Parliamentary questions

934. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will give a commitment that the funding required for a special school (details supplied) is made available in the forthcoming Budget. [46336/25]

935. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the total funding allocated to County Louth under this Department from 2023 to date, per year in tabular form. [46354/25]

936. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she will take in the case of a child (details supplied) who has been unable to secure an appropriate place in a secondary school for September 2025 despite extensive engagement by their parents with the National Council for Special Education and CDNT teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46363/25]

937. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently approve requests in correspondence from a representative group (details supplied), to prevent the situation escalating; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46388/25]

938. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of any delays in the post-primary schoolbook scheme this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46415/25]

939. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school bus ticket for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46417/25]

940. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the details and addresses of all properties in the ownership of the Department that are absolved from paying commercial rates to the relevant local authority of the location that the property is in; to provide a similar list of properties for agencies or bodies under its remit that are also absolved from commercial rat…

941. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there are a set of rules for schools to follow for the free books scheme; if tablets and books are to be bought for each student or if this is down to the individual school to decide; if the Department would consider a consistent approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46457/25]

942. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a school (details supplied) will definitively be added to the list of Dublin 15 national schools as it is situated in the Fingal County Council administrative area, is within the D15 electoral area and requires consistent access to services of the NCSE and the local D15 SENO. [46459/25]

943. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of cases in which funded, purpose-built, special education units in primary schools are being used to house a mainstream classes rather than the intended special education provision; and if she will outline the steps her Department will take to address this matter ensuring that children requiring specialist support …

944. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the monitoring and follow-up procedures, in place to ensure that schools are using Department-funded, purpose-built special education units for their intended purpose; and if she will provide details of how compliance is checked both at the time of project completion and on an ongoing basis. [46462/25]

945. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions or sanctions that are available to her Department when a school uses a purpose-built special education unit for purposes other than that for which funding was granted; and if she will outline how the Department ensures accountability for public expenditure in such cases. [46463/25]

946. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline how her Department ensures that children who were due to be accommodated in a special education unit, but are instead placed full-time in a mainstream class, receive the level of specialist support, resources, and therapeutic input they are entitled to. [46464/25]

947. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department holds figures on the number of primary school pupils nationally who were placed on reduced school hours during the 2024-2025 academic year; and if she will provide a breakdown by county. [46465/25]

948. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of cases where primary school pupils were placed on reduced school hours for the entire 2024-2025 school year; and if she will outline what steps her Department is taking to address such practices, given that reduced timetables are intended to be short-term and exceptional. [46466/25]

949. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the monitoring and oversight mechanisms that her Department has in place to ensure that reduced school hours are only used in line with Department guidelines; and if she will outline how compliance is tracked across schools. [46467/25]

950. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the assessment her Department has carried out on the educational, social, and emotional impact on children placed on reduced school hours for extended periods; and if she will confirm whether additional supports are made available to such children. [46469/25]

951. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions or sanctions available to her Department in cases where schools fail to comply with the guidelines on reduced school hours and maintain children on reduced timetables beyond what is permitted. [46470/25]

952. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training and qualifications required of teachers assigned to special education units in primary schools; if she will confirm the number of teachers currently working in such units that have completed specialist training in special education; and if she will outline the steps being taken to ensure that all teachers in special cl…

953. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training and qualifications required of special needs assistants working in special educational units in primary schools; if she will provide details of any compulsory or optional training programmes supported by her Department; and if she will outline how her Department ensures that SNAs in special classes are equipped with th…

954. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she intends to increase the compensation of LMETB board members sitting on interview panels from €130 to €260, in line with those sitting on community school interview boards. [46480/25]

955. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a special class for children with autism and other conditions (details supplied) will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46482/25]

956. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if newly qualified teachers are entitled to payment during the school holidays if they are covering a teacher on sick leave indefinitely and employed on a year-by-year basis. [46484/25]

957. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if teachers who are employed on a year-by-year basis, or a fixed contract, to cover a teacher who is on sick leave have to sign on for jobseeker's benefit during the holidays. [46485/25]

958. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to change the interview process for permanent posts in schools to an independent public appointment board or service. [46486/25]