Questions

471. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of an issue (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73744/25]

391. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of a case (details supplied); if a review of the case can be undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69212/25]

392. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have applied for retrofitting under the REPowerEU pathfinder programme to date; the number of these applications from Dublin; the current stage of these schools in the process; when the next round of announcements for retrofitting projects under the programme will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6…

393. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools can apply for retrofitting under the REPowerEU pathfinder programme; the way in which applications are assessed; the criteria used in determining eligibility and priority; the way in which schools are ultimately selected for inclusion in the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69215/25]

507. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the decision to refuse retrospective payment of set up grants for the autism special classes opened in 2021 and 2022 at a school (details supplied), in view of the contribution the school has made in opening three autism classes in succession and the very high needs of the students concerned; the circulars, guidance or policies on…

508. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the circulars and scheme rules governing set up grants for autism and other special classes at primary and post primary level; the formal time limits for submitting grant applications; the way in which these time limits are communicated to schools; if discretion is available to approve retrospective claims where classes are already es…

509. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have received autism or special class set up grants retrospectively in each year from 2018 to date, the total amount paid in retrospective grants in each year, disaggregated by county and school type; the criteria used by her Department when deciding whether to approve retrospective applications; and if she will make a sta…

510. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new autism and other special classes opened at post primary level for each year from 2020 to date; the number of these classes that received the full set up grants available; the number of applications refused or not processed on the basis that they were submitted outside the relevant timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the …

511. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline the internal guidance issued to Department officials on the processing of applications and late applications for autism and special class set up grants, including any instructions on the use of discretion in cases where schools have responded positively to requests to open special classes in their area; how consistency of decisio…

683. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58156/25]

783. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons for the continuing delay in progressing an approved Electrical Installation Emergency Works Project at a school (details supplied); when the emergency works section will issue authorisation to proceed in order that works can commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58791/25]

784. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to publish average and median processing times in the emergency works stream from approval to authorisation to proceed for each month in 2024 and 2025; the escalation protocols where insurer deadlines or health-and-safety risks are identified; the 2025 staffing levels and open case volumes in the emergency works section, including any service standa…

785. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth in circumstances where Departmental processing delays in the Emergency Works stream result in a school missing insurer-imposed completion deadlines, the contingency supports (including temporary risk-mitigation measures, interim authorisations, or coverage assurances) which are available to protect the school's ability to operate; and if she will ma…

392. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the work being done by her Department, and agencies under its remit, to facilitate, in line with the commitment under the Programme for Government, the easier return to Ireland for emigrants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56785/25]

403. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm that health supports for survivors under the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025 will be delivered to a Health (Amendment) Act-standard in practice, including a published list of covered services and referral pathways; if she will set out (i) the go-live date for issuing the first cards/entitlements…

404. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will bring forward proposals to provide a payment for eligible survivors of Industrial and Reformatory Schools that is equivalent to the maximum State Pension (Contributory) at pension age, in recognition of unpaid child labour in State-supervised institutions; the estimated number of potential beneficiaries; the projected annual and five-yea…

493. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a situation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51878/25]

494. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current and five-year trend in average primary class size and pupil teacher ratio, by local authority area, and by DEIS status; the number of classes with 30 or more pupils; the estimated teacher accommodation and current expenditure required to reduce the national average by one point and two points in 2026, with options to prioritise largest c…

495. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current capitation grant rates at primary level (mainstream, special school, and special class top-ups); the aggregate annual outturn for capitation since 2019; her assessment of the adequacy of the €224 standard rate against schools' non-pay running costs; the full-year cost of increasing the standard rate by €75 per pupil in 2026 (including pr…

496. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary schools with three or more special education teacher (SET) posts, by local authority area; if she will introduce dedicated special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) posts at assistant principal level in such schools in 2026; the projected full-year cost, timeline, and CPD framework for SENCO implementation; and if she will …

497. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to publish the evaluation findings and lessons learned from the small schools pilot project; the number and location of participating schools; if she will bring forward a plan and costing to expand the model nationally in 2026, including cluster governance templates, additional administration days for teaching principals, ICT supports, and transport…

498. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide 2024/2025 teacher supply and vacancy data at primary level, by local authority area (including fixed-term, permanent, and substitution coverage rates); the measures taken to improve recruitment and retention in high-vacancy regions; if she will align any class-size reductions in Budget 2026 with a phased, supply-led rollout and publish an…

499. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth to publish the cross-departmental implementation plan for the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025, including; the commencement dates by section; the allocated 2025 and 2026 budgets and staffing; the service access model for survivors in Ireland and abroad; the guidance to the HSE and other delivery bodies; and the sche…

759. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 25 June 2025, to examine the case affecting a teachers pay calculations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44603/25]

760. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 81 of 25 June 2025, to examine the case affecting a teachers pay calculations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44604/25]