Questions

1412. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Physical Activity in Teaching and Learning Grant, a pilot programme offering schools up to €10,000 to integrate physical activity into the curriculum, will be available for the 2026-2027 school year; to provide details on any planned continuation or expansion of the programme; whether her Department has evaluated the pilot's outcomes to …

463. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently without an appropriate primary and secondary school placement in the constituency of Fingal, for the upcoming school year; the number of those children who have been diagnosed with mixed disability needs; the steps her Department is taking to ensure that every child requiring a special school or special class pla…

464. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on whether it is acceptable that children with significant additional needs, including autism and moderate intellectual disabilities, are being asked to travel to schools located in different counties, in some cases requiring journeys of over an hour each way by bus; the maximum travel distances considered appropriate for children with…

465. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department is aware of cases where parents have applied to more than twenty special schools and mainstream schools with special classes yet have received only refusal letters due to lack of capacity; whether an emergency mechanism exists to ensure a school place is secured for such children before the start of the academic year; and …

466. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she will take to ensure better coordination between the National Council for Special Education, her Department, and local schools where a child with complex needs is at risk of having no school placement as they move from primary to secondary school; the supports available to families in such situations before the start of the school y…

467. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional special school places and ASD class places planned for Fingal between now and September; whether emergency measures will be considered where children remain without placements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21437/26]

468. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she accepts that children with complex needs have a right to receive an appropriate education within their own community; the measures being taken to expand local provision Fingal, particularly given the planned opening of a new special school in 2027 will come too late for entry into school in September 2026; and if she will make a statement…

469. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on whether it is acceptable that where a child with additional needs cannot access an appropriate special school or ASD class placement, a parent may be forced to give up employment in order to care for and educate the child at home; the supports available in such circumstances, particularly where the parent may they be deemed ineligib…

688. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to ensure that primary school teachers receive mandatory training in supporting children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; whether she will outline the level of ADHD-specific training currently required in initial teacher education and continuing professional development; and if she will make a statem…

689. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department monitors the way in which schools support children with ADHD who are awaiting HSE psychological services; the interim educational supports that are available to such children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18836/26]

690. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the guidance that is issued to schools regarding classroom strategies for children with ADHD, including movement breaks, sensory supports, and differentiated instruction; whether this guidance is mandatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18837/26]

691. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether additional special educational teaching hours can be allocated to a child with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis who is experiencing significant emotional dysregulation and academic difficulty, pending access to psychological services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18838/26]

692. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will detail the process by which schools can apply for additional special needs assistant support where a child with ADHD presents with emotional regulation difficulties and potential risk factors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18839/26]

693. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the impact of long waiting lists for HSE occupational therapy and psychology services on children’s educational outcomes; the findings of that assessment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18840/26]

694. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the oversight that exists to ensure that children diagnosed through private providers following referral under the HSE’s assessment of need process receive timely recognition and educational supports within the school system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18841/26]

695. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will consider introducing mandatory ADHD awareness modules for all primary school staff, including training on executive functioning difficulties, sensory regulation, and trauma-informed approaches; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18842/26]

696. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the mechanisms in place to address situations where a child with ADHD is repeatedly disciplined for behaviours arising from their disability; whether her Department monitors exclusion or suspension rates for neurodivergent pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18843/26]

697. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are provided with sufficient funding for classroom supports such as sensory tools, fidget aids, and environmental adaptations; if she will consider ring-fenced funding for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18844/26]

709. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a child with mixed abilities who accepts a placement in a mainstream primary school and is granted access to a special needs assistant automatically forfeits their place on a special school waiting list; if she will clarify the policy position in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18883/26]

711. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of mixed-abilities special education classes that will be required from September 2026 in the constituency of Fingal West; the number of children currently identified as requiring a place in such classes in September 2026; the measures being taken by her Department to ensure that sufficient places are provided to meet this demand; and…

715. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if financial assistance is available to parents who are required to make long journeys following on from the cessation of a bus service (details supplied) in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18953/26]

759. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the grant or allocation provided to schools (details supplied) for each substitute teacher cover has increased in each of the past 20 years; to provide a year-by-year breakdown of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19251/26]

760. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of funding currently allocated to post-primary school for the employment of substitute teachers (details supplied); the basis on which this allocation is calculated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19252/26]

761. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the allocation for substitute teacher cover (details supplied) has remained unchanged over the past two decades despite increases in salary scales and cost-of-living pressures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19253/26]

762. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth the changes that have occurred in substitute teacher daily rates and salary scales over the past 20 years (details supplied); if she will provide a breakdown of these changes by year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19254/26]