Questions

458. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of pupils enrolled in junior infants in primary schools in County Laois for the school years 2021-2022 to 2025-2026 inclusive, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70332/25]

459. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to give public sector status to all secretaries and caretakers working in schools, to be given access to the same rights, the same certainty of a pension on retirement and salaries as the teachers and SNAs that they work alongside; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70334/25]

460. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the implementation of the ‘Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028’; which of the 18 priority actions have been commenced; the budgetary allocation; the way in which youth services are being increased in underserved/rural areas; the way in which young people are being engaged in shaping d…

461. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which her Department is tracking progress on the more than 100 actions in Education Plan 2025, particularly those involving the Education Therapy Service and strengthening school transport; the benchmarks which are being used; whether there have been delays; the way in which her Department plans to ensure that resource constraints do not h…

462. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to address the current shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in DEIS, special education, and Gaeltacht schools; the incentives or supports which are under consideration to improve teacher retention; when her Department expects to see a reduction in unfilled teaching positions; and if she will make a statem…

464. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reforms being introduced to address staffing shortages and recruitment bottlenecks in frontline public services for education; the way in which these reforms will improve service delivery in counties such as Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70965/25]

852. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on when a new school building (details supplied) will be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59607/25]

853. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on when an application for additional accommodation for a school (details supplied) will be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59608/25]

868. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the implementation of the 'Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028'; which of the 18 priority actions have been commenced; the budgetary allocation for same; the way in which youth services are being increased in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59795/25]

869. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the availability of school places in County Laois for children with autism; the number of children currently without a school place in the county; her future plans to streamline the application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59797/25]

870. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to address the current shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in DEIS, special education, and Gaeltacht schools; the incentives or supports being considered to improve retention; when she expects to see a reduction in unfilled teaching positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59798/25]

871. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the scale of school absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic, by DEIS and non-DEIS schools; the specific actions in place to reduce absenteeism, especially among children under six; when the promised new DEIS+ scheme will be published and implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59799/25]

872. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which her Department is tracking progress on the 100+ actions in Education Plan 2025, particularly those involving education therapy and school transport services; the benchmarks being used; the means by which the Department plans to resource delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59800/25]

296. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the review of the RACE scheme, including any proposals for public consultation; and whether this review will be in place before the 2026 State examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52816/25]

297. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider the introduction of additional time to the current suite of RACE accommodations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52817/25]

298. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm whether earlier confirmation of accommodations for individual students being accommodated under RACE will be provided prior to the 2026 State examinations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52818/25]

115. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update of the timeline for the budget allocation and commencement of the new school building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40185/25]

124. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the timeline for the budget allocation and commencement of a new two-storey extension comprising four classrooms, specialist rooms, toilets, stores at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40184/25]

115. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will use her discretion to prioritise increased funding for the UBU allocation to the Laois Offaly Education and Training Board, to provide much-needed essential targeted youth services and supports for young people in the region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30677/25]

692. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will liaise with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform to grant public-service status to school secretaries to enable them to have access to the single public pension service pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30646/25]

693. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school (details supplied) will be given DEIS status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30647/25]

139. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education for an update on the provision of two modular units for additional classroom accommodation at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17219/25]

206. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education how the issue of grade inflation in recent years and the potential impact on Leaving Certificate students graduating in 2025 will be addressed by her Department to ensure that no Leaving Certificate 2025 student is disenfranchised by historic grade inflation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17220/25]

223. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education to commit to ensuring that all buses in the school transport schemes for primary schools provide a bus escort to ensure the safety, supervision, and well-being of young children during their journey to and from school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16434/25]

643. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the provision of two classrooms at a school (details supplied). [1804/25]