Questions

929. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason for the deferral of the revised Leaving Certificate specifications for English and accounting, which were due to be introduced as part of Tranche 2 of the Senior Cycle Redevelopment in the 2026-2027 school year and have now been delayed by at least a year; the revised timeline for their introduction to schools; and if she will make a…

930. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the guidance being developed by her Department on the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning will be published; the measures being put in place to protect the integrity of student assessment given the move under the Senior Cycle Redevelopment to have 40% of assessment occur outside the exam hall; and if she will make a sta…

931. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to provide special school places in the east Cork area, given that families in the Youghal catchment currently have no special school option closer than Dungarvan, Carrigtwohill or Cork city, and that a school (details supplied) was required last year to hold a lottery to allocate places from its waiting list; and if she will make a s…

932. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the permanent school building project for a school (details supplied) which is currently operating across two split sites in Heron's Wood and for which a permanent site was identified in January 2023 and subsequently purchased in January, but which does not appear on the list of projects prioritised to proceed i…

933. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the school building project for a school (details supplied) the all-Irish second-level school in Cork city centre; the current stage of the project; the expected timeline for its progression to construction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43480/26]

934. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a full list of all autism spectrum disorder (ASD) classes in Cork city and county, broken down by school and including the number of such classes in each school; the projected provision of additional ASD classes to meet rising demand in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43481/26]

454. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of updated demographic plans for Mallow being prepared by Cork County Council in relation to the future development needs of a school (details supplied); whether these plans have been finalised and shared with her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36622/26]

32. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there is sufficient budget, capacity and time to ensure that all children with a special educational need will have an appropriate school place this September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29069/26]

118. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update in relation to a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29068/26]

355. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the justification for the lack of therapeutic supports, such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology within school environments, leaving schools as ‘de facto’ providers without necessary resources; her plans to address this ongoing issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13310/26]

329. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm the total number of special needs assistants and whole time equivalents that were employed by the State in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13565/26]

145. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a list of the new school builds commenced since 2023 where pre-school childcare has been co-located with the mainstream school setting, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10572/26]

195. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the new building at a school in Glanmire, County Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10571/26]

540. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the school building programme for primary and secondary schools, respectively in Cork north central; the details of the current stage of development of each; the projects still in the planning or design phases, the expected timeline for progression to the next stage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6167/26]

100. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will be made on application for additional funding for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4565/26]

1040. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an emergency works application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74188/25]

1266. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a child in Cork will receive their allocation of special school transport (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2363/26]

462. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school’s application for a lift upgrade (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71844/25]

463. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will be made on a school’s application for emergency works (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71845/25]

486. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made over the past 12 months on each of her Department’s Programme for Government commitments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72193/25]

143. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the development and extension plans for a school in Cork (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67783/25]

168. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her department is taking to address the increase in absenteeism in primary and secondary schools, considering the results of a recent large scale mixed method study showed a growing trend of students missing school post Covid–19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67784/25]

168. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the budget allocated for free sanitary products for secondary schools since the launch in 2022; to list the schools that have availed of the scheme in Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66346/25]

169. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports available to schools (details supplied) to help them address the issue of period poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66347/25]

439. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of former secretary general’s, retired civil servants, directors of service, retired city/county managers or those of a similar grade in her Department that have subsequently served on State boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65997/25]