Hildegarde Naughton
Galway West · Fine Gael · Ireland
“It is an absolute commitment in the programme for Government to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio over the lifetime of the Government. The Deputy will appreciate I cannot announce anything here in the Dáil. I have to go into negotiations in relation to the upcoming budget.”
“Where we can, we give guidance and I know schools are very well aware of this. They do this well themselves so that where possible, the more junior classes would have a lower class size.”
“The identification model has to be applied consistently right across the country to have fairness and transparency around it. Under the DEIS strategy to 2035, work is under way in my Department, with colleagues in the Central Statistics Office and across other Departments, to utilise other administrative data sources to help improve how w…”
“The school referred to by the Deputy submitted an application under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme for an additional temporary classroom in 2025. This school had previously been approved for a permanent extension under the ASA scheme in 2021 for a two-classroom special education needs unit and one mainstream classroom.”
“A huge amount of work is being done on securing specialist places, be it in special classes or special schools. We are far ahead of where we were this time last year. We had a budget for 400 special classes. I got increased funding in March of this year. We are ahead in relation to forward planning.”
“The general average of pupils to teachers in the primary staffing schedule improved from 26:1 five years ago to 23:1 for the current school year. Average class sizes in primary schools have improved from 24.1 to 22.2 through the investment we are making in schools.”
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“I acknowledge there are more schools that need investment and that is why this is a plan that goes out to 2030. What the Department of education will be doing now is engaging with schools across the country. For the first time, by the end of this year, the Department will have completed an energy and condition survey of all of our 4,000 schools across the country. That will really help with the prioritisation. It will also look at the demographics in an area, enrolments, the condition of the school and how we can prioritise over the next few years and out to 2030. That work will be led by the Department. Again, this is the first two years of a national development plan out to 2030. If there are schools that need remediation works, there is funding in place through the emergency works scheme and the summer works scheme.”
“That breakdown covers delivery and expenditure over recent years. The criteria for identifying the 105 prioritised projects included the condition of the school, projects in areas where there were capacity pressures, growing demographics and projects in the pipeline. Galway is a large county with a significant number of schools. It includes the city and town areas which are experiencing demographic growth, as are Kildare, Cork and Dublin. The Deputy will see from the list that five of the 45 stage 3 projects - that is, already tendered projects - in the county include a campus in Athenry for two Irish-medium schools, which is an area of demographic growth. Of the three stage 3 projects, two are in Galway West, my constituency.”
“I reiterate that €193 million in capital funding was provided between 2020 and 2025 in Dublin 24. There are seven school projects under construction in Dublin 24. Some 23 schools have been upgraded, either through the provision of new school buildings or large-scale extensions. That is not the end of the matter, however, because this is a rolling programme out to 2030. My Department will continue to engage with patrons and schools across the country, including in Deputy Murphy's constituency and in Dublin, to inform targeted and prioritised capital investment. That will include the identification of any urgent required works or capacity. In relation to Galway, a full county-by-county breakdown has been published to clearly show the full scale of delivery and expenditure under the NDP.”
“In addition, seven school projects in Dublin 24 are currently under construction. To give a breakdown for Dublin, between 2020 and 2025, the Department of Education provided €1.7 billion in capital funding for schools. Over this period, 244 schools were upgraded, either through provision of a new school building, a large extension or the provision of modular buildings. There are currently 64 school projects in Dublin under construction and 20 school projects will go to tender or construction either this year and next year.”
“In this regard, I have published a list of 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to tender and construction in 2026 and 2027. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project roll-out to meet the most urgent needs. This list includes two significant projects in Dublin 24 to provide a new 1,000 pupil building for Firhouse Educate Together Secondary School and a new 16-classroom primary school for Scoil Chrónáin in Rathcoole. These projects are in addition to €193 million in capital funding for Dublin 24 schools between 2020 and 2025. During that period, a total of 23 schools were upgraded, either through provision of new school buildings, a large-scale extension or the provision of modular accommodation.”
“The Deputy will be aware I recently published the €7.55 billion NDP sectoral investment plan for the education and youth sectors for 2026 out to 2030. Of the €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that €5 billion of that will be used for project roll-out to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings. An additional €2.25 billion of the NDP funding will focus on supporting the existing school estates, including maintenance, minor works, and the climate action summer work scheme. Project roll-out under the NDP will continue on a prioritised basis within the parameters of available funding to meet the most urgent needs for provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities.”
