866. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Department has examined cases in which an assessment of need under the Disability Act found that a child's severe visual impairment did not affect learning, communication or mobility, despite professional reports indicating significant educational access needs; the way in which such discrepancies are reconciled with the educational supports su…
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Paul Lawless .
204 questions match, newest first.
868. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training and qualification requirements that apply to visiting teachers supporting students with visual impairment within the National Council for Special Education Visiting Teacher Service; to clarify whether visiting teachers are required to hold qualifications in Braille literacy and tactile instruction; the number of visiting teachers current…
869. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the body responsible for ensuring that students with profound visual impairment can access curriculum materials and State examinations where course content contains diagrams, graphs or other non linear visual materials that cannot be accessed through standard assistive technology; the oversight that exists to ensure such accessibility is implemented …
870. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the formal advisory documentation that is normally provided by the National Council for Special Education Visiting Teacher Service when determining appropriate educational supports for a student with visual impairment; whether such advice is normally recorded in writing and made available to schools and parents; and if she will make a statement on th…
871. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the procedures which apply where a student with a disability experiences significant distress or makes a mental health disclosure linked to difficulties accessing the curriculum; the way in which the responsibility is coordinated between schools, the National Council for Special Education and Tusla - Child and Family Agency in such circumstances; and…
530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the criteria for assistive technology supports to ensure that children with Down syndrome are not excluded from eligibility, particularly in cases where the child cannot write their name and has clear educational need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14560/26]
531. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the appeals process for assistive technology refusals to ensure transparency and fairness, particularly for children with complex needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14561/26]
532. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports which are available for families of children with Down syndrome who require assistive technology but have been refused under current criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14562/26]
674. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the working definition of the term ‘social justice’ as used by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment in its 2022-2025 Strategic Plan (details supplied); to detail how this definition is operationalised in curriculum design, including reference to any underlying theoretical frameworks, authors or academic traditions on which the NCCA reli…
675. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the NCCA has undertaken any analysis of the potential implications of multiple, divergent stakeholder interpretations of the term ‘social justice’ as used in its Strategic Plan and curriculum specifications, particularly in terms of how such divergence may affect the intelligibility of stated curriculum aims and principles for participants in…
681. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline the measures being taken to increase the number of autism class and special school places at post-primary level, in light of pupils completing primary autism classes who are unable to secure appropriate placements due to capacity shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12555/26]
682. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that transition planning for autistic pupils is carried out in line with NCSE guidance, and that children are provided with placements appropriate to their assessed needs, sensory profiles and support requirements, rather than being offered any available place where no suitable provision exists; and if she will make a statement on …
101. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected timeline for the roll-out of the 1,717 additional SNAs and 860 additional SETs announced as part of budget 2026; the regional allocation model; and the measures in place to ensure timely recruitment. [11013/26]
146. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department intends to address recent findings that education policy-making in Ireland remains cautious and fragmented, and is not keeping pace with rapid technological changes including artificial intelligence; and the reforms planned to ensure schools can respond effectively to emerging challenges. [11014/26]
157. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific actions her Department is taking to address overcrowded classrooms, particularly where it is impacting the effective delivery of the updated social, personal and health education curriculum, including drug education modules at secondary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11012/26]
172. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which participation in the National Conversation on Education is being promoted among students, parents, teachers, and youth organisations; and how the responses gathered will be incorporated into the upcoming Convention on Education and long-term strategy development. [11015/26]
196. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the development and planned rollout of the new DEIS Plus scheme, commencing in September 2026; the way in which schools will be identified; the supports that will be provided; and the way in which the scheme will target students with the highest risk of educational disadvantage. [11016/26]
596. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason no schools in County Mayo were included in the most recent list of school building projects progressing to tender and construction for 2026–2027, given the significant and well-documented accommodation pressures in the county, particularly in relation to special education provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9851/26]
597. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will issue on the accommodation plans submitted by a school (details supplied) which have been with her Department for ten months without an update, despite repeated follow-up by the board of management; the status and expected timeline for review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9852/26]
603. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether Youthreach experience as a resource person is counted for incremental credit when moving into a post-primary teaching role; if so, the reason the same experience is not uniformly recognised for those remaining in Youthreach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9890/26]
631. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the recent decision by the State Examinations Commission to provide only 10 minutes of additional time per examination for students accessing RACE accommodations, including students with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties; and if she will outline the evidence base used to determine this allocation; and if …
632. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider increasing the additional time available to students accessing RACE accommodations to a minimum of 10 minutes per hour, in line with international practice and the supports already provided at third level, to ensure that affected students are not placed at a disadvantage during State examinations; and if she will make a statement…
560. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide substitute cover for primary teachers availing of statutory breastfeeding breaks under Circular 0053/2023; the status of discussions with unions on introducing such cover to prevent loss of teaching time for pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4045/26]
1085. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth in reference to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, to specify the framework or criteria will replace professional diagnostic reports in determining eligibility for special classes and special schools; how this framework will safeguard children’s well-being and evidence-based educational planning; and if she will ma…
1086. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, to clarify who will be tasked with conducting the proposed “educational assessments” for special education placement; to confirm whether classroom teachers, who are not diagnostically trained, will be expected to assume this responsibility; and if she will make a statem…