Questions

424. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the Solar for Schools Programme specifications to facilitate the installation of battery storage in schools, thereby allowing them to retain and use more of the electricity they generate. [68211/26]

21. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide funding to ensure that STEM officers remain in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50253/26]

235. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of applications, places available and waiting lists for each of the 14 reading classes nationwide for each of the past five school years; whether her Department has undertaken any assessment of unmet demand for specialist reading classes for children with severe dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54247/26]

236. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress being made through the NCSE Parents Notify online portal in supporting early identification of demand for special education places; the steps being taken to ensure that information gathered through the portal informs timely decisions on the establishment of additional special classes and special school places; and if she will make a stat…

237. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth how the Department and the NCSE are using the earlier notification process for special education places to plan for teacher, special needs assistant, accommodation and transport requirements for the 2027/2028 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54249/26]

238. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will outline the further actions being considered to address schools that continue to publish admission policies containing clauses contrary to Department and NCSE guidance; whether additional compliance measures or oversight mechanisms are planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54250/26]

346. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a Stage B review for a school (details supplied) will be completed; the expected date for the school to be given approval to proceed to tender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47300/26]

102. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the climate action summer works scheme is being extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40709/26]

595. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when it is expected that a school (details supplied) will receive approval for their Stage 2A submission and move to Stage 2B of her Department's school building and capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39718/26]

306. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when it is expected that a school (details supplied) will progress from Stage 2A to Stage 2B of the Department’s School Building and Capital Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33877/26]

365. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the date on which she and Department officials will visit a school site (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29245/26]

366. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria for the appointment of home school liaison resources for schools under new DEIS strategy to 2035; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29246/26]

367. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown, by county, of the €90 million investment package for the 2026 Climate Action Summer Works announced in November 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29247/26]

368. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons for re-introducing the State examination fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29248/26]

369. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the level of capital funding provided to primary and post-primary schools in County Laois in each of the years 2016-2025, by school, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29249/26]

658. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when she expects to be in a position to outline plans for the inclusion of additional schools in the DEIS+ programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10425/26]

659. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to protect and support small schools in rural areas; the way In which demographic change and enrolment thresholds are taken into account in education policy and school planning; the steps being taken to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10428/26]

660. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific measures being taken to protect small schools in rural areas from closure or forced amalgamation; the way in which adjustments to enrolment thresholds and staffing schedules can be made to ensure the long-term sustainability of rural schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10429/26]

661. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will extend the newly announced wellbeing grant scheme to primary schools in County Laois; the criteria for inclusion in Strand Two of the Counselling and Mental Health Pilots in Primary Schools; if she will make provision for the establishment of education wellbeing teams to support school clusters in Laois in line with those currently operat…

48. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the expected timeline for commencement of construction of the new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6671/26]

154. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that the expansion of autism spectrum disorder special classes at post-primary level keeps pace with provision at primary level, so that every child has access to a suitable school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70325/25]

454. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will publish a single, transparent national dataset (details supplied) on teacher recruitment and retention; and the way in which her Department will respond concretely to evidence from organisations that current measures are failing to reduce vacancies or reliance on unqualified personnel; and if she will make a statement on the ma…

455. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific, costed measure on pay progression, contract security, workload, housing and location supports; if her Department will introduce in the course of this Government to make teaching a viable long-term career and especially in high-cost areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70329/25]

456. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department will provide targeted recruitment and retention incentives and mechanisms to ensure that no school is forced to drop subjects or redeploy special education staff in ways that undermine equity of access for students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70330/25]

457. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the date that she and her Departmental officials will visit a school site (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70331/25]