Helen McEntee
Meath East · Fine Gael · Ireland
“There are no new missions, so there is only so much we can partake in. In regard to UN requests over the past ten years, in September 2019, we had 14 Defence Forces personnel deployed to a UN mission in Mali as part of a joint operation with the German armed forces.”
“I thank the Deputy for his continued engagement on this matter. It is appreciated and I reaffirm our shared commitment to truth and justice, not least for Private Rooney, but in particular for his family.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I know he is committed to this issue; I am too. I have in recent months spent some time travelling to different barracks and Army bases and meeting with personnel. What I see all over the country is their professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
“I disagree that people are being pushed into the courts. The situation is exactly the opposite. I have said in the Chamber many times since I started taking these questions that the State Claims Agency is there and wants to mediate and work directly with people in order that cases do not go directly to the courts.”
“We are all committed to strengthening recruitment to and supporting retention in the Permanent Defence Force. The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,823 personnel on 31 May, the most recent date for which we have a figure available.”
“It is the case that no mission is the same, so it is also a matter for the Defence Forces to assess and scope out the mission and then to decide whether it is a mission we can partake in. A question keeps being asked about what it is we would not be able to be a part of if we were to keep the triple lock.”
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“That requires institutional change in every sense of the word. It requires societal change. It requires us to have these very difficult conversations. It requires difficult decisions to be taken, be it through legislative means or otherwise. It means making sure those who are responsible acknowledge it, not just the State - we have heard today about the various apologies - but also our religious groups and orders. I agree with Senator Boyhan; I do not think we can say that about every order and those in it. In fact, we cannot. I know we cannot because we all know wonderful people in our churches. However, there is more the churches need to do in terms of finance and acknowledging their role. We need to continue to ensure that their role is much stronger than it has been.”
“I am absolutely committed to working with all colleagues here in supporting victims and survivors, as we all are, for the very simple reason that they are our grandparents, parents, siblings, children, friends, work colleagues and members of our community. There is not one of us impacted either personally or by those around us by what we are discussing here today, not just children in industrial schools and reformatories but the litany of abuse that was inflicted on so many young people and those who are vulnerable. There is an onus on every single one of us to do everything we can to protect our children - all children - in this State; those who are most vulnerable and who need our help the most. We must do everything we possibly can to ensure that these forms of abuse never happen again.”
“I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank my colleagues and acknowledge the very powerful words that have been spoken today. I also acknowledge all survivors, their strength and resilience and their voice. Without it, we would not be here, and none of the changes that have happened over time would be possible. I acknowledge Sheila and Catherine, who are with us today. As my colleagues have rightly done, I acknowledge Senator Boyhan. I thank him for his advocacy, not just on his own behalf but on behalf of so many others who did not have the opportunity to be here. I commend their strength and resilience and the way in which they have not let this define them but enabled it in order to support so many others as well. I really acknowledge that and their voice here today.”
“It will never go far enough - I appreciate that - but this is a step in the right direction. We need to make some small acknowledgement of the trauma inflicted on so many people.”
“They engage with survivors to support them in their dealings with service providers in areas of health, social protection and housing. Sage continues to implement a communications and outreach plan to try to promote survivors' awareness of the availability of this service. Given the importance of delivering this suite of measures to survivors, especially the health and education supports outlined in the Bill, I hope to enact the Bill as quickly as possible. I commend the Bill to the House. I acknowledge every single survivor, those who we were referencing specifically here today and all survivors of childhood abuse. We can never change what happened but we have to acknowledge it to move forward and do everything we possibly can to support in every way possible those who are impacted. That is what we are trying to do here.”
“Survivors highlighted the difficulties many experience in engaging with and accessing existing mainstream public services and identified a requirement for signposting and advocacy for access to such survivors. That is why this has been put in place. My Department has therefore entered into a grant funding arrangement with Sage Advocacy, an independent advocacy organisation, which we are all aware of, with a strong track record in providing advocacy supports to older people, vulnerable adults and healthcare patients, to develop information support advocacy services to assist individual survivors to engage with and access relevant services and support. Sage Advocacy has already rolled this service out, which has involved recruiting regional advocates who are based around the country.”
