The Minister for Education, Ms Hanafin, is to review the burden that bureaucracy places on schools in order to free them up to "get on with the job".
Speaking at the annual conference of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals in Killarney this morning, the Minister spoke on the theme of "Building school communities".
"It is vital that we minimise the bureaucratic burden in schools," she said.
Ms Hanafin said she intends to review the "administrative load" that legislation has placed on schools in recent years.
"We must ensure that our schools can comply with a range of legislative requirements in an efficient and commonsense way. I want to roll back on unnecessary bureaucracy in education and free up schools to get on with the job."
Ms Hanafin acknowledged that the role of school principal has become "more demanding and complex" in recent years.
"I intend to support principals and ensure that they can continue to provide educational leadership in their schools," she said.
Ms Hanafin, who was appointed to the post in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, said: "I see education as being about opening doors for our children and young people. I see teachers as being the gatekeepers to our children's future.
"There is no more important role in society and we have been well served over the years by the quality of professionalism of our teachers."
The president of the NAPD, Mr Derek West, called on the Minister to pause and reflect before she introduces the new tests for primary school children proposed by the former minister, Mr Noel Dempsey.
The move was seen as a controversial proposal by parents and teachers who believed the tests would create unnecessary additional pressures on children.