Questions

199. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for requiring a school (details supplied) to have 272 pupils enrolled for the 2026-2027 school year to retain its 11th teacher given the threshold for retaining 11 teachers for the 2027-2028 school year is understood to be 261 pupils; and the consideration that has been given to projected enrolment, ongoing housing development and …

536. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the delayed opening of the new special school in Balbriggan; the reasons for the delay; the steps being taken by her Department to ensure that the school opens as soon as possible; the reason parents and families were not adequately or promptly informed of the delay; the reason alternative educational provision, including…

587. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the construction and anticipated opening timeline for the new special school in the Loughshinny area of County Dublin (details supplied); the current expected date for completion of construction and handover of the building; the anticipated date on which the school will open to pupils; and when pupils and staff are expec…

342. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of EU Presidency policy and administrative officers now employed on temporary contracts across her Department, in Ireland and abroad; if these individuals can apply to internal civil service competitions for these temporary contracts; the plans being developed to retain these individuals once their contracts cease, given they will hav…

195. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason assistive technology was refused for a child (details supplied) despite a medical report submitted stating that this support is essential to enable the child to access the school curriculum while waiting an assessment for dyspraxia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53802/26]

321. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she has assessed the impact of the removal of references to therapy plans and therapy-related supports from the revised SNA role on children with cerebral palsy and other significant physical disabilities attending mainstream schools; the way in which schools are expected to implement physiotherapy and occupational therapy recommendation…

322. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether children with cerebral palsy who attend mainstream schools and who have significant physical care needs but little or no learning disability were specifically represented during the development of the Special Needs Assistant Workforce Development Plan 2026–2037; and if she will provide details of the organisations and parent representati…

323. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will establish a formal consultation mechanism with organisations representing children with cerebral palsy and their families to inform future implementation of the SNA Workforce Development Plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48768/26]

394. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the application to retain an 11th mainstream teacher for the coming school year at a school (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49487/26]

344. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if provision will be made to allow parents to transfer from school-based July provision to home-based July provision in circumstances where parents enrolled in the school-based programme in good faith, but the school is now unable to provide the programme due to staffing shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47272/26]

830. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a parent can still apply for July Provision as they missed the deadline for applications (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42226/26]

259. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the significant financial burden being placed on parents by schools requiring students to purchase chromebooks or other digital devices for senior cycle education; if financial supports will be introduced for working families who do not qualify for existing grants or allowances; and if her Department will investigate the growi…

261. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration will be given to extending the free schoolbooks scheme or introducing a dedicated technology grant to assist families with the cost of mandatory devices required by schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39353/26]

132. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration will be given to expanding the upper age limit and September age cut-off criteria within the admissions policy for the new special school in Balbriggan, in recognition of the fact that many children with additional needs commence school later than their peers due to developmental, medical or placement-related delays; and if she …

133. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if flexibility will be introduced to ensure that children who may be over the stated age threshold, or who miss the September cut-off by a short period, are not excluded from accessing an appropriate special school placement where a clear educational need exists in the new special school in Balbriggan; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

499. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the case of a child (details supplied) who is at risk of losing their school place due to the absence of a current psychological assessment required for special school applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37131/26]

500. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child cannot be left without a school placement because a public psychological assessment has not been provided (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37132/26]

501. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will intervene in cases where a Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) has confirmed eligibility for a special school placement, but the child (details supplied) cannot apply due to the absence of a psychological report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37133/26]

502. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason parents are required to obtain private psychological assessments in order to access special school placements where the State has failed to provide assessments through public disability services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37134/26]

503. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the emergency measures available for children who are deemed unsuitable for mainstream education and ASD units but who cannot access a special school placement due to administrative delays or lack of places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37135/26]

310. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of employees under the supervision and substitution scheme in each of the years from 2020 to 2025; if any participants in this scheme have transitioned to other roles within the schools in which they are employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31649/26]

108. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm the special needs allocation for a school (details supplied) for the forthcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31014/26]

613. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently accessing supports under the access and inclusion model, including those attending ASD pre-school settings; the extent to which these figures are used to forecast demand for special education provision as they move to primary level; the measures in place to ensure sufficient provision of special needs assistants,…

614. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has conducted, or plans to conduct, an analysis of trends in the early education and care access and inclusion model participation, and ASD pre-school enrolments, to inform forward planning for primary school supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30825/26]

1404. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total expenditure incurred by her Department on modular, prefab and temporary school accommodation, including both rental and leasing costs and purchased accommodation costs, in each year from 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25431/26]