“Section 21 provides for the amendment of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023 to take account of the supports to be provided under this Bill. The 2023 Act provides that a person who has benefited from the Magdalen laundry scheme will not be eligible for a health support payment under the Act. The proposed amendment will ensure this will apply to a former resident who receives a health support payment under section 5. As well as the health and educational supports provided for under the Bill, Government also approved the provision of advocacy supports specifically for survivors. Although these do not require a legislative basis and are not reflected in the Bill, they represents a critical element in the overall package of supports.”
“Section 18 provides for the transfer of certain data to the Minister by the Residential Institutions Redress Board, the data concerned being the name, address and date of birth of each individual who received an award of redress from the board, and for processing of that data where necessary and proportionate to confirm the eligibility of a person for the ongoing supports provided under the Bill. Section 19 provides for the making of relevant regulations by the Minister, while section 20 provides for the amendment of the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act 2009 to ensure redress payments made by the Residential Institutions Redress Board are no longer taken into account when making financial assessments under the fair deal scheme.”
“My Department has engaged closely with both the Office of the Attorney General and the Data Protection Commissioner on revisions relating to the transfer and processing of data under the Act. Appropriate and suitable safeguards will be put in place, in consultation with the Data Protection Commission where necessary, to ensure all such data is held confidentially and in compliance with all data protection requirements. Section 17 provides for the utilisation of any funds transferred to the Minister upon Caranua’s dissolution and provides that these funds will be used only for the purpose of benefiting former residents. However, it should be noted that very limited funding remains available to Caranua at this time. Part 4 contains a number of miscellaneous provisions.”
“It is important to note that the records held by Caranua do not include detailed testimony or accounts of survivors' experience of abuse in residential institutions - the type held by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse or the Residential Institutions Redress Board. The records relate solely to Caranua’s role of disbursing funding to survivors, including day-to-day administrative records and records relating to applications made by survivors. These data and records will continue to be subject to both GDPR and freedom of information legislation, and survivors will continue to be entitled to exercise their GDPR and FOI rights, including seeking a copy of their own data.”
“As the funding available to it was finite in nature and could not, under the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, 2012, be supplemented by Exchequer funding, Caranua began winding down its operations in 2018 and effectively closed in March 2021. Part 3 provides for the appointment by the Minister of a dissolution day upon which Caranua will be dissolved, for the transfer of relevant functions to the Minister, for the transfer of liability for loss, property rights and liabilities, for the preparation by the Minister of Caranua’s final accounts and final annual report, and the closure of the investment account which holds what remains of the statutory fund. I note in particular that section 14 provides for the transfer of Caranua’s records to the Minister and for the processing of that data for certain specific purposes.”
“The scheme will also ensure survivors are not required to pay the student contribution charge where this would otherwise apply. These grants will be additional to the wide range of enhanced supports in place for those seeking to engage in further and higher education, including the free fees initiative, the SUSI student grant scheme, the back to education allowance, and initiatives such as Springboard. Part 3 contains a number of standard provisions relating to the dissolution of Caranua. As I have already outlined, Caranua’s specific purpose was to disburse funding supports to survivors in areas such as health, housing and education from a ring-fenced fund of €110 million plus interest of €1.38 million, which was provided by the relevant congregations following the publication of the Ryan report.”
“In recognition of the fact that approximately a third of survivors of abuse in residential institutions live outside of the State, section 5 provides for the making of a once-off health support payment of €3,000 to survivors who are resident abroad. This is in lieu of the enhanced medical card to support their health needs. This is the same approach as was taken in the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Act 2023. Section 6 provides for the payment, on application by a survivor and subject to criteria determined under the Bill, of a grant to assist them to engage in education. Subject to the passage of the Bill, my Department will establish a new scheme involving the payment of cash grants ranging from €500 to €2,000 to survivors who are engaging, or who wish to continue to engage, in further and higher education.”
“This is the same package of supports as that being provided to survivors of the Magdalen laundries under the Magdalen laundry scheme and to former residents of mother and baby homes and county home institutions under the mother and baby homes institutions payment scheme. This entitlement will be for life and will not be subject to means testing or review. Section 4 also provides a legal basis for the transfer and processing of any relevant data by the Department and the HSE to enable the delivery of these supports. It requires that such processing be subject to suitable and specific measures to safeguard the rights of data subjects.”
