Nearly 6,000 Ukrainian Children Enrolled In Irish Schools

Nearly 6,000 Ukrainian children are now enrolled in Irish schools, according to the Department of Education.

Some 3,968 are in primary school, while 1,875 are enrolled in secondary schools.

The figures show that Dublin schools have the highest amount, with 731 in primary school and 369 in secondary school.

Cork is in second with 365 in primary and 171 in secondary, while Kerry has just one fewer with 380 in primary and 155 in secondary

Clare is in fourth with a total of 441, while Wexford is in fifth with 352.

Ukrainian children in Irish schools. Image Department of Education

The department said Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT) are now in place across the country to help the children settle in.

The teams help families find school places for their children, while also supporting schools to meet the children’s needs.

Labour Education Spokesperson Aodhán Ó Riordáin told Newstalk that schools need better support from Government to integrate children as they arrive.

“I hear of a lot of dislocation happening,” he said. “Of families who have gotten used to one school being told at very short notice they are moving to a different part of the country.

“The overall coordination of this I think needs to be improved but in such a short space of time it does show again the fantastic work that does go on in individual schools in our primary and secondary sector.”

Information for parents in Ukrainian and Russian on accessing school places is available on gov.ie/Ukraine.