“This is a UK-based company, which has undertaken work for the Irish education system previously. Output is expected on that this year. Consultation with stakeholders is also extremely important. The SEC has already engaged with stakeholders, including with Dyslexia Ireland, Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland, the Children's Rights Alliance, and the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. This engagement will continue as the review is under way. A roundtable stakeholder discussion is also planned for later this month.”
“There is an interim review under way. This is evidence based. This is the work of the State Examinations Commission, which is independent. There is a large amount of consultation, research and evidence as part of this decision. This is a rolling programme and it is considering international best practice in relation to this. The review of the RACE scheme is comprehensive and system-wide. It seeks to address the relevant issues that take account of best practice internationally. That is the work of the State Examinations Commission. As part of its work, the SEC has commissioned research into national and international policies. Following a public procurement process, a contract for the provision of research and public consultation for this review has been awarded to Alpha Plus Consultancy Limited.”
“For example, there is a spelling and grammar waiver in place. Pending that evaluation, this is a prudent approach to the quantum of additional time. I welcome the fact that this eligibility is broadly based and that more than 30,000 students are embraced within this scheme for the 2026 exams across junior certificate and leaving certificate.”
“The State Examinations Commission, SEC, has operational responsibility for State examinations, including the RACE scheme. The SEC has looked very carefully at how to operationalise that commitment to additional time and it has taken account of the need to balance on the one hand access for candidates with special educational needs and on the other hand equity and fairness for all candidates undertaking their examinations. This is an interim scheme for 2026. It will be evaluated and that evaluation, together with ongoing research, will provide the evidence base for considering arrangements for 2027 and beyond. This evaluation recognises that there is a need to understand the combined effect of all supports of exam outcomes, including both additional time and the accommodations that already exist in lieu of additional time.”
“The impact of this interim scheme will be evaluated alongside other accommodations that already exist to inform arrangements for 2027.”
“In 2025 more than one in four candidates received an accommodation under the RACE scheme. The State Examinations Commission is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of the scheme. This is structured so that rolling changes may be implemented as it progresses. The 2026 interim scheme of additional time that was recently announced by the State Examinations Commission is one of these rolling changes. Under this scheme more than 30,000 candidates across junior cycle and leaving certificate will be eligible for ten minutes of additional time per examination paper. This is an important step forward in addressing the programme for Government commitment to ensuring that candidates with specific needs are provided with additional time in exams in certain circumstances.”
“The State Examinations Commission has responsibility for the operation of the State examinations including the scheme of reasonable accommodations at certificate examinations, RACE. The purpose of the RACE scheme is to remove barriers for students who have special educational needs to enable them to show what they know and can do in the examinations on an equal footing. Access to accommodations is based on the individual needs of the candidate and not on the provision of a diagnosis. Applications are made to the State Examinations Commission by the school based on the school's knowledge of the student's needs and his or her normal way of working. Some accommodations for those with learning difficulties have particular criteria such as a standard score test in reading, spelling or writing, which is administered by the school.”
“This is particularly important given the deeply sensitive and personal nature of the information that may be shared with the commission. It also includes work to ensure that the commission has the appropriate premises to ensure that it is as safe and welcoming an environment for survivors as possible and that the necessary supports are in place for those survivors.”
“I outlined the process for this to Deputy Cummins. Work is ongoing in my Department on that issue of the supports agreed by the survivors with an Taoiseach prior to Christmas. The Deputy made reference to two different issues there. Regarding the commission of investigation, Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath was appointed effective from 1 October 2025 as chair of that commission. It is independent in its function and the chair has outlined an essential preparatory work phase which must be completed by the commission prior to engagement with survivors and others, and updates will be given online relating to that. Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath is working on developing the necessary systems and processes to safely gather and store data and information.”
“The State has some experience in dealing with the religious orders in the context of redress, and it is important we learn from that experience, particularly given the potential scale of redress for historical sexual abuse in schools. Clarity on that scale is critical and all mechanisms that can be used by the State to secure the appropriate funding from those who were responsible for child sexual abuse in schools will be carefully examined. It is important to ensure there is financial accountability for those who were responsible for child sexual abuse in schools, particularly as so many of those who are alleged to have abused children are now deceased and will not face criminal charges.”