“A key definition is that of "former resident" as it relates to those who will be eligible for the supports provided under the legislation. This is defined by reference to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 that established Caranua and essentially provided that a former resident is a person who received an award of redress from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or a similar board or a settlement. Part 2 provides for the delivery of health and education supports to survivors. Section 4 provides for the delivery of a package of health supports and services to former residents that will allow survivors access to GP services, drugs and medicines, home nursing and home helps, dental, ophthalmic and aural services, counselling, chiropody and physiotherapy.”
“Subject to the enactment of the Bill, it is my intention that the health supports payment for former residents of institutions living outside the State, as well as the education supports, will be available by 1 August. The roll-out of the health supports for those who are resident in Ireland will be from the third quarter of this year following consultation with the Minister for Health and the HSE. It is imperative that these measures are implemented and supported as soon as possible. I will now outline the key parts of the Bill, as passed by the Dáil. Part 1 provides for a number of preliminary matters, including commencement, the payment of expenses arising from the administration of the Bill and definitions.”
“It is intended to enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions such as industrial schools and reformatories and to provide for the dissolution of Caranua. The Bill was published in April 2024 and completed its passage through the Dáil on 28 May 2025. This marks a new phase of the State providing ongoing supports to survivors and builds on the response to this issue to date. The development of the new package of supports was informed by consideration of the reports of a survivor-led consultative forum, along with other relevant reports and submissions. My predecessor as Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, met with the forum on several occasions. I acknowledge the commitment and engagement of its members.”
“The national counselling service was established in 2000 as a free nationwide service providing counselling and psychotherapy service to survivors of abuse in residential institutions. In addition, my Department has since funded the origins tracing service for individuals who spent all or part of their childhoods in Irish industrial schools and who are interested in tracing information about their parents, siblings or other relatives. The service, which is operated by Barnardos, is available free of charge to survivors living in Ireland but also supports those living abroad. The legislation before the House has two main purposes.”
“Similarly, funding of more than €110 million was provided by the congregations following the publication of the Ryan report in 2009. This was assigned to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, or Caranua, which was established in 2013 to provide funding and supports to survivors in respect of approved services such as health, education or housing. Overall, Caranua provided funding supports to more than 6,000 eligible survivors, with each applicant receiving variations of different supports. To date, these initiatives have involved a significant amount of funding - albeit we are not here to talk about funding – in the amount of €1.5 billion, including direct redress payments to other supports or survivors, as well as other payments that have happened over the years through the different structures put in place.”
“In parallel with the work of the commission, the Residential Institutions Redress Board was established in 2002 to make fair and reasonable awards of redress to those who as children were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories and other institutions subject to State regulation or inspection. The redress board accepted applications for almost nine years. Ultimately, about 15,600 survivors received awards of redress. In 2006, the Education Finance Board was established on a statutory basis to provide grants to survivors and their relatives to assist them in engaging in education. This was enabled by a specific fund provided by the relevant religious congregations under the 2002 indemnity agreement. The board was formally dissolved in 2013.”
“For too many children, this obligation was not honoured. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse shone a very strong light into dark places of Irish history. As I said, nothing can ever be said or done to unravel the pain and suffering from those who were abused. I acknowledge that again today. The final report of the commission, known as the Ryan report, was published in 2009. It revealed that shocking levels of physical and emotional abuse were endemic in the institutions concerned, while sexual abuse also occurred in many institutions, particularly those for boys.”
“I will start by also acknowledging Sheila and thanking her for being here. In introducing the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024 before this House, I am very conscious of the enormous trauma that has been endured by survivors of all abuse. Nothing we can do now and nothing I can say here will ever undo the hurt that has been caused. It has been nearly 25 years since the then Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, on 11 May 1999 apologised on behalf of the State to the victims of childhood abuse. That apology arose from the important recognition of the extent and effect of the childhood abuse that had taken place in institutions that were supervised and regulated by the State. How a society treats children tells us much about that society. We all agree that every child deserves the utmost in care, attention and love.”
“I am not saying that what happened in the past and the schemes that were put in place worked well or effectively, or that they were not overly complex for people to apply for. We need to learn from what we are doing and try to improve every step of the way. I am not saying everything here is perfect but I certainly think we have learned over time and we are better at engaging. I accept that is not going to change what has happened. Ultimately, it is not going to erase what is, as I said, a blight on much of our history over the past 100 years or so.”
