Section 27 of the Education Act, 1998 provides that students of post-primary schools may establish a student council and that the board of management shall encourage the establishment by students of a student council and shall facilitate and give all

reasonable assistance to students who wish to establish a student council and to student councils when they have been established. The Act also provides that a board of management of a post-primary school shall draw up rules for the establishment of a student council, including the election of members and the dissolution of a council, in accordance with guidelines issued by the Minister for Education and Science. 

An Assistant National Co-ordinator with responsibility for Student Councils has been appointed to the Citizenship Education Support Team of the Second Level Support Service (SLSS). This co-ordinator has been appointed to design and deliver a programme of professional development to respond to the identified needs and to support teachers and schools involved in establishing and developing student councils at second-level.

Guidelines The Role and Function of the Student Council