Parliamentary questions

867. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide details of the funding provided to each national youth organisation in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; the planned allocation for 2026; the number of staff and the number of young people engaged for each of those years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59789/25]

868. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the implementation of the 'Opportunities for Youth: National Strategy for Youth Work and Related Services 2024-2028'; which of the 18 priority actions have been commenced; the budgetary allocation for same; the way in which youth services are being increased in rural areas; and if she will make a statement on the mat…

869. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the availability of school places in County Laois for children with autism; the number of children currently without a school place in the county; her future plans to streamline the application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59797/25]

870. 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 being considered to improve retention; when she expects to see a reduction in unfilled teaching positions; and if she will make a statement on the m…

871. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the scale of school absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic, by DEIS and non-DEIS schools; the specific actions in place to reduce absenteeism, especially among children under six; when the promised new DEIS+ scheme will be published and implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59799/25]

872. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth the means by which her Department is tracking progress on the 100+ actions in Education Plan 2025, particularly those involving education therapy and school transport services; the benchmarks being used; the means by which the Department plans to resource delivery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59800/25]

873. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of applications received for the academic year for transport for children with additional needs; and the number that have been processed, by county, in tabular form. [59803/25]

874. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of places available to children with special educational needs in counties Cavan and Monaghan; the additional places planned and the timeframe in which they will be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59823/25]

875. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the exclusion of SEBD special schools from DEIS supports, particularly in cases where pupils have been transferred from DEIS-designated mainstream schools, thereby losing access to essential wraparound supports like HSCL officers and School Completion Programmes (details supplied). [59834/25]

876. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has met with or engaged directly with the management and board of management of a school (details supplied) regarding their serious concerns in relation to a lack of appropriate supports and the unsafe conditions they face; and if not, whether she will agree to a formal meeting to discuss these concerns. …

877. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department intends to introduce in-school multi-disciplinary teams, including psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and behaviour support workers, in SEBD schools (details supplied), where the need is particularly acute and the current reliance on external CDNT services is proving i…

878. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will commit to a full audit of the current building housing a school (details supplied), with a view to securing significant refurbishment funding or facilitating a move to a new fit-for-purpose building, given ongoing safety concerns raised by the school's management. [59837/25]

879. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the additional measures her Department will introduce to ensure that staff working in social, emotional and behavioural difficulties designated schools have access to appropriate, on-site mental health supports, given the high-risk and high-stress nature of their work. [59839/25]

880. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review pay and allowance structures for teachers and SNAs in SEBD-designated schools, in light of the fact that staff in such settings face significantly higher-risk working conditions than those in mainstream schools but do not receive any additional allowance, unlike teachers in secure units or detention cent…

881. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to address the recruitment and retention crisis in SEBD-designated schools, particularly given the absence of structured mental health supports, salary differentials, and growing levels of burnout and staff turnover. [59841/25]

882. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has considered establishing a dedicated staff support framework for those working in SEBD-designated schools, similar to that available in secure or custodial education settings, to ensure adequate protection, supervision, and wellbeing supports. [59842/25]

883. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider producing a policy for the Irish language in the youth work sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59856/25]

884. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the importance of the role played by mild general learning disability schools in the mix of schools; if she will protect their status; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59857/25]

885. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has issued guidance to schools regarding the use of preferred pronouns and names for children identifying as transgender; if parents or guardians are required to be informed or consulted before such changes are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59858/25]

886. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has reviewed the available clinical evidence relating to social transition in children, including the use of preferred pronouns and names in schools; and the safeguarding measures which are in place to ensure that school practices are consistent with evidence-based child welfare standards. [59859/25]

887. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the guidance which is provided to teachers on the use of gender pronouns in the classroom; the way in which her Department ensures that teachers are not placed in positions of conflict or undue influence in matters relating to a child's gender identity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59860/25]

888. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the guidance or direction her Department provides to primary and secondary schools regarding the use of bathrooms and changing rooms by pupils who identify as transgender; whether schools are required to allow a child to use the facilities corresponding to their gender identity where gender-neutral options do not exist; and if she …

889. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools are being supported to balance respect for all students with safeguarding responsibilities and parental rights in cases where a child requests to use a different name or pronoun; her Departments current policy on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59862/25]

890. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will ensure that teaching materials on gender identity presented in schools include balanced information reflecting both the experiences of those who have transitioned and those who later detransition; and the oversight mechanisms which are in place to safeguard children from one-sided or ideologically driven mate…

891. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review school curriculum materials and textbooks that discuss transgender or non-binary identities to ensure that a balanced and evidence-based perspective is presented, including information on individuals who later detransition and the potential long-term and irreversible effects of medical or social transition; and i…