“What we have tried to do, and what my predecessor did is reflected here also, is to take on board everything that has been said by victims, by survivors and by the rapporteur. I appreciate it does not go to the same lengths as some of the individual proposals, whether in regard to the medical card, the threshold or the individual figure that has been provided either to those abroad or regarding support from an educational perspective. However, it is reflective of the individual asks, whether on health, education or other areas. I acknowledge and appreciate it is not to the level or extent that some of the survivors had hoped or asked for. As I said at the outset, it is important that we pass the legislation to ensure survivors can access this and support it. I agree with Deputy Connolly.”
“As far as I am concerned, given my engagement with them, they take into consideration the individual circumstances of individuals, so it is not just somebody who might be part of this scheme but somebody who might be part of another scheme or might have had abuse in the past, be it through Magdalen, the mother and baby homes or any other type of abuse. They take into consideration the personal circumstances of the individual insofar as possible. Our overall objective is to make sure that nobody is left without a home and nobody is put in that position. I do not think that is going to change following our discussion here today. Local authorities are very mindful of the individual circumstances people find themselves in.”
“However, if it is an open-ended scheme, not just for this but for any other type of scheme, it is an even greater challenge to ensure it gets to those who need it most. I do not for a second disregard what the Deputies have said, in particular Deputy Connolly, for whom, as she said, this is very personal. What happened to so many people across so many different institutions in so many different ways was and is a blight on our history, and it is nothing that we will ever be able to change, just as we cannot change what happened to so many others. I have listened to what was said. In terms of housing in particular, it is very important that we work with the local authorities.”
“I thank the Deputies. A number of points were raised. The criteria that were agreed previously for the redress board focused on the abuse that was suffered within the institutions as opposed to those who were in the institutions. Deputies might say that, irrespective of this, someone was in an institution and suffered abuse, and I do not dispute that. However, what we have here has the same parameters and is what had been agreed, that is, it referred to those who received redress in the previous scheme. That is what we are acknowledging here. As I said at the outset, I appreciate that the minute we put parameters around any type of redress scheme, there will be somebody outside of it.”
“We need to look at ways in which we can support our Irish abroad, particularly where they are providing a service for people who might have left at a very difficult time and maybe do not have the close network that others would have at home. Because others have mentioned it, I want to acknowledge the work of Sage Advocacy. It does unbelievable work in dealing, not just with the survivors we are mentioning here, but in so many other spaces as well. I know it has been engaged on this legislation. I appreciate that Deputies feel that we are not going far enough here but it is important that we get this Bill across the line. This will allow the payment for education this coming August and the medical card and other elements to be provided as quickly as possible.”
“I thank the Deputies. To clarify, it is for exactly that reason that this amendment is being made. It is to ensure it is not so narrow that it would exclude other practitioners who could make these recommendations. It is not to make it more difficult but to make it broader - I will not say easier as it is never easy - by allowing more medical practitioners within the HSE to make these recommendations and an assessment of need. To the Deputy's point on the Coventry Irish centre, I am aware of the fabulous work it does. I will raise the issue with my colleagues, whether that be the investment made in these types of centres through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or other types of funding.”
“The purpose of this amendment is to simply reflect the manner in which such assessments are carried out by the HSE and to ensure this is incorporated in the section and that it is understood that the assessment of need can be carried out by different individuals in the HSE and health service, rather than just one specific group.”
“I move amendment No. 7: In page 7, lines 12 and 13, to delete “by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse” and substitute “on behalf of the Executive”. This is a technical amendment to section 4. It was raised on Committee Stage by the Minister, Deputy Foley. Section 4(1)(d) currently provides for the provision of a home help service following an assessment of needs made by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse. Assessments of need for the HSE home support service may be carried out by a wide range of health professionals, however, including public health nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.”
“The most important thing here is that we make sure those who are entitled to these supports receive them as quickly as possible.”
“It is therefore important to me that this legislation is passed and the people we are talking about can have access to these supports. The educational supports are in line. I acknowledge we need to support those who were in the institutions. I know it is not in line with it, but I wanted to come back on some of the points on the commitments and funding. Funding came from two separate strands. One was the legally binding agreement and the other was a voluntary offer. Both of the funding streams have finished, but that is not to say there are not other ways in or times at which we should be engaging with institutions on other types of abuse. There may be other redress that needs to be sought as well. We certainly need to keep that open. Overall, I appreciate colleagues' engagement with this.”
