Parliamentary questions

578. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if guidance has been issued to schools regarding procurement models for digital devices, including rental schemes, leasing arrangements, or shared-use models; if schools are permitted to recommend specific suppliers or devices; and the safeguards in place to ensure value for money and avoid undue financial pressure on families. [3…

579. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made to date regarding additional accommodation project under the school capital programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39520/26]

580. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39521/26]

581. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth her assessment of the impact of the revised senior cycle programme, particularly the increased emphasis on continuous project-based assessment across multiple subjects; the way she intends to address concerns that this has created an expectation that students must have access to a personal laptop; and if she will make a statement …

582. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the planning or impact assessment carried out by her Department prior to the introduction of the revised senior cycle programme in relation to students' access to digital devices; if the financial burden on families of providing laptops was considered; and the measures put in place to mitigate this. [39523/26]

583. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the additional resources, funding, or supports that have been provided to post-primary schools to meet the increased digital and project work demands arising from the revised senior cycle programme; and if such supports are intended to remove the need for families to purchase personal laptops. [39524/26]

584. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department considers it necessary for each post-primary student to have their own personal laptop in order to fully participate in the revised senior cycle programme; and if not, the alternative arrangements that should be in place within schools. [39525/26]

585. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to review an application (details supplied) for school transport. [39532/26]

586. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the planning and building unit's engagement with a school (details supplied) and the NCSE to deliver a special class sanctioned for September 2026 that requires modular accommodation; to provide a timeline on its completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39535/26]

587. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary questions Nos. 413 to 420 of the 26 March 2026 the measures in place for her Department to identify "twice exceptional" children outside of the assessment of needs process (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39537/26]

588. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider an emergency works scheme application for a school (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39540/26]

589. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider an appeal under the emergency works programme for an application for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39541/26]

590. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address the ongoing inequities in the pay for principals of special schools given that principal allowances are currently calculated solely on the number of teaching staff, despite special school principals routinely managing significantly larger multidisciplinary teams. [39544/26]

591. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she will take to implement the job evaluation scheme in ETBs; (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39550/26]

592. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the teacher allocation for 2026-2027 for a school (details supplied) will be reviewed given concerns amongst parents regarding a split class proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39571/26]

593. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any review of the operation of contract of indefinite duration, CID, arrangements for primary and post-primary school teachers in recent years; whether concerns have been raised regarding the repeated use of fixed-term contracts preventing progression to permanency for long-serving teachers; a…

594. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way her Department monitors the interpretation and application of "viable hours" in determining eligibility for contract of indefinite duration, CID, entitlement in primary schools; whether any assessment has been undertaken into inconsistencies in the application of CID pathways across schools; and if she will make a statemen…

595. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth when it is expected that a school (details supplied) will receive approval for their Stage 2A submission and move to Stage 2B of her Department's school building and capital programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39718/26]

596. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the legal basis for her Department's position that guidance on best practice arrangements for opt-outs arise only from the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018, given that section 30(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998 already requires that students not attend instruction in any subject contrary to the conscience of a parent or …

597. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is satisfied that her Department's current approach does not create a two-tier system resulting in less favourable treatment of parents and students seeking to exercise conscience-based opt-out rights under section 30(2)(e) of the Education Act 1998 in respect of non-religious instruction, including instruction objected to …

598. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether, in light of Departmental circulars indicating that opt-out arrangements for SPHE/RSE are a matter for individual schools, if she is satisfied that this approach does not reproduce the same difficulties previously identified in respect of religious instruction opt-outs, including inconsistency between schools, lack of tran…

599. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department will issue binding national guidance requiring any post-primary school operating a compulsory digital-device scheme to have a formal device loan scheme, hardship policy and non-exclusion guarantee in place before such a scheme is implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39728/26]

600. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the number of students nationally whose parents have been required to purchase laptops or tablets for post-primary education in each of the past five years; whether any estimate exists of the average annual cost imposed on families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39729/26]

601. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has examined whether compulsory laptop or tablet purchase schemes in post-primary schools are consistent with the principle of free post-primary education; whether any legal advice has been sought on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39730/26]

602. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any complaints mechanism exists within her Department for parents who believe their child has been disadvantaged, excluded, or pressured due to inability to afford a compulsory laptop or digital device scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39731/26]