Questions

333. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the legal effect of section 26(2)(a) of the Education Act 1998, which provides that a parents’ association may advise the principal or board of management on any matter relating to the school and that the principal or board shall have regard to such advice; whether this requires the principal or board to formally consider advice submitted b…

334. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected 2026 outturn for current expenditure on the education and youth Vote compared with the budget 2026 allocation of €11,475 million; and the reasons for the increase in the 2026 allocation to €12,442 million, by programme, in tabular form. [71854/26]

335. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out, specifically in relation to section 26 of the Education Act 1998, the statutory role and functions of a parents’ association in a recognised school; to clarify whether a parents’ association is intended to act as an independent representative body for the parents of pupils in the school; and to identify the matters on which a parents’ asso…

336. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the functions the National Parents Council will perform following full implementation of the student and parent charter; and if she will provide a list of those functions. [71873/26]

337. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the relationship between a parents association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 and an association (details supplied); whether the association has any statutory or departmental mandate to represent or support parents associations in disputes with principals, boards of management or patrons; and the formal mechanism tha…

338. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed if the functions performed by the National Parents Council will duplicate functions provided for under the student and parent charter. [71874/26]

339. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify whether a parents association established under section 26 of the Education Act 1998 is accountable to the principal, board of management or patron of the school in respect of the views it expresses or advice it provides; if not, to whom the association is accountable in carrying out its statutory functions; and to clarify whether the schoo…

340. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total amount of State funding provided to the National Parents Council in each of the past five years; and the amount allocated for 2026, if available. [71875/26]

341. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the National Parents Council has statutory functions under the student and parent charter; and, if so, to specify each such function. [71876/26]

342. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the National Parents Council will have a role in monitoring schools’ compliance with student and parent charters; and, if so, to specify that role. [71877/26]

343. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the obligation imposed on a board of management by section 26(3) of the Education Act 1998 to facilitate and give all reasonable assistance to parents who establish a parents association and to the association once established; to define the meaning of what constitutes “all reasonable assistance” for the purposes of this provision; and to i…

344. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the functions relating to parent participation that are performed by the National Parents Council that are not performed by her Department’s parents and learners unit. [71878/26]

345. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether an organisation (details supplied) continues to be recognised by her Department as the national representative organisation for parents in primary and post primary education; whether its representative and policy development functions as described in Circular 24/91 remain part of her Department's current policy; and the body or mechanism that …

346. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a school may satisfy a parent's exercise of the right under section 30(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998 by requiring a child to remain physically present in the classroom while the instruction to which the parent has objected is delivered; if not, the national guidance that has been issued to schools regarding the physical removal or alternativ…

347. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she intends to review the continued State funding of the National Parents Council following full implementation of the Student and Parent Charter. [71880/26]

348. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the specific services, outputs and deliverables required from the National Parents Council in return for State funding in 2026. [71879/26]

349. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of applications for assistive technology for children with special educational needs received by her Department in each of the years 2024, 2025 and 2026; the number approved and refused, respectively; the number currently awaiting a decision; the average processing time to sanction; the longest period an application has remained awaiting sa…

350. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the data collected through the 2025-26 primary annual census on the estimated number of pupils withdrawn from religious instruction in each school will be published; whether this data will be broken down by school patronage type and county; and the actions her Department intends to take on foot of these findings, including the developmen…

351. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh den Aire Oideachais agus Óige cad iad a pleananna chun an liúntais le haghaidh múineadh trí mheán na Gaeilge a thabhairt ar ais do mhúinteoirí meánscoile. [71668/26]

352. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of post-primary students nationally who were refused school transport in each of the past three school years due to the fact that they were not attending their nearest eligible school; the number of such students in County Galway; and whether this issue is being considered as part of the School Transport 2030 reform programme. [72114/26]

353. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to ensure occupational injuries do not ultimately consume an employee's ordinary sick leave entitlement while working in special education. [72152/26]

354. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to create an appropriate leave mechanism for staff employed in special education where occupational health advises that an employee should remain away from a particular working environment while identified workplace safety measures are implemented. [72151/26]

355. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide ring-fenced funding for additional staffing, specialist input and other control measures identified as necessary through individual and workplace risk assessment in special education. [72150/26]

356. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to urgent repairs and upgrades required at a school (details supplied); and the steps she will take to address the fact that these requests have been rejected by her Department to date. [72161/26]

357. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to establish meaningful national reporting and analysis of assaults, injuries and assault-related absence in special education, including mechanisms for identifying repeated incidents and ensuring that reporting leads to reflection and change. [72147/26]