there is an explicit focus on financial wellbeing in Statement of Learning 14 where it refers to the student making ‘informed financial decisions and developing good consumer skills”. The eight key skills provide further opportunities for the development of financial wellbeing through a focus on being numerate, being literate and on setting and achieving personal goals and making considered decisions. In addition to these principles, a number of Junior Cycle programmes and subjects also provide for the development of specific financial literacy knowledge, understanding and skills. These include Mathematics, Business Studies and Home Economics, and Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes, which target a very specific group of students with general learning disabilities.

The redeveloped senior cycle includes a focus on the development of student competencies, to support students become more engaged, enriched and competent, as they further develop their knowledge, skills, values and dispositions in an integrated way. As part of the redevelopment programme, a new TY Programme Statement was published in September 2024 by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), which provides schools with a framework for developing their own bespoke TY programmes. In establishing its own distinctive programme content, the school takes into account the possibilities offered by local community interests. The Programme Statement provides a framework for schools to develop their own TY programmes within set guidelines and advocates four Student Dimensions as the core foundations upon which TY programmes should be designed, including those that may focus on financial literacy.

Schools can also offer students specific micro modules during TY. 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, including those focussing on financial literacy developed by financial institutions and other financial interest groups.

As part of Senior Cycle Redevelopment, the curriculum and assessment arrangements for all Leaving Certificate subjects will be updated in line with a published schedule of subjects for redevelopment. Relevant examples of delivering financial literacy feature within revised specifications as part of this redevelopment.

A revised specification for Leaving Certificate Business was introduced into the national curriculum last September. Through their study of the subject, students learn how business is relevant to their own lives, and develop financial and business literacy. A specification for Life, Community and Work (formerly known as LCVP) is now published, and will be introduced into the curriculum for those starting fifth year in 2026. This specification is composed of two integrated modules: Me and my Future; and Community and Work.

In addition, the public consultation on the draft specification for Leaving Certificate Home Economics is available on the NCCA’s website until 17 April 2026. The draft specification features Family Resource Management, through which students learn about, for example, consumer empowerment and decision-making, and managing household finances.

The redevelopment of the Leaving Certificate Mathematics specification is intended to be introduced to schools in the 2027/28 school year. A public consultation on the Mathematics background paper and brief took place from 6 January 2025 to 28 February 2025 and a report on the consultation was published in May 2025. A further public consultation on the draft specification itself is intended to follow in due course.

As part of Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 Learning Programmes, introduced for the first time in 2024, students have access to the curriculum area Numeracy at both levels. At Level 1, students explore and progress their understanding of money as they experience and attend to real-world situations where the use and the concept of money is applied. At Level 2, students are enabled understand the concept of number and money, how to quantify money, to conduct transactions confidently in their daily lives and appreciate the importance of managing money.

My Department will continue to support the Department of Finance and other stakeholders in regard to the implementation of the National Financial Literacy Strategy.