458. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether housing and funeral cost supports provided to survivors of residential institutional abuse are statutory entitlements or discretionary measures; whether binding written guidance has issued to local authorities and Community Welfare Officers [36524/26]
459. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average response time for representations submitted by Oireachtas members through an email address (details supplied) in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by regional office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36525/26]
460. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of representations submitted through an email address (details supplied) that remained unanswered after 10 working days and 20 working days in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, broken down by regional office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36526/26]
461. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are required to maintain a formal register of external speakers and facilitators engaged with students, including details of the organisation represented, topic delivered, class groups addressed, vetting status where applicable and approving authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36528/26]
462. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department maintains, or intends to establish, a national reporting mechanism for complaints relating to external speakers in schools, including complaints concerning safeguarding, age appropriateness or curriculum suitability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36529/26]
463. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is satisfied that consistent national safeguarding standards can be assured in circumstances where there is no central register of external speakers and no centralised record of complaints relating to such engagements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36530/26]
464. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a live national dataset exists recording available special class and special school places by school, year group, county and category of provision; and if not, whether such a system is planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36531/26]
477. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a single cross-departmental operational manual or implementation protocol exists governing the delivery of the five-pillar support package for survivors of residential institutional abuse; and if she will provide a copy of same. [36712/26]
478. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any binding service standards, timelines or response targets apply to applications made under the survivor support package; and if she will provide details of same. [36713/26]
479. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of applications received to date for health supports, education supports, housing supports and funeral-related supports respectively under the five-pillar survivor package, in tabular form. [36714/26]
480. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of survivor medical cards issued to date under the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025; the number currently pending; and the average processing time for applications. [36715/26]
481. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether local authorities have received formal written guidance, circulars or operational instructions regarding prioritisation of housing supports for survivors of residential institutional abuse; and if she will provide copies of such guidance. [36716/26]
482. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether Community Welfare Officers are operating under formal criteria or guidance when assessing funeral support applications linked to survivors of residential institutional abuse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36717/26]
483. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a single case-management or single-point-of-contact system exists for survivors seeking access to multiple supports under the five-pillar package; and if not, whether one is planned. [36718/26]
484. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any independent oversight, audit or review mechanism has been established to monitor implementation of the five-pillar support package for survivors of residential institutional abuse. [36719/26]
485. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently known to the National Council for Special Education as seeking but not yet having secured a special class or special school placement for the 2026/2027 school year, broken down by county and school level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36724/26]
486. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the NCSE Parent Notify process is subject to formal audit, compliance review or independent evaluation; if so, to provide the dates, scope and findings of any such reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36725/26]
487. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number of behaviour support practitioner posts approved nationally for special schools; the number currently filled; the number vacant; the average time from approval to commencement of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36726/26]
488. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any service-level targets or performance indicators apply to the filling of behaviour support practitioner posts once approved by the NCSE; and if not, whether such targets are under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36727/26]
489. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the behaviour support practitioner post allocated to a school (details supplied); whether the post has commenced; and if not, the reason for the delay and the expected commencement date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36728/26]
490. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of eligible referrals to the iScoil programme that were refused in each academic year since 2022/2023; the principal reasons for refusal; whether alternative educational provision was offered in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36729/26]
491. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is satisfied that the absence of a waiting list for iScoil provides adequate transparency and accountability in circumstances where eligible referrals are refused due to funding or capacity limitations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36730/26]
492. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the need for an interim educational pathway for children on reduced timetables, limited home tuition or without a secured school place who do not meet current eligibility criteria for iScoil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36731/26]
549. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is permitted for a post-primary school to require parents to purchase a specific laptop model from a single designated supplier as a condition of a student’s participation in classroom learning; and if so, the statutory, circular or policy basis for same. [37796/26]
550. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the mandatory arrangements schools are required to have in place to ensure that students whose families cannot afford a compulsory laptop purchase are not excluded from full participation in teaching, learning and assessment; and if she will outline the minimum standard expected. [37797/26]