Questions

434. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the NCSE has restricted the application window for SNA review requests between 15 September to 24 October; whether she will commit to allowing applications throughout the school year to reflect emerging needs beyond such small windows of opportunity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71501/25]

435. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for unifying SNA allocations across mainstream and special classes; the measures which are in place to ensure autism class resources are not diluted or redeployed to the detriment of children with higher levels of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71506/25]

436. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason behavioural care needs have been excluded from the definition of complex needs and level 3 care needs; whether she will review this definition in consultation with practitioners and parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71502/25]

437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools are expected to provide evidence implementation of the Relate document within the six-week review window, given the absence of adequate training and preparation; whether additional time and resources will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71503/25]

438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will provide assurances that no child currently receiving SNA support will lose that support due to the new NCSE guidelines; and if a robust and accessible appeals process will be guaranteed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71504/25]

127. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish a list of schools that have been sanctioned to open special education classes for the 2025-2026 academic year but have not yet enrolled students; and the enforcement measures being taken to ensure these classes open without further delay. [70379/25]

147. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of sanctioned special classes that are delayed due to incomplete modular accommodation or refurbishment works; and the contingency plans in place to prevent children from being left without a school place in September. [70380/25]

155. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review her Department’s policy of prioritising new special classes in larger population centres, given evidence that children in rural areas are being bussed long distances and denied local placements; and if she will commit to a rural inclusion strategy for special education. [70381/25]

187. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to publishing annual regional forecasts of demand for special class places, alongside timelines for sanctioning and opening, to ensure parents have clarity and to avoid last-minute crises in securing placements. [70382/25]

257. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that every child with additional needs is guaranteed a suitable school placement, given the severe shortage of places in special schools in County Mayo.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67655/25]

258. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans to expand special school capacity in County Mayo; and the timeline and resources that have been allocated for additional classrooms and staff. [67656/25]

259. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department will take to address the growing demand for special school places in County Mayo. [67657/25]

260. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the analysis that has been carried out to project the demand for special school places over the next five years, and if the Minister will publish that projected analysis. [67658/25]

298. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps the Government will take to address the shortage of special educational places in Mayo given the unprecedented demand for the 2026-2027 school year; and if she will commit to urgently sanctioning the necessary capital investment and staffing required for special education places. [68169/25]

299. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she or her officials will engage directly with a school (details supplied) in Castlebar County Mayo to discuss the lack of available special educational places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68170/25]

288. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of vacant and derelict buildings in County Mayo owned by her Department that are vacant or rented, by the region/towns location of the buildings, in tabular form. [62669/25]

500. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason it is not possible to transfer permanency of teacher posts from one school to another; the reason a teacher must resign from his or her current post and begin the process again in a new school to gain permanency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61270/25]

501. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of teachers working within special schools, primary schools and secondary schools in the State who currently do not have permanent status. [61271/25]

543. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the decision not to provide capital funding for the proposed amalgamation of schools (details supplied) given the extensive local consultation, the educational benefits of a co-educational Catholic secondary school, and the broader pattern of delays in school building projects nationwide. [61845/25]

4. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has carried out an assessment of the impact that the current teacher shortages are having on students, particularly in rural schools and DEIS areas; and the measures being taken to recruit and retain teachers. [59851/25]

9. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the number of school building projects currently delayed across the State; the reasons for these delays; and the steps which are being taken to ensure children are not left learning in prefabs or overcrowded classrooms this winter. [59599/25]

41. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which parents are consulted in relation to the new primary curriculum, particularly the aspects dealing with relationships and sexuality education and gender identity; and if she will commit to full transparency and parental opt-out provisions to ensure that sensitive topics are taught in a manner consistent with parental values and age app…

43. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans in place to ensure genuine parental choice in relation to the ethos of schools, given the increasing number of parents whose wishes are not reflected in local school provision; and if she will safeguard the rights of parents as enshrined in the Constitution. [59602/25]

52. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has carried out an assessment of the impact the current teacher shortages are having on students, particularly in rural schools and DEIS areas; and the measures which are being taken to recruit and retain teachers. [59600/25]

86. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the operation of the school transport scheme in view of the hundreds of children left without seats this term; and if she will commit to ensuring that no child is denied access to education due to where they live. [59601/25]