“As regards how long it will take that interdepartmental group to report, the work of that group is very complex and involves several Departments, State agencies and relevant expertise. The work of that IDG is entirely separate from the work of the commission, which does not have a role in redress. That group aims to complete its work within 18 months. When that interdepartmental group has completed its work, it will provide a report to me and then subsequently to Government. Many of the survivors who spoke to that scoping inquiry view financial redress as an important measure of accountability for those who ran schools where sexual abuse happened.”
“The interdepartmental group has commenced this work to further examine the levers and mechanisms that may be brought to bear so that those responsible for schools where historical sexual abuse happened meet their obligations to survivors. The work of that group will not impede the progress of the commission of investigation, which has begun its work in parallel.”
“The scoping inquiry’s report also recognised the significance of redress for survivors, many of whom told the scoping inquiry’s survivor engagement process they viewed it as a measure of accountability for those running schools where child sexual abuse occurred. The scoping inquiry recommended consideration be given by the Government to establishing a redress scheme and that it consult with the orders on contributions to any such scheme. The interdepartmental group, IDG, established to advise Government on the scoping inquiry recommendations was cognisant of the views of survivors on redress as a measure of accountability. It recognised that consideration of a redress scheme may have far-reaching implications and advised further work is required to ensure Government is fully informed in any decision it may take.”
“I thank the Deputy. The report of the scoping inquiry into historical sexual abuse in day and boarding schools run by religious orders was published in 2024. The Government takes revelations of historical sexual abuse in schools extremely seriously and has established an independent commission of investigation, chaired by Mr. Justice Michael MacGrath, to investigate the handling of complaints and allegations of historical sexual abuse in schools. The commission was the principal recommendation of the report of the scoping inquiry and the commission does not have a role in relation to redress.”
“The availability of those supports will be communicated as widely as possible, particularly through engagement with survivor groups, the special advocate for survivors and Sage advocacy, so that survivors are made aware of the availability of the supports and are provided with clear information on them and how they can be accessed.”
“To reassure the Deputy, I know the importance given to this from the Taoiseach down in respect of providing these supports as quickly as possible. My Department is working to finalise the arrangements of the delivery of those supports the survivors agreed to as quickly as possible. That includes engaging with relevant Departments and agencies, particularly the Department of public expenditure and reform and digitalisation and the Departments of Health and Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE. Further information on the supports, including the application processes, will be published on the Department's website in due course.”
“Sage has appointed advocates around the country who are providing this assistance to survivors. The Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025, which was passed last July, provides for the delivery of a package of ongoing health and education supports. This marks a new phase in the State's response to this issue. To fundamentally answer the Deputy's original question, this will happen as soon as possible and work is ongoing within my Department.”
“Issues were raised with regard to a pension as well. Government has instead approved the expansion of the education support payments scheme under the Act to provide support for informal learning and self-development, as well as formal learning. This revised arrangement has been accepted by the survivors. My Department is finalising arrangements for the delivery of these supports as soon as possible. The Deputy can be assured of that. I would also note that my Department has engaged Sage Advocacy, an independent advocacy organisation with a strong track record in providing advocacy supports to vulnerable adults, older people and healthcare patients, to develop information, support and advocacy services for survivors to assist them in engaging with and accessing relevant services and supports.”
“Work is ongoing within my Department with all the relevant Departments to finalise the arrangements on the delivery of those supports as soon as possible and further information will be published on the Department's website, and it will be communicated widely with the relevant groups and agencies.”
“This entitlement, which is similar to the health supports provided to survivors and former residents of the Magdalen laundries and mother and baby institutions, will be for life and will not be subject to a means-testing review. Government has agreed to strengthen this package of health supports through the appointment of specified liaison officers within the HSE and through improved access to counselling and physiotherapy services. This is not a Health (Amendment) Act, HAA, card but is instead a package of supports specifically for survivors. The Deputy asked about the timelines around this.”
“In September, following the passage of the Act, a group of industrial school survivors commenced a protest outside Leinster House, seeking additional support to be put in place. There was significant engagement with the group, including with officials from my Department and multiple meetings with both the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Taoiseach. Arising from this, the group agreed to engage in a mediation process and cease their protest. The mediation process recently concluded, and Government has approved the implementation of a number of commitments. Under the Act, eligible survivors will be provided with a medical card which will entitle them to certain health supports and services through the HSE.”
