The inspectorate is divided into two sub-divisions. The regional subdivision is responsible for the delivery and management of inspection-evaluative services and related advisory activities in schools and centres for education in five regional business units covering the country. The policy support subdivision is responsible for contributing to the development of departmental policy across a range of areas, for supporting inspection-evaluative activity generally, and for operational services for the inspectorate.
The five business units that form the regional subdivision provide inspection and evaluative services and undertake advisory activities in all primary and second-level schools and centres for education throughout the country as follows: north and Dublin north region, covering counties Cavan, Donegal, Dublin (Fingal), Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Sligo and Roscommon north and Dublin city north; south east and Dublin south region, covering counties Carlow, Dublin south, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Kildare north, Kilkenny, Wexford and Wicklow; west and mid-west region, covering counties Clare, Galway, Limerick, Mayo, Roscommon south and Tipperary North Riding; south region, covering counties Cork, Kerry Tipperary South Riding and Waterford; and midlands and Dublin west region, covering counties Dublin, west and south west, Kildare south, Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath.
A list of all 736 secondary, vocational, community and comprehensive schools, including their names, addresses and contact telephone numbers, for the current school year is available through my Department's education provider search facility on the website at www.education.ie. A draft of the inspectorate business plan for 2006 has been completed and is being reviewed by the senior management of the inspectorate at present prior to finalisation. I will ensure that a copy of the business plan is forwarded to the Deputy in due course.