504. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is the case that of the 1,042 additional teachers provided for in Budget 2026, 860 are special education teachers to cover special schools and special classes in mainstream schools; and if that means there is only an additional 182 mainstream teachers. [55317/25]
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
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Showing questions asked by Darren O'Rourke .
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505. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional teachers needed to reduce the pupil teacher ratio by one point; and the reason her Department has failed to reduce the pupil teacher ratio in classrooms by even one point, as budget 2026 only provides an additional 182 mainstream teachers. [55318/25]
506. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the €8 million provided for the youth sector in budget 2026; and the amount specifically for capital projects. [55319/25]
507. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth of the €69 million funding provided for the school transport scheme in 2025, the amount that is to maintain existing levels of service; and the amount that is for new measures. [55320/25]
508. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional children who will be able to avail of the school transport scheme following budget 2026. [55321/25]
509. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the €19 million allocated in budget 2026 to curriculum development; the amount that will be for Leaving Certificate reform; and the amount that will be for primary school curriculum reform. [55322/25]
510. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the €3 million allocation in budget 2026 to provide additional deputy principals in primary and post-primary schools; and the number of additional deputy principals are expected to be hired, broken down by primary and post-primary level. [55323/25]
511. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of teachers she hopes to have working in the education system by 2030. [55324/25]
512. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the roll-out of school therapies is not coming into place with immediate effect following Budget 2026. [55325/25]
518. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the 2025 carryover in the Budget 2026 measures. [55385/25]
519. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the financial breakdown of the key policy adjustments and expansion of services in Budget 2026. [55386/25]
530. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in Irish medium schools in the Gaeltacht regions in Donegal who did the Junior Cycle Irish exam (T1 exam); to provide a breakdown of the number of students which received a result of distinction, higher merit, merit, achieved and partially achieved; and the number of students in these schools who took the Irish exam. [55452/…
531. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in Irish medium schools in Donegal outside of the Gaeltacht areas which did the Junior Cycle Irish exam (T1 exam); to provide a breakdown of the number of students which received a result of distinction, higher merit, merit, achieved and partially achieved; and the number of students in these schools who took the Irish exam.…
532. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in non-Irish medium or Gaeltacht schools in Donegal who did the Junior Cycle Irish exam (T2 exam); to provide a breakdown of the number of students who received a result of distinction, higher merit, merit, achieved and partially achieved; and the number of students in these schools who took the Irish exam. [55454/25]
533. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there is a higher marking criteria for students who take the Junior Cycle Irish T1 exam than the T2 exam. [55455/25]
534. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware there appears to be a higher standard of marking for Junior Cycle students taking the Irish T1 exam than those taking the Irish T2 exam; and her views on whether this will influence parent’s decisions to send their children to an Irish medium school or if they will be more likely to attend an English speaking school. [55456/25]
535. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that only 7% of students in Irish medium schools and schools in the Gaeltacht received a distinction in the Junior Cycle Irish exam; and the measures she is taking to improve these numbers. [55457/25]
222. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of full time teaching posts that were not filled in DEIS schools for the terms 2023/2024; 2024/2025; 2025/2026, respectively. [54171/25]
223. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of full time teaching posts that were vacant in DEIS schools for the terms 2023/2024 and 2024/2025. [54172/25]
224. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of days children in DEIS schools across the State did not have a full time teacher for a certain subject for the terms 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, respectively. [54173/25]
225. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount budgeted for DEIS schools last year but not spent. [54174/25]
189. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the closure of schools in some cases is at the discretion of her Department. [53221/25]
194. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will amend Circular 0010/2013 to allow for funding to be deposited into a school's account in order for it to purchase assistive technology equipment for eligible students, rather than the current scheme which puts pressure on smaller schools as they must purchase the equipment first and then be reimbursed, which creates situations where ce…
206. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify growing concerns among school bus escorts around their payment; if it is the case that school bus escorts are only paid from the minute a child gets on the school bus until they get off, despite many escorts spending up to an hour on the bus before a child gets on; and if Circular 0085/2024 can provide clarity to school boards of manage…
211. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the amount of the €450,000 total Education for Sustainable Development Fund available for schools that has been drawn down; and the amount of the fund that is remaining for schools to apply for. [53561/25]