The Action Plan for Education sets out this Government’s ambitions for the education system over the coming years, including how we will implement the commitments in the Programme for Government and the Confidence and Supply Arrangement.
The Action Plan sets out hundreds of measures which will be implemented, with a particular focus on disadvantage, skills and continuous improvement within the education and training system.
Budget 2017, announced last month, represents the first phase in implementing the Action Plan and the start of a major programme of reinvestment in education.
Next year, an additional €458 million will be invested in the education system, which represents an increase of over 5% on my Department’s allocation for 2016. This will allow us to make significant progress in a range of areas across the education and training sector.
- This will mean over 2,500 additional posts in schools, including more classroom teachers, more resource teachers and more Special Needs Assistants. We will continue to restore guidance posts in schools.
- Funding will be available to make continued progress on curricular reform, including through the allocation of individual professional time for teachers of Junior Cycle.
- We will implement the recent agreement reached with the TUI and INTO on salary increases for new entrant teachers.
- A new package of support is being provided for the critical area of school leadership.
- Resources will be made available to implement the new Action Plan for Disadvantaged Schools which will be launched later this year.
- We are also making the first significant investment in higher education in a number of years, with at least an additional €160 million committed over the next three years.
- We will also carry out a review and consultation with the aim of developing a multi-annual funding model for higher and further education and training from 2018. This will include consideration of an Employer-Exchequer investment mechanism and will complement the Oireachtas Committee’s consideration of the Cassells report.
- On the capital side, my Department will spend €690 million which will allow for around 20,000 new school places to be provided.
The investment secured as part of the Budget is an important first step in achieving our ambitions. Over the coming years, I will continue to work in partnership with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to secure the resources needed to implement in full the commitments set out in the Action Plan for Education.
