312. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will give urgent attention to correspondence from a school (details supplied) where serious concerns exist regarding the board of management’s ability to fulfil its statutory obligations, particularly in relation to health and safety; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53144/26]

Circular 27/2025 sets out the allocation of posts of responsibility to schools, which are based on the number of authorised posts in the school.  The allocation of an administrative Deputy Principal is enrolment based. For the 2026/27 school year, the enrolment threshold required for the appointment of a Deputy Administrative Principal has been reduced from 573 to 550 pupils, in line with Budget 2026 measures. There is currently no provision within the staffing arrangements for the allocation of a second administrative Deputy Principal.  Any improvements in this area would have to be considered as part of the annual budgetary process.

My Department is currently piloting an Action Research Project on Administrative Executives in a number of primary and post-primary schools. This initiative is intended to examine the potential of enhanced administrative support to reduce the workload of school leaders and strengthen school management capacity. An independent evaluation is being undertaken by Dublin City University, and the findings will help inform future policy decisions regarding additional administrative and leadership supports for schools.