“Therefore, the health supports provided are in line with other schemes for survivors who went through traumatic experiences as children or young people. The HAA card was only provided to one group, which was a group of people with significant health needs. It was a particular group of individuals who had contracted a serious and life-threatening illness. It was under the hepatitis C scheme. No one else has received the HAA card. I am not saying it is an advanced or any other type of medical card. It is a medical card that sets out exactly what it provides to those individuals. For me what is important is that they get it. Until this Bill is passed, they will not have access to it, nor to the educational supports or any other element of the Bill.”
“On the ethos, it has been made clear to me that there is no issue of ethos or any suggestion that one particular ethos was excluded or not. The Deputy mentioned the Bethany Home and the Westbank Orphanage, but a number of other Protestant ethos institutions were included in the scope. Religious ethos was certainly not a factor in deciding which homes were chosen. On the health supports, it is not to exclude. The role of the representative and the advocate was to make sure survivors' voices were heard, but it is also important that we do not have a hierarchy or levels of survivors between those who survived Magdalen laundries or the mother and baby homes and the survivors we are discussing here.”
“Those who received settlements from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similarly court settlements are the people we are discussing today and those who will be in receipt of the various elements provided for in this Bill. Some 15,600 survivors received that redress. It was open from 2002 to 2011, which was quite a long period. I appreciate that some people might have moved abroad and might not have been aware of it, but every effort was made to try to ensure people were aware of the scheme, could partake of it and engage with it at different stages. This Bill is linked to that and the Residential Institutions Redress Board scheme is closed. It is therefore not open for anyone new to come under this Bill.”
“I thank the Deputies for their contributions. There is nothing we can say or do that will change what happened to so many young people. That is not what we are trying to do here at all. With the introduction of a redress scheme when parameters are put in place, the challenge is that someone will always be outside them. It is difficult, whether we are talking about this particular scheme or the mother and baby homes or Magdalen laundries schemes, to have an open-ended scheme. Parameters have to be set to make sure the redress gets to those who are entitled to it or who are within the parameters set and agreed by the Government and the Houses. I appreciate there are people outside the scheme who have not got anything along the way, but those parameters were put in place a number of years ago.”
“The subsequent amendments are technical amendments, the purpose of which is to amend the Bill to reflect the change to ministerial responsibilities which have recently taken place. Amendments Nos. 1, 5 and 20 replace the term "Minister for Education" with the term "Minister for Education and Youth". Amendment No. 2 replaces a reference to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with a reference to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.”
“The development of the new package of supports was by consideration of reports of the survivor-led consultative forum, along with other relevant reports and submissions. Subject to the completion of Report and Final Stages in the House, it is my intention to progress the passage of the Bill through the Seanad in the coming weeks to enable the delivery to survivors of the health and education supports outlined in the Bill. It is intended that access to the education support and health supports payments for former residents who were resident outside of the State will be available from 1 August this year. The roll-out of the health supports for those resident in Ireland will be in the third quarter of this year, following consultation with the Minister for Health and HSE.”
“As Deputies will be aware, in June 2023 the Government approved the provision of a package of supports and services for survivors of abuse in residential institutions, comprising a number of elements relating to health, education, advocacy and trauma informed practice. This marks a new phase of the State providing ongoing supports to survivors and builds on the response to this issue to date, which has involved expenditure of approximately €1.5 billion, including direct payments and support to survivors totalling €1.1 billion. The Bill has two main purposes: to enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions such as industrial schools and reformatories; and to provide for the dissolution of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, also known as Caranua.”
“I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, line 10, after “Education” to insert “and Youth”. I will speak broadly as I know this is the first time the Bill has been back in the House with this Government and this is the first time I am taking it as Minister. I am pleased to be before the House to progress Report Stage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024. The Government is deeply conscious of the trauma that has been experienced by all survivors of abuse, including those who were resident in institutions such as industrial schools and reformatories. Nothing can ever make up for the pain and suffering endured by survivors.”
“I am very aware that in order for schools to function, it is not just about teachers and the buildings. We also need to make sure they have the resources. While we have increased the capitation funding in recent years, we want to go further and do more to make sure the day-to-day running of schools is not such a chore for school principals. We will continue to invest in ICT and make sure we provide the annual grants, as per the commitment, for minor works, summer works and works focused on climate targets, while also assisting with the day-to-day running of schools. I welcome the opportunity to speak to everybody here today and look forward to hearing their comments.”
