Questions

303. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the capacity and availability of places in special schools, particularly in County Mayo; and the steps being taken to increase the number of places available for children with additional needs. [50396/26]

304. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of places available in special schools in County Mayo, including projected intake for September 2026 and September 2027; the number of applications that have been received for these places; the number of children without a confirmed placement for the upcoming academic year; and the measures being taken to expand capacity where demand excee…

305. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the early intervention supports being provided; and the additional measures that are planned to ensure timely access to assessments (including psychological assessments) and supports for children awaiting school placements. [50399/26]

306. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to acknowledge the financial burden on families who are paying privately for essential services (such as speech and language therapy), and whether additional supports can be provided where HSE services are not meeting demand. [50400/26]

384. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the Summer Programme supports available to a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49229/26]

436. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a full breakdown of all special classes in County Mayo, including the number of places in each class, current occupancy levels, and projected availability for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33057/26]

437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who have been identified by psychologists and SENOs as requiring a special class or special school placement for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33058/26]

438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who are expected to attend mainstream schools with SNA support in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33059/26]

439. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the Department's plan to ensure that all children identified as requiring a special class or special school placement in County Mayo for September 2026 will be accommodated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33060/26]

440. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the ongoing training and support that is provided to teachers and SNAs in County Mayo to enable them to support children with complex needs, particularly in cases where therapy services are understaffed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33061/26]

521. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 530 of 24 February 2026, to provide an update on the review of the assistive technology scheme referenced, including the process being followed and the anticipated date for completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29670/26]

522. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason her Department does not accept or give appropriate weight to an individual professional report which clearly states that a child (details supplied) requires assistive technology in order to access the curriculum; and to outline the basis on which such recommendations are being deemed insufficient to meet the Department's criteria; and if s…

1243. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the role NEPS is expected to play in cases where its involvement has been sought but no response or engagement has been provided over an extended period; and the oversight mechanisms in place where a student’s distress appears to be linked to failures in disability-related educational access and support provision; and if she will make a statement on…

1324. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason refusal letters for SEN applications are taking several months to issue; the current average timeframe for issuing such letters; the impact these delays have on families' ability to lodge appeals in a timely manner; if she will ensure that the refusal letter for a person (details supplied) is issued without further delay; and if she will …

1408. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she agrees with the NCSE's view that special needs assistants (SNAs) should be primarily or only provided to children with physical care needs; if she will work to ensure that children with educational needs, children who need help with emotional regulation or sensory overload are not excluded from automatically receiving an SNA; and if she will …

1409. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she can provide an estimate on the number of children who were previously entitled to an SNA but from whom an SNA will be removed this year. [25486/26]

1410. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who lost their SNA allocation in each of the past ten years in tabular form. [25487/26]

1411. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children who qualified for an SNA in each of the past ten years, in tabular form. [25488/26]

94. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria used by the National Council for Special Education when determining annual special education teacher allocations; the data sources; the way in which multiple-year reductions are considered in respect of school stability; the average processing times and outcomes of appeals over the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the…

95. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will direct the National Council for Special Education to publish clear decision rationales for special education teacher allocation appeals; to reduce duplication in evidence required from schools; and to introduce an independent review layer for appeals that are initially unsuccessful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22666/26…

96. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will introduce a stability mechanism that prevents schools from incurring recurrent annual losses of special education teacher hours except in exceptional circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22667/26]

100. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that experienced reductions in special education teacher hours; the total number of hours reduced; the number of appeals lodged; the number of appeals upheld, by county and by year for the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22671/26]

101. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has conducted an impact assessment of repeated reductions in special education teacher hours on student learning outcomes and inclusion; if she will publish the findings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22672/26]

103. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special education teachers employed each year since 2020; the number of posts created, reduced, or removed; the number of teachers redeployed or reassigned; the number of schools that gained or lost special education teaching hours, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22674/26]

104. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will initiate a review of National Council for Special Education decision-making in relation to special education teacher allocations and the appeals framework, with a view to improving transparency, timeliness, and school engagement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22677/26]