“I thank the Deputy for allowing me the opportunity respond to her question. I am deeply conscious of the enormous trauma that has been endured by all survivors of abuse. While nothing we do now can ever undo the hurt which has been caused, Government is committed to providing appropriate supports to survivors. Last July, the Oireachtas passed the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025. The Act has two main purposes: to enable the delivery of ongoing health and education supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions; and to allow the formal dissolution of Caranua. The package of supports builds upon the already significant State response to this issue.”
“In budget 2026, we secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places. The NCSE is currently examining where best to locate those places for the 2026-27 school year. As the Senator has outlined, it was a priority to get the 18 places opened. They are now up and running. The next step is to get the next six school places up and running through modular builds on that site. Work is progressing with the Department to identify further potential sites right across the country, including in Monaghan. We all acknowledge that will take time. The priority was to get these 18 children into their classrooms. The next priority is the next six.”
“As the Senator knows, the National Council for Special Education, which was present last week in Monaghan, is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and the allocation of supports for children with special educational needs. Over 2,700 new places were provided for the 2025-26 school year, meaning that there are now 3,741 special classes nationwide. In Monaghan, we have 60 special classes now in operation providing capacity for 360 students. That includes six new special classes for the 2025-26 school year, meaning that the number of classes in County Monaghan has almost doubled since 2020. I might leave it there because I think I am out of time for now.”
“I absolutely understand the importance of this and of continuing to provide special classes and special places right across the country, including Monaghan. As I have stated previously, my Department last year committed to opening Monaghan Community Special School as quickly as possible. I am engaging with officials about the provision of future special schools and special classes right across the country, including in Monaghan. This process will be informed by the number of students and young people seeking special school and special class provision, the availability of accommodation in existing schools across the country, and other matters such as acquisition of land if required. That process is ongoing.”
“The school authority has been granted further capital funding for phase 2 of the project. That involves the provision of modular accommodation to provide six special education needs places, and supporting ancillary accommodation under the special education needs reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme. During my visit last week with the Senator and Deputy David Maxwell, both of whom are very much championing the progress and support of the school, I could really see the commitment of the staff to the students under their care. I was very pleased to speak with the parents, who relayed to me the importance of this school and how life-changing it is not just for their children but for their families and their wider families.”
“Again, I commend the phenomenal staff up there. What I witnessed was best in class in relation to the supports, the care and the educational supports they are providing to children. There is an administrative principal, an administrative deputy principal, five class teachers and nine special needs assistants together with ten co-operation hours per week. This new school is located in Castleblayney, in a former ETB school property that was repurposed to facilitate the opening of the new school. There was a great sense of urgency, as the Senator has outlined, in getting this school opened. That project was delivered under the Department's SEN reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme, which facilitated the school opening as quickly as possible.”
“I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue. It gives me an opportunity to outline to the House the Department of Education and Youth's plans to address the accommodation needs for Monaghan Community Special School. The Senator is correct: I had a fantastic visit to the school, one of five new special schools established for the 2025-26 school year. My Department's priority and my own was to open that school as quickly as possible to help to support those 18 children who urgently needed an education support place within our schools. As the Senator knows, the school operates under the patronage of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board. The school supports 18 children and young people aged between four and 18 years of age with a diagnosis of autism and complex needs or students with complex learning needs.”
“That would be great. The information in the Department is that an application has not yet been received. Maybe work is ongoing. There is a commitment within the Department. The team understands the urgency of carrying out these works to ensure the school is safe and classes can open for students. There has been engagement with the school and perhaps we can clarify where the application is at present. I hear the Senator loud and clear in relation to the urgency of these works.”
“Once an application has been received, the EWS team will assess the application and engage with the school to advise it on the next steps - the team is aware of the urgent nature of the works - once it has been received. The Senator clearly outlined the urgency in relation to this. The officials in the team will deal with that application accordingly. As the Senator alluded to, the school in question also has a live building project for a new school which is currently at architectural planning stage 3.”