“It has been introduced at junior cycle, will be introduced permanently at senior cycle and will be revised for primary schools as well. It is important that our students are engaged with, spoken to and listened to about the issues that are affecting their lives, that it is done in an age-appropriate way and that this is embedded in the curriculum. In the programme for Government, we have given a clear commitment to hold a convention on education bringing together all the education stakeholders. This was done 30 years ago and many of the actions that came from that laid the foundations for the agencies and structures in the school system, and they have stood the test of time. As Minister for education, I want to make sure that by bringing together all of our partners, I can set out a vision for our education system in the years ahead.”
“This is just a snapshot of strategies that demonstrate how inclusive education is at the core of the Department's mission. We cannot talk about education without talking about students' well being, their health and making sure they are supported in school. The programme for Government outlines a commitment to ensure that children are safer and healthier and that our schools are safe places. We will continue to implement the Cineáltas action plan on bullying and the first action plan to support that. Schools have a role to play in supporting their students to develop key skills and knowledge to enable them to make informed choices in different aspects of their lives. This is why the reformed social, personal and health education, SPHE, curriculum is so important.”
“This is a commonsense solution and an important step in encouraging more teachers to work and start their careers here in Ireland. I am looking at further measures to improve teacher supply and will announce them in the coming months. We have a number of different strategies, including the literacy, numeracy and digital literacy strategy. The objective of the STEM education policy statement is to ensure all learners, regardless of gender or background, have access to high-quality STEM learning. There is a particular focus on encouraging female participation in STEM. The Department is developing a suitable approach of policy and practice for students who are exceptionally able or gifted. It is important that we support all students.”
“Following the Droichead process, new teachers who have taught for one year and successfully interviewed for a vacant post the following year will immediately be offered a permanent contract at the start of that year. This will come into effect from next year. While I say "new teachers", it will apply to anyone who has completed that one year. I hope that being able to gain a permanent contract a year earlier will help teachers in applying for mortgages and placing their careers on a more stable footing much sooner than before. I have heard strong support for this from teachers. I was also happy to introduce a proposal from the Teaching Council to enable eligible teachers who have qualified outside of Ireland to apply for registration and complete their induction requirement here.”
“The number of allocated teaching posts and the number of registered teachers have increased year on year, as has the number of student teachers graduating, and more and more people are applying through the CAO. It is really positive to see that this is continuing to increase. On my appointment, I committed to taking further action to address teacher supply issues because we know that in certain parts of the country and also for certain subjects, there are still significant challenges, notwithstanding the fact that we have more teachers than ever before. I recently announced that I would put in place an agreement to ensure that teachers will receive a permanent contract much sooner than is the case under the current arrangements.”
“My Department, working with teachers, staff and students, will build on this annually over the next five years as we implement the various tranches and strands of the programme. In a world being transformed by Al and the digital revolution and where jobs and roles are changing, we need to equip children with the skills they need to succeed and thrive in a changing world. That is exactly what the leaving certificate reform is intended to do. We cannot do this without our wonderful teachers. Approximately 78,000 qualified teachers are now employed in Ireland, with more than 35,000 in post-primary schools. This is the largest number of teachers ever in the history of the State.”
“In 2024, for the first time, the State Examinations Commission provided an integrated set of results to leaving certificate applied students who also took leaving certificate established mathematics or a modern foreign language. This school year has also seen the first modules from the new senior cycle level 1 and level 2 learning programmes introduced in schools. This is to support children with additional needs. Importantly, the State Examinations Commission will certify these programmes in 2026, meaning that when students taking them are expected to graduate, they will do so with their peers in leaving certificate programmes. These measures illustrate how the senior cycle redevelopment programme is playing a positive role in students reaching their full potential.”
“Some examples, lest there be a perception that the changes are only happening in September, include the numbers enrolled in the leaving certificate vocational programme link modules across fifth and sixth year in the current school year having increased from 30,000 to 50,000. The numbers of students participating in transition year has passed 60,000 for the first time, which is 14,000 more than was the case five to six years ago. This expansion is a testament to efforts by schools to make more places available. It is important that we try to ensure every child has access to transition year, in particular those who have special or additional needs or those who are at risk of educational disadvantage.”