10. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the DEIS plus appeal by a school (details supplied); when this school can expect to be notified of the outcome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54075/26]
TDs / Sorca Clarke
Sorca Clarke
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1,743
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
42,297
words spoken in the chamber
Across 205 contributions. Plus 82 contributions from the chair, not counted
380
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
256
topics asked about
Across 20 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 1,743 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 205 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 99 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 56 | 12 |
| March 2025 | 46 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 48 | 4 |
| May 2025 | 49 | 4 |
| June 2025 | 70 | 70 |
| July 2025 | 176 | 19 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 130 | 3 |
| October 2025 | 62 | 7 |
| November 2025 | 94 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 136 | 0 |
| January 2026 | 92 | 4 |
| February 2026 | 85 | 7 |
| March 2026 | 92 | 9 |
| April 2026 | 98 | 16 |
| May 2026 | 54 | 6 |
| June 2026 | 197 | 16 |
| July 2026 | 57 | 8 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 50 | 5 |
| October 2026 | 52 | 13 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 75 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Worked out by computer from the subject headings of each TD's questions, giving more weight to headings few TDs use. It shows shared subjects, not shared views.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Longford-Westmeath 29 November 2024 to now
- party Sinn Féin 29 November 2024 to now
When DEIS plus schools were announced in May, St. Joseph's and St. Michael's in Longford town were rightly included. However, Sacred Heart school in Granard, despite sharing the same DEIS history and facing significant educational disadvantage, was excluded and is now awaiting the outcome of an appeal. Could the Minister please outline how the appeal is being considered and when Sacred Heart school, Granard can expec…
This is about fairness and equity. The Minister mentioned the HP deprivation index. In the HP index, Granard scores higher than seven out of the ten areas that have been chosen in Longford. This does not make sense. Sacred Heart has been a DEIS band 1 school for 20 years. Since then, the demand on the school has increased dramatically. There are now 255 pupils, three autism classes, an early intervention class, a lar…
I agree with the Minister on the issue of consistency. I do not believe anybody in this House would argue against schools with the greatest need having the greatest level of support. However, the issue in Granard is that this school has faced the same challenges as every other school in Longford that has been chosen as a DEIS school for the past 20 years, yet it is not being considered as part of the scheme. There is…
Online platforms that promote and facilitate suicide need to be stopped. I commend the team of The Journal Investigates for its work in exposing these sinister forums, which are banned in other jurisdictions but accessible here. They prey on vulnerable people and they encourage them into irreversible decisions. The problem is not a lack of legal or regulatory powers. We have the Digital Services Act, the Online Safet…
And the Departments of justice and health.
This Bill, which is overdue, is a small step in the expansion of community pharmacy and women's healthcare services. Sinn Féin will support the Bill. It is a sensible measure that recognises the expertise of community pharmacists and reduces unnecessary barriers for women who need repeat prescriptions for contraception.
Community pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals in the country. They…
Every time my constituents speak to me about what matters most to them, they talk about their children. They ask whether they will be able to buy a house with the pressures they are facing as a family. Essentially, what they are asking is whether tomorrow can be better than today. Every one of those conversations leaves me with the same thought. People are looking for hope. They are looking for leadership. Politics a…
The Tánaiste knows only too well the saga of Children’s Health Ireland, CHI. Children with scoliosis and spina bifida were left waiting years for care. In many cases, they never received it. There were unapproved, non-medical springs implanted in children’s backs, hundreds of unnecessary hip operations and mismanaged waiting lists. These are the so-called Crumlin orphans, children with complex needs who were ignored …
What I find striking is the letter from the spina bifida and hydrocephalus paediatric advocacy group that states clearly, "We feel we have no other option but to withdraw from this scoping exercise". I find that deeply concerning. Trust is not built on promises; it is built on keeping them. These families were promised a child-centred, codesigned inquiry. Today, they say very clearly that promise has been broken. If …
Today, the ESRI warned that food prices will go up again this autumn. Ordinary families are under real pressure. They are working hard but are still struggling to pay their bills. They are getting crucified by rent, childcare and insurance. Now they read that the basics in their presses are going to go up. It will not just be them. The ESRI also said that those on fixed incomes, such as pensioners, those on disabilit…
Is the Tánaiste following all the female TDs around or is it just Mary Lou?
Is the Tánaiste tracking the movements of all the female TDs or just Mary Lou?
What a peculiar answer.
The ESRI.
Food prices, Tánaiste.
Supermarkets here. Fuel prices here.
Which will go up again on 1 August.
To families who do not earn enough.
Who else's diary does the Tánaiste follow?
Go raibh míle maith agat. I welcome the opportunity to raise the issue of the lack of a dedicated neurological service at the Regional Hospital Mullingar. It is not that we have an under-resourced service or a service that needs expansion; we simply do not have any dedicated neurology service at all. Instead, there is a limited outreach arrangement with another hospital in another county. For perspective, it will tak…
I want to return to the evidence, because the facts contained in the Neurological Alliance report are stark. Mullingar hospital is a model 3 hospital. The national model of care says that it should have a dedicated service. The first fact is that one in six people in Ireland are living with a neurological condition and it is now the leading cause of disability worldwide. Yet, despite the growing demand, Mullingar hos…
The Minister of State mentioned access issues nine individual times in her opening address. I am going to tell her what these so-called access issues really involve. A mother told me she had spent three weeks trying to contact the school-age dental team and when she finally got through this morning she was told nothing could be done, not even in an emergency, until that child's school was called, despite the case bei…
Thank you, Deputy.
Deputy, your time is up. I call Deputy Danny Healy-Rae.