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Preasráitis

Statement from Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee on Senior Cycle Redevelopment

“Over the past number of weeks, there have been intensive and constructive engagements with the post-primary teacher unions regarding Senior Cycle Redevelopment. I am happy to confirm that these talks have now concluded, with a package of supports offered to support the implementation of Senior Cycle Redevelopment from September. It is now a matter for the ASTI and TUI to consider this package as part of their own processes.

"I want to sincerely thank the TUI and the ASTI for engaging in these talks, for their commitment and indeed their valuable contributions to these discussions. Their input has been instrumental in shaping our shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

"Proceeding with the introduction of new and revised subjects under Senior Cycle Redevelopment in September is in the best interest of students. It will help to reduce the pressure faced by students, while recognising a broader range of skills and ensuring that students have the skills necessary to thrive and succeed in a rapidly changing world.

"Not only will these supports help teachers and schools to implement Senior Cycle Redevelopment, they will ultimately ensure that students across the country reap the benefits of a revised Senior Cycle. This agreement provides a number of important supports to teachers, students and schools to ensure the successful implementation of Senior Cycle Redevelopment.

"I look forward to continuing close collaboration with the ASTI and TUI, indeed with all representative bodies, as we work together to strengthen and support Senior Cycle Redevelopment.”

Main provisions of the package include:

  • Confirmation of the Minister’s announcement of 21 April revising arrangements for teachers securing permanent contracts;
  • Changes, on an interim basis, of the operation of the whole school component of the Croke Park Hours (CPH) arrangements as applicable to teachers;
  • Confirmation on how the local bargaining clause of the Public Sector Agreement can be satisfied by post-primary teachers in return for the salary increases under that Agreement;
  • Specific posts of responsibility to support the implementation of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment (SCR) programme;
  • The establishment of various working groups to support the implementation and monitoring of the SCR programme including in areas related to AI, the implementation of this agreement and workload in schools;
  • A commitment to early rapid reviews related to the implementation of revised subject specifications including the operation of their assessment arrangements and emerging trends in student uptake levels;
  • The development of a right to disconnect policy applicable to schools; and,
  • Subject specific supports focused on the Tranche 1 subjects including an increase in the amount of the current annual Physics and Chemistry grant and the extension of its scope to include Biology and Agricultural Science.

Notes to editor

The review of Senior Cycle commenced in 2016 and led to the announcement of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment programme in March 2022. Since then, significant progress has been made in the implementation of the redevelopment programme.

In late 2024, both post-primary unions called for a pause to certain aspects of the SCR Programme. In particular, a pause in the introduction of seven of the nine new and revised subjects in Tranche 1, which had been approved by the then-Minister for introduction in schools for students starting fifth year in September 2025 was sought.

In response to these calls, the Department intensified its direct engagement with the unions in order to understand and respond to the concerns raised, seeking clarification on which elements of the SCR programme were encompassed by the call for a pause in implementation, and discussing the implications of any delays.

The Department had sought to understand how the unions believed the requested pause in implementation could be used to address the concerns they had outlined. The ASTI and the TUI each made a submission to the Department in writing in March setting out their views. These submissions are included in the appendices to this document for reference and can be noted as encompassing both matters directly related to SCR and matters of a more general nature, including longstanding or outstanding claims previously made by the unions.

Following careful consideration of the unions’ request for a pause, and of the submissions received, on 8 April 2025, Minister McEntee wrote to the unions confirming that the implementation of the programme would continue with the introduction of Tranche 1 in September 2025 as previously announced. The Minister’s letters to the Presidents of the unions are also included in the appendices.

In her letters, Minister McEntee noted that the consideration of the review of Senior Cycle commenced in 2016, and that at each subsequent stage there has been substantial engagement with stakeholders including teachers, parents and students. The Minister also noted that since the SCR programme was formally announced in 2022, significant revisions had already been made in line with and in response to the views of both unions.

The Minister went on to highlight the progress made to date in implementing the SCR programme, and the commitment in the Programme for Government 2025 “to continuing the programme of reform of Senior Cycle to ensure that students benefit from up-to-date curricula, more diverse skills and competencies development and assessments, and reduced stress levels.”

While acknowledging the concerns raised by teachers’ representatives, the Minister concluded that a further delay to the previously announced timelines would not be in the best interests of students. In confirming this position, the Minister acknowledged the proposals made by the unions in their March submissions, and gave an undertaking that her officials would engage intensively with them in order to identify how schools, teachers and students can be best supported in realising the ambitions underlying the SCR programme.

Officials and union representatives have subsequently continued to meet frequently to discuss these supports, leading to the document issued to the unions today. This document represents a proposal developed between the Department and the post-primary teachers’ unions as to how the implementation of the redevelopment programme will be further supported going forward. If accepted by the unions, it will form the basis of a national collective agreement between the Department and the teacher unions.

The Senior Cycle Redevelopment Implementation Support Measures document is available here.