Parliamentary questions

102. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education the plans for grade deflation of Leaving Certificate results since the introduction of grade inflation; if 2025 Leaving Certificate students will be adversely impacted as a result of grade inflation over that time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17740/25]

103. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in 2024 average grade inflation for Leaving Certificate students was 7.5%, in 2025 it will be lowered to 5.5.%, thus the class of 2025 will get approximately 15 to 16 points less than last year, however one in four CAO applicants in 2025 will be using their points from 2024; the way in which s…

104. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of school management regarding their allocation of additional needs assistants (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17748/25]

105. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if she can confirm whether the special educational needs organiser assigned to the Dublin central area will contact all crèches and early years settings to ensure that all children that may require a special education place are identified and accounted for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17764/25]

106. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the total number of SNA positions currently filled, given the allocation of 1,600 additional SNA posts in Budget 2025, bringing the total to 23,179 SNAs for NCSE to operate under; to provide a breakdown of these positions by school type (mainstream primary, mainstream post-primary, special classes, and special schools); and if she will make …

107. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of children in Dublin postal districts 1, 3, 7, and 9 who are currently on a waiting list for a place in a special school for the 2025–2026 academic year; the number of special school places currently available in these districts for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17768/25]

108. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on a school (details supplied) following extensive damage caused by storm Éowyn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17845/25]

109. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education where the Programme for Government school transport 2030 scheme application process was advertised; the number of schools that applied; to outline the selection criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17846/25]

110. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education for an update on the provision of additional special education classes in Dublin mid west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17874/25]

111. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education to provide a list of the schools in Dublin mid west that have expressed an interest in opening a special education class, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17875/25]

112. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Education if Tusla’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service (AEARS) conducts follow-up assessments or monitoring of young people aged below 16 who are participating in the Youthreach programme in order to ensure their continued engagement and progression within the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17884/2…

113. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education the criteria for eligibility for the school transport scheme, for primary and post-primary schools. [17914/25]

114. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education to consider the provision of an additional school bus route to accommodate students from Lisdowney who currently face significant challenges in accessing school transport (details supplied). [17945/25]

115. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will have their numbers of SNAs cut by more than half; how this decision was arrived at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17959/25]

116. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if she plans to ensure that school secretaries employed by boards of management receive equivalent pensions, leave entitlements and the equivalent benefits and conditions enjoyed by her Department or ETB-employed school secretaries/administrators; her views on whether this is an inequity and anomaly that is required to be addressed in the inter…

117. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Education if the ICT grant will be paid to schools this year; if so, when it will be paid; and when schools, both primary and second level, will be notified. [17964/25]

118. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education the reason the Bus Éireann school bus route supplying a school (details supplied) which has been in place for a long period of time, has recently been changed without any notice to parents along this route; if the service will be reinstated as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17967/25]

119. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the implementation of the Irish Sign Language Act 2017 (ISL) within her Department and its associated public bodies, including details of any ISL strategies that have been developed; and if no ISL strategy has been developed to date, the details of plans her Department has to address this gap in the near future. [1…

120. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education when an individual (details supplied) will be provided with a school placement relevant to their specified educational needs, given the impact attending mainstream school is having on their mental health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17999/25]

121. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary was only granted 1.5 SNA positions given the significant needs of the school which is classified as a DEIS Urban 1 school; if she will review this matter and ensure that additional SNAs will be granted to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18014/25]

122. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the number of primary schools and post primary schools that are billed by Uisce Éireann; and that share of the total number of primary schools and post primary schools. [18029/25]

123. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if all primary and post primary schools can access public liability insurance from one insurance company only, nominated by her Department, or whether schools are free to seek out their insurance cover from any company. [18030/25]

124. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an updated timeline for the progression of the permanent school building project for a school (details supplied), given that planning permission was regranted in December 2023 and the design team is currently finalising tender documents; when the project is expected to proceed to tender and construction; and if she wil…

125. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education given the concerns raised by parents about the issue of grade inflation, particularly regarding its impact on the Class of 2025, the steps she is taking to ensure that these students are not unfairly disadvantaged in their pursuit of university places. [18080/25]

126. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education considering that the adjustments made in response to the pandemic may create challenges for current Leaving Certificate candidates competing against students from previous years, if she will consider measures such as aligning the grading of non-2025 applicants with the adjustments made for this year's candidates for the CAO application pr…