258. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department funds any helpline or individual support service for parents operated by an organisation (details supplied); if so, the number of contacts received in each of the years 2021 to 2025; and whether the support available extends to parents of pupils in special schools. [75047/26]

259. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 345 of 13 October 2026, the process by which an organisation other than an organisation (details supplied) may seek recognition as a national association of parents under the Education Act 1998; and the number of applications for such recognition received by her Department since 2016. [75044/26]

261. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 338 of 13 October 2026, whether her Department has carried out any written assessment of possible duplication between the functions of an organisation (details supplied), her Department's parents and learners unit and the arrangements to be put in place under the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019; if so, if she will publish it; and if not, the reason no such assessment was carried out before the Bill proceeds to report stage. [75061/26]

262. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 333 and 343 of 13 October 2026, if her Department will issue guidance to boards of management on their obligations under sections 26(2)(a) and 26(3) of the Education Act 1998; and if the charter guidelines to be made under the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 will address the relationship between boards of management and parents' associations. [75060/26]

263. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the body or office to which a parents' association may bring a complaint where it considers that a board of management is not complying with section 26(3) of the Education Act 1998; whether her Department's parents and learners unit or inspectorate has any role in such cases; and the number of such complaints received by her Department in each of the years 2021 to 2026. [75059/26]

273. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of whole time equivalent staff whose posts were funded in whole or in part by the Department's grant to the National Parents Council in each of the years 2021 to date in 2026. [75054/26]

274. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the National Parents Council submits annual reports and audited accounts to the Department as a condition of its funding; the date of the most recent evaluation or value for money review of that funding; and if she will publish same. [75053/26]

275. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of parents' associations, and the number of individual parents, who received training funded by the Department through the National Parents Council in each of the years 2021 to 2025, broken down by each training programme. [75051/26]

276. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 340 of 13 October 2026, if she will provide a breakdown of the 2026 allocation of €810,465 to an organisation (details supplied) by funding stream, in the same format as provided for the years 2021 to 2025. [75050/26]

277. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 348 of 13 October 2026, if she will provide a copy of the funding agreement, service level agreement or grant conditions in place between the Department and the National Parents Council for 2025 and 2026; and to set out each performance indicator, target and reporting requirement attached to that funding. [75048/26]

280. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 332 of 13 October 2026, whether a principal or board of management may lawfully require a parents' association to obtain prior approval before communicating with the parents of pupils in the school; and if so, to state the specific statutory basis for such a requirement. [75056/26]

281. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 331 of 13 October 2026, if she will confirm whether any provision of the Education Act 1998, or of any other enactment, confers on a principal, board of management or patron the power to suspend or dissolve a parents' association established under section 26 of the Act; and if such a power exists, to state the specific section. [75055/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 258, 259, 261, 262, 263, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 280 and 281 together.

Section 26 of the Education Act 1998 provides for the establishment and operation of parents' associations. The Act does not contain any provision conferring on a principal, board of management or patron the power to suspend or dissolve a parents' association established under that section. The Act does, however, require boards of management to facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to parents who wish to establish a parents' association and to a parents' association when it is established. The Act does not provide for a specific complaints mechanism, nor does it designate a particular body or office to which a parents' association may bring a complaint alleging non-compliance with section 26(3).  The department does not hold a record of complaints in relation to Section 26(3).

Any organisation wishing to seek recognition as a national association of parents under the Education Act 1998, should ensure that it meets the criteria set out in Section 2 of the Education Act and engage directly with the Department. The department has no record of receiving a request for such recognition since 2016.

The NPC Helpline deals with a large number of queries from parents relating to a number of topics. including parents of pupils in special schools.  The number of contacts between 2021 and 2025 are listed below.  These comprise of phone calls, emails and the Helpline Webchat which is accessed via the NPC website.  Further details on the types of queries received are included in the NPC’s annual reports which are available at the link: www.npc.ie/news-1

DEY funding for 2026 allocated to the NPC is as follows:

The NPC submits audited accounts on an annual basis.  The NPC’s annual accounts are included in their annual reports which are available on the NPC website at the following link: www.npc.ie/news-1

The table below shows the number of parents who attended training delivered by NPC from 2021 to 2025 inclusive.

The staffing levels at the NPC for the period 2021-2025 are as follows:

In relation to the Charter Bill, the implementation of the Charter Bill in schools would not affect the role of the National Parents’ Council. The Bill provides for all schools to have a Charter and for the Minister to issue Charter Guidelines, following consultation, in accordance with which every school’s Charter shall be prepared, published and implemented.

The overall aim of the Bill is to improve the level of engagement between members of the school community by inviting feedback, comment and observation, and by further developing a listening culture in schools. The Bill sets out the key matters that the Minister must have regard to when preparing the charter guidelines and the types of matters that can be addressed in those guidelines.

One of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities. This approach will help ensure that the various views of students and parents will be heard and responded to by schools on issues and policies.

The Bill provides that the charter guidelines may set out the “procedures for consulting with students and their parents on such matters relating to the school as may be specified in the charter guidelines, including by inviting, and responding to, comments and suggestions from students and their parents on any such matter”.

The Bill also provides for the Minister to give a direction to a board of management where he or she is of the opinion that a board of management has failed, or is failing, to comply with its obligation to prepare, publish and implement a charter.

The Bill is replacing the existing Section 28 of the Education Act, 1998 with a new Section 28 which, working with other provisions of the Bill, will ensure that all schools will be required to have and to implement standardised complaints procedures. The charter guidelines, which will be developed in consultation with education stakeholders (including the National Parents Council), will set out the details of the complaints procedures and these will focus on dealing with complaints efficiently, effectively and, as far as possible, informally.

The overall approach in the Bill is to move away from reacting to problems in schools after they arise, to an early intervention approach which aims to improve the day-to-day experience students, and their parents can expect from schools.

The Charter Bill has been passed by the Seanad and completed Committee Stage in the Dáil on 8 October 2026.