Board of Management

Our Board of Management consists of:

Niall Mulpeter – Patron Nominee Chairperson

Tom Toft – Patron Nominee

Tracy O’Brien – Parent Nominee Treasurer

Gerry Breslin – Principal and Secretary to the Board

Aisling O’Sullivan – Teacher nominee and minute secretary

Andy Burke – Parent Nominee

Marcie Duggan – Community Nominee

Catherine Comerford – Community Nominee

The Board can be contacted via the chairperson on chairperson@ktet.ie

Boards of Management

National schools have had boards of management since 1975. The Education Act, 1998
puts the system on a statutory basis and sets out the responsibilities of the boards. National schools are not obliged to have boards of management. The patron of the school has the right to decide whether or not to have one. In practice, most national schools do have boards.

Under the Education Act, 1998, the patron is obliged “for the purposes of ensuring that a recognised school is managed in a spirit of partnership” to appoint, where practicable, a Board of Management. The composition of the Board of Management is to be agreed between school patrons, national associations of parents, school management organisations, teacher representatives and the Minister.

The board is appointed by the patron. In making appointments, the patron must comply with Ministerial directions about gender balance. If the patron decides that it is not practicable to appoint a board, he/she must give reasons to the parents, teachers, staff and the Minister but he/she cannot be forced to appoint one.


The role and method of operation of boards of management of primary schools was agreed by the Department of Education, the school managers, parents and teachers in 2003. The Constitution of Boards and Rules of Procedure (pdf), revised in 2011, sets out the principles on which it is based.

Functions of the Board

The board’s main function is to manage the school on behalf of the patron and for the benefit of the students and to provide an appropriate education for each student at the school. The role and method of operation of Boards of Management of primary schools was agreed by the Department, the school managers, parents and teachers in 2003. The board must have a procedure for informing parents about its activities – this could include an annual report..

Activities on the Board

Essentially, the board manages the school. Among other things:

  • It has responsibility for drawing up the school plan and for ensuring that it is implemented.
  • It appoints the principal, the teachers and other staff.
  • It must ensure that the school fulfills its functions as set out in the Education Act, 1998.
  • It must promote contact between the school, the parents and the community and must facilitate and give all reasonable help to a parents’ association in its formation and its activities.
  • It has overall responsibility for the school’s finances. It is obliged to have comprehensive insurance cover for the school. It must keep proper accounts, which may be audited by the Department of Education and Science and/or the Comptroller and Auditor General. Its annual accounts must be available to the patron and the school community. .

Who is on the Board

The composition of the Board of Management for schools with more than one teacher is

  • Two direct nominees of the patron
  • Two parents of children enrolled in the school (one mother and one father) elected by the parents
  • The principal
  • One other teacher elected by the teaching staff.
  • Two extra members agreed by the representatives of the patron, teachers and parents.