“The emergency works scheme team subsequently contacted the school patron with advice on the next steps on how to apply for the emergency works scheme funding to remediate the emergency issues. This subsequent contact with the school patron included the EWS team providing advice on sequencing the works in a manner that ensures the affected classrooms can be brought back into use as a matter of urgency. I understand that the school in question has currently no outstanding EWS application for the issue in question but the officials in the emergency works team have engaged with the school authority and advised it on the next steps required in order to submit the emergency works scheme application. The EWS team remains open to assisting the school should it need further advice on how to submit an application.”
“The scheme is intended to remedy the emergency situation and usually is provided only as an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the summer works scheme, which deals with upgrade works to the school. The emergency works scheme operates on a devolved basis. Schools manage the application process and the works directly through the Esinet portal, with minimal departmental intervention after approval. In the case of the school in question, it is noted that a site visit was carried out by a member of the Department's technical unit late last year to assist the school with guidance on how to address some of the accommodation issues the school faces.”
“I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to come to the Seanad today. The purpose of the emergency works scheme, as the Senator knows, is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action and, in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening. The emergency works scheme, EWS, operates on the basis of a minimal scope works to address the emergency situation.”
“However, my Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical support in the delivery of this project. As I outlined previously, Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board is the delivery body for this large-scale, major project and will continue to engage with the school authorities on this matter. I thank the Deputy for raising it this evening.”
“I thank the Deputy. I can certainly hear his passion for this project. As I have said, the Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available to all school pupils and will in the wider context outlined ensure each school project on the school building programme is subject to the due diligence required under the public infrastructure guidelines. It is a challenging construction environment, as I said, and we are also required to ensure we are managing the timing, scope and cost of all these projects within the budgetary parameters that are set. The length of time projects take depends on a number of factors, including scale and complexity. It is also subject to the time it takes to progress to the various project stages and the statutory approval processes.”
“This NDP implementation plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient and ensuring the delivery is affordable, offers value for money and meets functional needs.”
“In relation to project roll-out for large scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. Government Departments are in the process of publishing their sectoral NDP implementation plans and the sectoral plan for my Department will be published shortly. The first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published this month.”
“KWETB will continue to engage directly with the school authorities to keep them fully informed of progress. In July 2025, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.”
“Once received it will undergo a detailed technical and cost review in line with the public spending code. All projects are subject to the due diligence requirements of the public infrastructure guidelines. Managing the time, scope and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall programme. Regarding additional accommodation requirements, the Department has provided temporary accommodation that includes four general classrooms, an office, a construction studies room and a multimedia room, which the Deputy referred to. KWETB and the design team have worked with the modular supplier to expedite delivery and reconfiguration of this accommodation to meet the school’s needs. At this early stage it is not possible to provide a timeline for completion of the project.”
“I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the school building project at St. Farnan's Post Primary School in Prosperous, County Kildare. The project brief is to provide a new-build replacement school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils, including a four-classroom special educational needs base. The delivery of this project has been devolved to Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB. The project is in the final stages of stage 2B, which is the post-planning process, of the architectural design. This stage allows for detailed design and planning, obtaining necessary statutory permissions and preparation of tender documents. Planning has been granted and KWETB has been advised the stage 2B report is expected to be submitted in 2026.”
“It is a challenging construction environment we are working in right across the education, transport and housing sectors so the Department also has to manage the timing, scope and cost of individual projects to ensure they remain within budgetary parameters for the overall programme. That involves constant reviewing throughout a project's life cycle. As I said, as part of the NDP implementation project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be on a tightly prioritised basis to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate and to provide additional capacity through that targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030. I will follow up, maybe with the Department as well, in relation to those specific issues.”
“I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue with me. Deputy Paula Butterly had also raised the issue of this school. I will ask the Department about those previous applications. As I said, we have to look at the existing capacity within schools across the country when we are looking at providing spaces. The priority is for special educational places across the country. We are committed to ensuring that there is appropriate accommodation available for all pupils in the wider context and to ensure that each school project on the schools building programme is subject to due diligence required under the Government's infrastructure guidelines.”
“This NDP implementation plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money and meets functional needs. All existing school building projects and applications for accommodation will be considered in this context, with a particular focus on ensuring existing capacity is maximised. My Department has recently engaged with the Deputy's school, I understand, and will continue to work with the school to ensure that the current and the future school place needs are addressed.”
“As part of this NDP allocation, the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of 2026 to 2030 to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. The sectoral plan for the education and youth sector will be published shortly. The first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published at that time.”