I am not sure setting the date for the all-Ireland is something I can do. I thank Senator Murphy O'Mahony for the question and the issues she has raised. One thing we always looked forward to was when the Saturday or Sunday was 1 September; we actually thought we were gaining. I remember one particular September when 1 September was a Thursday, and I had banked that they would not bring us back until the following Monday. I remember my mother coming from first mass and saying that she had great news: the school is opening on Thursday. It is indelibly inked in my brain; we were gambling on an extra few days.
On 1 September being the date, l will outline for the House the issues on returning to school from our Department's point of view. Every three years, the scheduling of school holiday periods during the school year is reviewed and agreed at the Teachers Conciliation Council. The purpose of standardising the breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term is to avoid problems for families caused by variations in closure arrangements where children are attending different schools. A number of factors are taken into account in agreeing on the scheduling of school holiday periods, including the fact that schools must be open for a minimum of 166 days at the post-primary level and 182 days at the primary level, as well as the commencement date of the State examinations. The arrangements in relation to the standardising of the school year do not require that the start of the school year be standardised. Individual schools may, therefore, determine the precise start and end of the school year, subject to ensuring that requirements are met in respect of the minimum number of days per school.
The expectation is that the school would normally commence in the week in which 1 September falls. However, schools may commence a week prior to that in which 1 September falls where it would otherwise not be practical for the school to meet the overall requirement of a minimum of 166 days at post-primary and 182 days at primary level. In such cases, the school should ensure that the date of commencement is as close as possible to 1 September. In this regard, schools provide a calendar for parents at the beginning of the school year, which includes details of the school holiday dates.
The last review of the school holiday period took place earlier this year, when an agreement was reached between the managerial authorities of the schools, the teachers' unions, the Department of Education and Youth and the Department of public expenditure under the auspices of the Teachers Conciliation Council. The current arrangements are set out in Circular 18/2026. This circular covers the three school years from 2026-27 to 2028-29, and commits the parties at the Teachers Conciliation Council to review the current arrangements in the autumn of 2028.
To take the Senator's point, the managerial bodies and the education partners will come together to review it. I know that the post-primary schools started a little bit later this year because the State examinations - the leaving certificate and junior certificate - started the first Wednesday of June. That was later this year because of the way 1 June came and this gave a start date later into August. However, sometimes the first Wednesday in June could be very early in June, depending on the way the week falls, and that would then push it back earlier in August.
The school holiday experience for children and families is very important for the kids. The Senator mentioned the hospitality industry, which is another factor to take into account. I think it is vitally important that we keep 1 September as that date. I certainly will bring the points the Senator made into the next review and to the attention of those right across the Department. My opinion is that we should have it as close as possible to 1 September.