Parliamentary questions

1124. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has undertaken any research or assessment of the financial impact on families arising from schools requiring students to purchase laptops or digital devices, including the costs of purchase, insurance, repairs and replacement; whether this has been compared with the savings arising from the free schoolbooks sc…

1125. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the grants or financial assistance are available to assist low- and middle-income families with the purchase of laptops or digital devices where these are required by post-primary schools; if she intends to introduce such a scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55006/26]

1126. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total funding provided under the free schoolbooks scheme since its introduction, in each county, at both primary and post-primary level, for each county and each school year by county; and the amount by primary funding, post-primary funding , total funding, in tabular form. [55007/26]

1127. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average level of funding provided per pupil under the free schoolbooks scheme since its introduction, at both primary and post-primary level, by county and school year, the amount by county primary average per pupil, post-primary average per pupil and the number of pupils benefiting, in tabular form. [55008/26]

1128. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any review or evaluation of the impact of the free schoolbooks scheme on the overall back-to-school costs faced by families, including whether savings on books have been offset by increasing expenditure on digital devices and other school-related costs [55009/26]

1129. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have informed her Department that they require one-to-one student laptops. [55010/26]

1130. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the date for the opening of the online portal for applications for special school places for the 2027-2028 school year has been moved to September; to outline the rationale for this change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55044/26]

1131. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education (PDISE) offered by Maynooth University for inclusion under the Department-funded Postgraduate Diploma Programme of Teacher Professional Learning for Special Education Teachers; if not, whether such an assessment will now be undertake…

1132. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria used by her Department to determine which higher education institutions are recognised and funded under Circular 0035/2025 for postgraduate diplomas in inclusive and special education; whether applications from additional institutions are considered; and if she will provide details of any review or expansion proces…

1133. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether consideration has been given to alternative delivery models for postgraduate qualifications in inclusive and special education, including hybrid and part-time models delivered outside the school day, in order to support teachers in rural areas, teachers with caring responsibilities and schools experiencing substitute te…

1134. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any analysis comparing the cost of the current eight-week block release model for funded postgraduate diplomas in special education with hybrid delivery models which do not require substitute teacher cover; and if she will provide the findings of any such analysis. [55056/26]

1135. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department intends to expand eligibility for funded postgraduate diplomas in special education to further support mainstream class teachers who teach pupils with special educational needs, in recognition of the increasing inclusive education responsibilities within mainstream settings. [55057/26]

1136. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she accepts that expanding recognition of accredited Level 9 programmes in inclusive and special education could increase national capacity in special educational needs provision and reduce barriers for teachers seeking specialist qualifications; and if she will outline any plans to increase the number of funded trainin…

1137. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Teaching Council will review a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55109/26]

1138. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the 200 hours teaching practice to qualify for Droichead completion must be completed within a single academic year. [55135/26]

1139. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of teachers employed in primary and post-primary schools in County Clare in each of the past five years; and the current number of teaching vacancies. [55148/26]

1140. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of SNAs employed in County Clare schools in each of the past five years. [55149/26]

1141. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the pupil-teacher ratio in each primary and post-primary school in County Clare. [55150/26]

1142. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of teaching posts allocated to County Clare schools under DEIS, special education and language support programmes. [55151/26]

1143. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken, or intends to undertake, a review of the eligibility criteria for the post-primary schoolbooks scheme to examine whether support could be extended to students attending fee-paying post-primary schools; whether her Department has assessed the impact of the current eligibility criteria on fa…

1144. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the full membership of the AI External Advisory Taskforce will be published; if all members have now been appointed; if she will provide the names, affiliations and areas of expertise of each member; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55205/26]

1145. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a child in County Kildare (details supplied) will receive a special school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55312/26]

1146. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons for the delay in the commencement of a school transport route (details supplied); the reasons for the substantial delay in this route commencing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55345/26]

1147. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the Programme for Government commitment of bringing pupil teacher ratio levels down to European norms of 19:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55352/26]

1148. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the online portal for school transport applications will be amended to allow applicants to nominate a pick-up and drop-off location rather than defaulting to a home address; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55381/26]