Parliamentary questions

614. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the progression of the proposed headquarters project (details supplied); the current stage of development, engagement with LMETB, and the expected next steps in the delivery process. [18315/26]

615. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 16 July 2025 and her predecessors reply in the context of the protection of school children, in addition to her Department’s undertaking “to review this matter with the HSE to determine whether there is a need to communicate further guidance on this matter to schools in the coming te…

616. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education and Youth in the context of the protection of school children, is she aware of the fact that the previous Minister of Housing, Local Government and Heritage/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), upon the advice of his then Department/NPWS, withdrew the proactive, elective Derogation Regulation, ; her views on whether the derogation…

617. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the current criteria governing the sanctioning of autism spectrum special classes, in view of a situation at a primary school (details supplied) which has successfully opened its first AS class and has now been sanctioned for a modular build providing the physical capacity for a second class; the rationale for…

618. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on an Emergency Works Grant application by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18336/26]

619. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools asking parents for 'voluntary contributions', by county, in tabular form. [18341/26]

620. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ban 'Voluntary Contributions'; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18342/26]

621. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review a policy (details supplied), a consequence of which sees smaller minority-faith based schools disadvantaged in respect of the development of AS special classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18343/26]

622. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timeframe for the provision of school buildings for a school (details supplied). [18344/26]

623. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of meetings which have taken place between her or officials in her Department and an organisation (details supplied) or bodies which are members of the organization in 2025; to provide a list of those meetings; the dates on which they took place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18350/26]

624. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a list of maintenance contracts using public funds that her Department or her agencies has where a company (details supplied) carry out works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18361/26]

625. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to open reader classes/reading school placements in South Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18366/26]

626. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the opening of a new special school in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare , [18367/26]

627. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a county-by-county breakdown of each special class funded and approved to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18373/26]

628. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of SNAs are projected to be employed within the education system by Quarter 3 of this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18374/26]

629. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the status of a school building (details supplied). [18382/26]

630. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a new special school (details supplied) has been provided with the necessary resources to provide education to students attending on a full school day basis; whether the necessary allocation of SNAs to support students safely has been provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18386/26]

631. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the large-scale capital project for a school (details supplied); when tender assessment will be completed; whether construction remains on track to commence by the end of Q2 2026; the expected timeline for commencement of works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18402/26]

632. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the basis for the introduction in 2024 of the revised special needs assistant (SNA) deployment toolkit and guidelines used by the National Council for Special Education to determine eligibility for SNA support; the specific criteria applied under this model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18405/26]

633. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider allocating a minimum of one SNA to every school in Ireland as a base line, with upwards-only allocations going forward to allow for specific need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18430/26]

634. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a breakdown of category, such as autism/ASD, moderate, severe, and so on, of all special classes approved to date, per county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18441/26]

635. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will urgently consider the need for a school placement for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18474/26]

636. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the Teaching Council’s recognition of the postgraduate programme “iPGCE with iQTS: SEND – Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Education with International Qualified Teacher Status (SEND)” delivered by Coventry University through NITE in England; whether completion of this qualification allows a graduate to register as…

637. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the acute lack of ASD unit places for children attending schools in County Wexford, and in the south east generally; the steps she intends to take to address this urgent need; if she will takes steps to ensure that a suitable place is found for a child (details supplied) who has been unable to f…

638. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding new modular classrooms for a school (details supplied) in Celbridge, County Kildare; the number of units that will be delivered and the date on which they will be installed. [18536/26]