Questions

457. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the additional supports, teaching resources and staffing allocations available to schools where more than 80% of pupils are non-native English speakers; if she will consider targeted interventions for schools such as one in County Kerry (details supplied), where the absence of such supports creates barriers to learning; and if she will make a state…

459. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made to date on discussions between her Department, the Workplace Relations Commission and other relevant stakeholders to find a resolution to the school secretaries and caretakers dispute; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73496/25]

460. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has been seeking the correction of her pay scale and recognition of service following a period of career break and study leave; if she will clarify why the appropriate pay scale adjustment has not yet been applied despite the submission of the required documentation and confirmation that t…

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]

481. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown of the school teacher vacancies in schools, by primary and secondary education and by county, in each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form. [73838/25]

231. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on discussions with school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72703/25]

239. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) will lose two SNAs from September 2026; the steps being taken to ensure this does not happen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72788/25]

443. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the ratio of male to female teachers in primary and secondary schools respectively; the measures he will introduce to increase the number of males training to become primary and secondary school teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71569/25]

466. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the engagement her Department is having with unions representing school caretakers and secretaries in relation to pension parity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71935/25]

508. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on her Department’s engagement with trade unions representing school secretaries with a view to finding a solution to the ongoing dispute about pay and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72427/25]

513. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth the key measures taken to improve employment conditions for teachers during 2025; her priorities for same in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72471/25]

125. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that some schools are now facing up to a 60% crisis around getting a substitute teacher according to an organisation (details supplied), that is 336 schools saying they are finding this very difficult; the action her Department is taking to help alleviate this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61035/25]

128. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of panels which are in County Laois for substitute teachers; the number of teachers on each panel; the number of schools serviced by each panel; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61036/25]

134. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she supports school secretaries and caretakers being treated equally with teachers in terms of access to a public sector pension and leave entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70817/25]

167. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a pensions deal for school secretaries and caretakers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70818/25]

175. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure that school secretaries and caretakers do not suffer hardship following retirement due to loss of income. [70740/25]

196. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70571/25]

382. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on the ongoing dispute involving school secretaries and caretakers; the current status of engagement between her Department, Fórsa and other stakeholders; the steps being taken to resolve outstanding issues relating to pay, conditions and the implementation of prior agreements; and if she will make a statement on the m…

420. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure there is better information about apprenticeships by guidance counsellors for senior cycle students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69803/25]

421. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to ensure that senior cycle students have the same accessibility to information on apprentices as senior cycle students pursuing CAO options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69804/25]

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]

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]

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…