Parliamentary questions

80. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will consider a new status for special education schools to recognise the fact that whilst they are currently classed as primary schools, they cater for an age range that includes adolescents and teenagers and many offer Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8151/25]

81. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Education if she will authorise a school bus service for children in the Rathcore area of County Meath attending second level schools in Trim, in accordance with the recommendations of the school bus review published last year. [8602/25]

228. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the in-school therapy supports pilot programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8965/25]

229. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education the number and categories of schools, at both primary and second level, identified by her Department as requiring emergency works; the criteria used to determine funding allocations in that regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6359/25]

230. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education her views on the programme of work to be undertaken to implement the Programme for Government’s commitment to ‘Increase the number of schools offering PE as a Leaving Certificate exam subject’; and whether an equal focus will be placed on same-sex girl’s schools, where participation levels in sports are typically lower. [5776/25]

231. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education if she will examine delays in implementing the new model of front-loading SNA support which was announced back in 2020; the reason it has not been implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7742/25]

232. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if a new toolkit for the deployment of special needs assistants is being implemented; the details of same; the way in which this will impact on the supports available to children at school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8661/25]

233. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the supports available for schools to assist them in addressing the issue of period poverty amongst their students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8685/25]

234. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the details of the budget allocated for free sanitary products for schools since its launch in 2022; the names of the schools that availed of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8686/25]

235. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that a school (details supplied) paid out over €173,000 in a period between 2016 and 2022 to remedy defects arising from the construction of a school by a company that has subsequently gone into liquidation; when the certified claim from the school for reimbursement of these monies will be concluded and the money remitt…

236. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the future plans for the temporary school build, currently being used by a college (details supplied); if she envisages it remaining in the current location and continuing as an educational facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8693/25]

237. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education her plans to teach the history of Ireland’s Traveller community through the school curriculum to build on this State’s recognition of traveller ethnicity in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8706/25]

238. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education the location of a new special school to be opened on Cork’s northside in 2025; when applications will open for same; and the number of places that will be available. [8752/25]

239. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Education the supports available to schools regarding the heating of school buildings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8769/25]

240. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education the position regarding matters raised in correspondence on special education teaching allocation in a school in Waterford (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8787/25]

241. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 370 of 18 February 2025, to clarify the data used in determining educational disadvantage; if numbers of students from the Travelling community is used as part of that data; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8824/25]

242. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education when the proposed timebound provision for teachers who qualify outside the Republic of Ireland (details supplied) will be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8834/25]

243. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education the status of the planned phasing out of the nearest school rule for the school transport scheme; the timeline for the abolishment of the rule; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8845/25]

244. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if she will address the urgent health and safety concerns at a school (details supplied); if she will provide funding for the installation of safety equipment, as outlined, to ensure the safety of all pupils and staff; and if she will consider granting Urban DEIS 1 status to the school to address the various challenges faced by the school,…

245. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education if the toolkit for deployment of SNA support (details supplied) amounts to a shift of responsibilities from SNAs to teachers; her views on whether this will place undue burden on teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8871/25]

246. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the timeline for the completion of the reconfiguration survey among parents regarding their preferences on education and school patronage; if he will provide a further timeline for when results of this survey will be shared with the relevant groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8884/25]

247. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education the total number of school infrastructure projects ongoing within Dublin Rathdown, or that have been devolved for completion to an alternative body; to report on the current phase of each project; the function of each project, be they for sports facilities, full new builds, or for special educational classrooms, in tabular form; and if s…

248. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education her policy on the need for primary and post-primary schools to establish classes or workshops for students on recognising misinformation and AI-generated online content, following the increased prevalence of these issues in recent times. [8910/25]

249. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Education the total number of times section 37a of the Education Act 1998 was used; the reasoning for its use, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8951/25]

250. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Education the schedule of building works of autism units and special schools being carried out and completed to ensure provision for special education school places for September 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8952/25]