Parliamentary questions

696. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education the number of sráith pictiúir that will be included in the 2026 Leaving Certificate oral Irish examination; if she will recognise that current fifth year students are anxious to have this clarified; if the current number of ten will be maintained; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11912/25]

697. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education the number of expulsions at primary, post primary, and special school settings in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11928/25]

698. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if a school (details supplied) will still receive funding if the school proceeds with installing modular buildings for a special class. [11931/25]

699. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to other State agencies and if her own Government Department have used any of the same IT services providers as the Arts Council (details supplied) and have experienced cost overruns or encountered delays or other issues with them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11937/25]

700. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education when a decision will be made on the additional schools accommodation application submitted by a school (details supplied) for the expansion of special needs classes; when funding will be allocated for the project; and the expected timeline for completion. [11943/25]

701. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education her plans to provide any further State support to parents who wish to homeschool their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11963/25]

702. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will engage with Bus Éireann on the rule that drivers on school transport must be under 70 years of age (details supplied). [11967/25]

703. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education if immediate funding will be provided for a full building survey of a school (details supplied) to assess serious health and safety concerns affecting students and staff; if her Department will engage directly with the school and the NCSE to find an urgent solution, including potential temporary or alternative accommodation if required; if s…

704. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education to provide an update from her Department’s officials on what action they propose to take to remediate the extension to a school (details supplied). [12005/25]

705. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education if her Department will investigate the reasons for administrative delays leading to apparent underpayment of teachers (details supplied); the steps her Department will take to resolve the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12012/25]

706. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education when a child (details supplied) in County Donegal will have an educational assessment carried out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12034/25]

707. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if a transfer will be arranged for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12042/25]

708. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education to sanction the provision of extra accommodation for the two special ASD classrooms for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12049/25]

709. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education for an update on progress to date in the provision of a new building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12057/25]

710. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education if she will open a special education school in the premises where a school (details supplied) is vacating in Gorey, County Wexford; the funds available to support special education schools for 2025; the number of special education places for the catchment area of Gorey, County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matt…

711. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education for the number of primary and secondary school students who have received an Irish exemption each year for the past five years; the number in each category of grounds for qualification for an exemption, for all schools across the State, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12060/25]

712. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that many secondary schools are actively encouraging some parents of primary school students preparing to start second level education to apply for a Gaeilge exemption so that they may receive other educational supports during Gaeilge teaching time; that this has become a standard practise for secondary schools wh…

713. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education to introduce measures allowing students to sit the Leaving Certificate through Irish sign language, in the same manner as other languages such as Chinese or Mandarin (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12065/25]

714. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to ensure that a school building project (details supplied) will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12070/25]

715. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education the total number of suspensions and expulsions in each special school across Ireland for the past three academic years, in tabular form, including any relevant details regarding the demographic breakdown where available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12102/25]

716. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education the plans she has in place to build an extension with additional classrooms at a school (details supplied), so that they can facilitate the growing numbers of pupils at the school. [12104/25]

717. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently review the mandatory retirement age of 70 for Bus Éireann drivers, given the serious shortage of school bus drivers; if she will consider allowing medically fit and capable drivers to continue working beyond this age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12106/25]

718. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education the up-to-date evidence-based rationale with statistics for moving a school (details supplied) in the Blanchardstown school area to the Mulhuddart Tyrrelstown school area. [12123/25]

719. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to address the lack of school places for children with additional needs in the Donabate area; the options that will be open to parents who do not get a school place in September; and if a series of queries (details supplied) will be addressed. [12127/25]

720. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education the number of members of boards in each body under the aegis of her Department who have a professional accounting qualification, for each of the years 2020 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12150/25]