About the Department of Education

The Department of Education's mission to facilitate children and young people, through learning, to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s social, economic and cultural development.

The Department of Education is a ministerial department, supported by various agencies and aegis bodies.

You can read more about the department's goals in the Department of Education Statement of Strategy 2023-2025.

Education Policy

• Central Policy Unit
• Curriculum and Assessment Policy Unit (CAP)
• Early Years Education Policy Unit
• Gaeltacht Education Unit
• International Co-operation Unit
• Legal Services Unit

Quality Assurance

Supporting Parents and Learners

• Parents and Learners Unit
• School Transport
• Residential Institutions Redress Unit

Supporting Learners at Risk of Educational Disadvantage and Learners with Special Educational Needs

• National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
• Social Inclusion Unit
• Special Education Section

Supporting Schools

• ETB Financial / Administrative Personnel Unit
• Planning and Building Unit
• Schools Financial and Database
• School Governance Section
• Teacher Allocation Unit

Supporting Teachers, Special Needs Assistants and Non-teaching School Staff

• Education Shared Business Services (ESBS)
• External Staff Relations
• Payroll Division
• Pensions Unit
• Teacher and SNAs Terms & Conditions
• School Secretaries Leave Administration Section

Corporate and Business Support

• Corporate Services Unit
• Communications Unit
• Data Compliance and Support Unit
• Finance Unit
• Human Resources Unit
• Internal and EU Audit Unit
• IT Unit
• Public Sector Reform Programme Office
• Statistics Section

Further details as to the department’s structure and management tiers are available on Who Does What.

• Action Plan for Education
• Annual Reports
• Bodies under the Aegis of the Department of Education
• Customer Service
• Data Protection
• Financial Information
• Freedom of Information
• Governance Framework
• Membership of State Boards
• Ministers Diaries
• Ministerial Expenses
• Policy on Procurement
• Public Service Reform
• Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015
• Re-use of Public Sector Information