Parliamentary questions

1045. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration will be given to granting schools in Kerry more flexibility to manage enrolment in special classes, particularly where a child's needs significantly exceed the available resources, while ensuring that child is offered appropriate alternatives locally. [41380/25]

1046. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans in place to address the increasing number of staff injuries reported in autism classes in schools in Kerry, including assaults such as biting and hitting; and if additional training, protective supports, or staff welfare measures are being introduced. [41381/25]

1047. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to expanding the number of early intervention classes in Kerry, where access remains limited despite increased demand from parents and local schools. [41382/25]

1048. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address the difficulties faced by schools in Kerry in recruiting and retaining bus escorts for children with additional needs; and if this responsibility can be taken out of the hands of school principals. [41383/25]

1049. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if additional resources will be allocated to help key workers in Kerry better support children transitioning between primary and secondary school, and in some cases where boys finish their placement in a school in second class and then move to another school prior to third class commencing. [41385/25]

1050. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a breakdown of the distribution of the 1,600 new special needs assistant posts for new special classes, new special schools, and existing schools with increasing care needs or pending reviews by the NCSE, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41400/25]

1051. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a student will be entitled to school transport under the transport scheme if their home address is 4.8 km from their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41404/25]

1052. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a parent disputes the accuracy of the Department of Education's or Bus Éireann's mapping software for the school transport scheme, if he or she may appeal it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41405/25]

1053. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Youth if alternative school places have been sought for children who were offered autism class placements at a school (details supplied) and now have been left with no school place for September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41431/25]

1054. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if support will be provided to a parent trying to find a school place for their 16-year-old child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41436/25]

1055. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Meath still without an appropriate school place for September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41446/25]

1056. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current average class size, that is, pupil-to-teacher ratio, in primary and post-primary schools in County Meath; the corresponding figures for the latest academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41447/25]

1057. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of classes in Meath that currently exceed 30 pupils; the way in which this proportion compares to national levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41448/25]

1058. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of school transport allocations in County Meath for September 2025; the number of pupils approved for school buses; the number of routes confirmed; the summary of outstanding applications or appeals; the steps being taken by her Department to ensure that all eligible students have safe and reliable transport arrangeme…

1059. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently still without a school place for September; the number of children waiting for autism classes with no other school placement; the number of children waiting for a place in a special education school; the number of children who have been offered places but there is no building ready; the number of …

1060. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department will explore the possibility of loaning or purchasing land from South Dublin County Council to provide space for a required special class for a school (details supplied). [41455/25]

1061. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if all external legal fees incurred by her Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41501/25]

1062. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41519/25]

1063. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41537/25]

1064. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41555/25]

1065. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the internal oversight that exists within her Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41573/25]

1066. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41591/25]

1067. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41609/25]

1068. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the amount her Department spent on interpretation services in schools and or any educational facilities over the past ten years, broken down by year, geographical area and highlighting the top ten languages most requested under this service, outlining any other trends; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [416…

1069. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children requiring EAL supports per annum, since 2015, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41645/25]