Parliamentary questions

463. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the investment in PE halls and GE rooms in schools; the way in which this aligns with embedding physical activity in daily teaching practices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70354/25]

464. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reforms being introduced to address staffing shortages and recruitment bottlenecks in frontline public services for education; the way in which these reforms will improve service delivery in counties such as Laois; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70965/25]

270. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently consider expanding the criteria for DEIS, in view of the unprecedented situation some schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68534/25]

271. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools will be selected for DEIS band 1 under the new DEIS Strategy; the data which will be used to inform this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68563/25]

272. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding funding available to support the creation of an interschool soccer competition for a group of DEIS primary schools in Shankill, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68591/25]

273. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the merits of creating a dedicated fund to support the creation of localised interschool sports competitions with a view to improving participation in sports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68593/25]

274. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider creating a pilot programme in Shankill, County Dublin to create a localised interschool soccer competition for a group of DEIS primary schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68595/25]

275. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to a case (details supplied) and if she will ensure that the child in question is able to attend a school in their local area. [68623/25]

276. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a school (details supplied) is not being included in the DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68634/25]

277. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to ensure there is adequate school provision in Dublin Rathdown, particularly in areas where the population has grown significantly in recent years, and local school places have not kept pace with population growth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68637/25]

278. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department is aware of significant numbers of children being left without an offer of a primary school place in Kilternan school planning area; the steps her Department has taken to address the shortfall of school places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68638/25]

279. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school places her Department plans to create in Kilternan school planning area annually for the next five years, by year; and if they represent a new school or an expansion of existing schools, in tabular form. [68639/25]

280. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new school places her Department plans to create in Ballinteer Stepaside school planning area annually for the next five years, by year; and if they represent a new school or an expansion of existing schools, in tabular form. [68640/25]

281. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Youth when her Department will undertake an inspection of a school in Ringsend (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68647/25]

282. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will secure a place for a child in a main stream post-primary class in County Offaly (details supplied); if she is aware that there are over 100 children awaiting such placement offers in the county; the steps she is taking to address these concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68657/25]

283. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth when funding will be available to physically amalgamate two schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68664/25]

284. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth when school projects (details supplied) will progress. [68665/25]

285. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount of funding her Department has allocated to drug addiction prevention initiatives in 2024, and to date in 2025. [68682/25]

286. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application (details supplied) to be included in the DEIS Plus scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68691/25]

287. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 350 of 25 November 2025, the timeframe in which the application for additional accommodation by a school (details supplied) will be decided; if she will expedite this process considering the severe pressure on the school at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68696/25]

288. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has obtained legal advice on the compatibility of Bí Cineálta and related SPHE requirements with Articles 41 and 42 of the Constitution and section 9 of the Education Act, if so, to outline the key considerations that informed her Department's position, and the statutory basis relied upon to require whole-school implementati…

289. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the safeguarding assessment undertaken by her Department before finalising Bí Cineálta, including the methodology used, the evidence sources reviewed, and whether recent reports such as the Cass Review and the HSS evidence review were examined, and if she will publish the assessment or its summary findings. [68834/25]

290. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out the procedures that schools are required to follow when a parent withholds consent from specific elements of Bí Cineálta or SPHE content, including the recording of non-consent, the supervision or alternative learning arrangements to be provided, and the instructions issued to schools to ensure that such pupils are not i…

291. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount spent in the years 2020 to 2025 on prefabricated classrooms, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68863/25]

292. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools where asbestos was found to be present, and the amount spent on the management and removal of asbestos in schools, between 2020 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68864/25]