Parliamentary questions

351. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to a shortage of primary school places in Dunshaughlin for September 2025 and that her Department has been notified of at least one patron body of their willingness to facilitate additional students if they have the teaching resources and physical space to do so; her plans to ensure additional capacity in …

352. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education to review the case of a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13503/25]

353. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that school bus escorts are left unemployed during the summer months and often experience delays with accessing social protection assistance; if she plans to employ school bus escorts all year round; the progress in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13528/25]

354. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education her plans for the urgent expansion of reading classes to meet the increased demand for this support (details supplied); if the current allocation process will be reviewed to ensure there is fairness and accessibility; whether he plans to provide additional support for those children who are left without reading classes; and if she will make a…

355. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education the reason children (details supplied) have to be driven 1 km to be picked up by the school bus on an unsafe road; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13542/25]

356. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education to detail the total expenditure on public procurement by her Department and its agencies, including spending on goods, services and works acquired through public procurement processes, in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [13547/25]

357. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education to provide a list of regulatory, appeal or other bodies, either funded by or under the remit of her Department, which are quasi-judicial in nature. [13571/25]

358. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education when she will implement the recommendations of the school transport review concerning lowering the minimum distance limits in relation to the school transport scheme; if she will look at the case of a school (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13586/25]

359. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education for details of her engagements with a school (details supplied) regarding their proposal to temporarily house a proposed special school in “Phase 2” of their new premises, rather than in prefabricated units on land designated for use as the school’s outdoor space; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13598/25]

360. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if there is a cap on special needs assistants for 2025 and 2026; what that cap is, and if it is being reviewed in light of increased demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13599/25]

361. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the number of SNA posts funded in Budget 2025; the level of support this will provide in the planned new special classes and special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13600/25]

362. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education to list the colleges and courses where it is possible for a student to complete primary school teacher training entirely through the medium of Gaeilge; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13602/25]

363. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the conditions or guidelines attached to the £20 million allocated to the Department of Education in the north of Ireland by the Shared Island Unit for the RAISE Programme. [13609/25]

364. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that, due to the design of the RAISE Programme, some of the most deprived areas in the north of Ireland will be excluded. [13610/25]

365. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the input the Shared Island Unit has in developing and assessing the formula used to determine which areas qualify for inclusion in the RAISE Programme. [13611/25]

366. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education the measures the Shared Island Unit will take to monitor the impact of the RAISE Programme. [13612/25]

367. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if sufficient funding will be provided to two schools (details supplied) to ensure they can continue to operate. [13660/25]

368. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education following the recent communication from the National Council for Special Education regarding the cap on special needs assistants, which has led to several schools (details supplied) having their SNA review applications placed in limbo, why certain schools have been informed of increases in their SNA allocations, while others, despite going t…

369. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education what steps the Department is taking to address the issue of certain schools’ SNA applications being placed in limbo and to ensure that schools receive the necessary SNA support to meet the needs of students with additional needs, especially in light of the time and resources schools have already invested in the review process; and if she wil…

370. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Education when a place in an autism special school setting will be provided for a child (details supplied). [13699/25]

371. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education for a breakdown of expenditure of public funds to private schools; the purpose of the funding, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13779/25]

372. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education given that children are accessing access and inclusion model support in early years settings, if she will clarify that these figures are being used when determining allocations for primary school ASD classrooms, special needs assistant support and resource teaching; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13861/25]

373. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education if she met with her Australian counterpart during her recent visit to Australia for St. Patrick's Day events. [13871/25]

374. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 456 of 5 February 2025, for a status update on her Department’s efforts to secure the necessary statutory approvals for the development of the permanent buildings for a school (details supplied); if she will provide further updates relating to the project; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …

375. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education when a contractor will be appointed for a school (details supplied); when works will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13881/25]