Questions

120. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to ensure that children awaiting an assessment of need or formal diagnosis are not disadvantaged when seeking access to special education supports or placements; and if her Department intends to review the eligibility criteria for special classes. [74756/26]

131. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an assessment of need is required for children to apply for either a special class place in a mainstream school or a special school place. [74954/26]

285. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to ensure assessments of needs are completed as quickly as possible for children (details supplied); that they receive funding for SNA hours and home tuition due to lack of school places suitable for their needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52709/26]

38. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress being made to create an alternative to the assessment of needs reports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28204/26]

81. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans for changes to the assessment of need process to access special education places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27854/26]

1306. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a NEPS psychologist in a school (details supplied) will be replaced to ensure that NEPS assessments can continue as needed for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24380/26]

503. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the way in which the State now proposes to discharge its obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, given the confirmed absence of assessments to date. [5869/26]

395. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will direct the NCSE to issue additional letters of eligibility where assessments were completed shortly after the 1 October deadline and where it is clear that delays resulted from systemic or service-capacity issues rather than any failure on the part of families. [65646/25]

396. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is satisfied that the decision of the NCSE to introduce a significantly earlier closing date of 1 October for the submission of parental notifications and supporting reports has been implemented in a fair and reasonable manner; and the measures her Department is taking to ensure that families who were unable to secure assessment reports with…

397. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the NCSE policy of refusing to issue letters of eligibility where parents submitted notifications on time but were unable to obtain the required professional reports until later in October; and if flexibility will be introduced in light of capacity constraints within assessment services. [65648/25]

398. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if transitional arrangements were put in place for the first year of the revised NCSE application timeline; the considerations taken to ensure families were not disadvantaged by the abrupt change; and whether she will instruct the NCSE to reconsider applications where reports were delayed through no fault of the family. [65649/25]

399. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth her assessment of the impact that refusing additional letters of eligibility will have on the ability of children with complex needs to access appropriate school placements for September 2026 where some families were only weeks outside the October 1 deadline, particularly in cases where school enrolment windows extend into early next year. [65650/2…

400. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is satisfied with the level of communication provided to families regarding the new NCSE notification deadlines, required documentation, and approved assessors’ list; and if she will commit to publishing clear, accessible guidance for future application cycles. [65651/25]

401. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will undertake a review of the NCSE eligibility process, including timelines and communication practices, to ensure it operates in a fair, transparent, and child-centred manner. [65652/25]

296. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that the statutory timeframes for assessments of need under the Disability Act 2005, and obligations under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, are aligned with school placement deadlines, in order that children with additional needs are not excluded from education in breach of the E…

297. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which it is acceptable that a child (details supplied), red-flagged for developmental concerns since the age of two, whose family had to go to court to secure access to therapy and an educational report, was left waiting almost two years for a cognitive assessment only to be informed too late to apply for a special class and subsequentl…

393. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently on a waiting list with the NCSE for an assessment of needs; the number of children on a waiting list from 2019 to 2025, in tabular form; the average time children spend on a waiting list; the plans to lower the number of children on a waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25618/25]