Questions

152. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any impact assessment has been carried out on the educational and care implications of SNA allocation reductions; and if she will outline same [13227/26]

153. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number of SNAs allocated to primary schools in Cork for the 2024-2025, 2025-2026 and projected 2026-2027 school years respectively [13228/26]

152. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department maintains, receives, or collates any national dataset on the number of children in mainstream primary and post-primary schools who are placed on reduced or partial timetables for reasons related to additional or special educational needs; if so, the number recorded in each of the past five years, broken down by year and school l…

153. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are required, under Departmental circulars, guidance, or policy, to formally notify her Department or an agency under her remit when a child ceases attending mainstream education, or is placed on a reduced timetable, due to the school stating it cannot meet the child’s additional or special educational needs; when such requirements wer…

154. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out the legal basis, Departmental policy position, and any issued guidance governing the use of reduced or partial timetables for children with additional or special educational needs; the circumstances in which such timetables are considered permissible; the maximum duration envisaged under policy; and the safeguards in place to ensure reduced…

155. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth what mechanisms her Department uses to monitor and oversee cases where children with additional or special educational needs are no longer attending mainstream schools on a full-time basis, including cases involving reduced timetables, home tuition, or alternative provision; the specific indicators or thresholds that trigger Departmental review; and h…

156. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department tracks educational pathways for children who exit mainstream schooling due to unmet additional or special educational needs, including subsequent placement in alternative education programmes, home tuition, or no provision; and if not, whether she will commit to establishing a tracking mechanism to ensure no child is effectively…

160. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the formal role of special educational needs organisers in cases where a child’s attendance at mainstream school is reduced or discontinued due to unmet needs; whether SENOs have authority to require schools to maintain full-time attendance where supports are lacking; and how her Department measures the effectiveness of SENO interventions i…

161. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has conducted, commissioned, or plans to undertake a policy review of reduced timetables and informal exclusionary practices affecting children with additional or special educational needs; the timeline for any such review; and whether the review will include mandatory reporting, data collection, and enforceable safeguards. [108…

630. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown, by year and school level, of the number of reported incidents involving students bringing weapons onto school premises over the past five years; the number of suspensions and expulsions arising from such incidents; the guidance issued by her Department to schools in relation to disciplinary responses where weapons are involved;…

256. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm whether students with a formal diagnosis of dyslexia will be eligible for the additional time accommodation announced for the 2026 State examinations, regardless of whether they currently receive a direct intervention accommodation under the RACE scheme; to clarify the categories of "specific needs" covered by the interim scheme; to state t…

571. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are required to formally notify her Department when a child is removed from, or ceases attending, mainstream primary or post-primary school due to the fact the school has stated it cannot meet the child’s additional or special educational needs, including autism, ADHD or related conditions; whether such notifications are currently made…

572. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in each of the past five years who have ceased attending mainstream primary or post-primary schools due to their additional or special educational needs, including autism, ADHD, or related conditions; the number who were subsequently referred to iScoil or other alternative education programmes; the formal monitoring and oversigh…

508. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether students with dyslexia will be eligible for extra time in the Leaving Certificate examinations from 2026; when the eligibility criteria and application process will be formally published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5933/26]

288. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has obtained legal advice on the compatibility of Bí Cineálta and related SPHE requirements with Articles 41 and 42 of the Constitution and section 9 of the Education Act, if so, to outline the key considerations that informed her Department's position, and the statutory basis relied upon to require whole-school implementation where parents do …

289. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the safeguarding assessment undertaken by her Department before finalising Bí Cineálta, including the methodology used, the evidence sources reviewed, and whether recent reports such as the Cass Review and the HSS evidence review were examined, and if she will publish the assessment or its summary findings. [68834/25]

290. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out the procedures that schools are required to follow when a parent withholds consent from specific elements of Bí Cineálta or SPHE content, including the recording of non-consent, the supervision or alternative learning arrangements to be provided, and the instructions issued to schools to ensure that such pupils are not identified or stigmat…

302. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the Department’s estimate of the current national shortfall in buses required to meet contractual and public-service obligations for school transport. [69688/25]

451. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s procedures for ensuring that all primary and post-primary schools provide a clear opt-out process for parents who do not consent to elements of the Bí Cineálta policy or associated materials; and the direction issued to schools on the administrative arrangements for accommodating such pupils. [66186/25]

452. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the statutory basis on which her Department requires schools to implement the Bí Cineálta anti-bullying policy on a whole-school basis; and her Department’s assessment of whether such implementation is compatible with parental rights under the Education Act and the Constitution. [66187/25]

453. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures by which her Department has assessed the Bí Cineálta policy against recent safeguarding evidence reviews, including the Cass Review and the HSS report; and the steps being taken to ensure full compliance with national child-protection obligations in all schools. [66188/25]

454. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific guidance issued by her Department to schools regarding the treatment of pupils whose parents do not consent to elements of anti-bullying policies or SPHE-related content; and her Department’s instructions on ensuring equal access to the curriculum for such pupils. [66189/25]

455. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list all external organisations whose materials or programmes are included in, endorsed by, or linked to the Bí Cineálta policy; the vetting process undertaken by the Department before including such organisations; and the criteria used to evaluate the safeguarding suitability of associated materials. [66190/25]

456. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training provided by her Department and Oide to school leaders and staff on the implementation of the Bí Cineálta policy; the extent to which this training addresses safeguarding concerns raised in recent evidence reviews; and the means by which schools are instructed to handle parental opt-out requests. [66191/25]

457. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s monitoring arrangements for ensuring compliance with statutory safeguarding obligations during the implementation of the Bí Cineálta policy; and the number of compliance checks undertaken in 2024 and 2025. [66192/25]