105. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide standardised, simplified guidance and a support helpline for schools preparing appeals for special education teacher allocations, and to minimise duplication of evidence requested across stages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22678/26]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Paul Lawless under the heading Special Educational Needs.
60 questions match, newest first.
530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the criteria for assistive technology supports to ensure that children with Down syndrome are not excluded from eligibility, particularly in cases where the child cannot write their name and has clear educational need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14560/26]
531. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the appeals process for assistive technology refusals to ensure transparency and fairness, particularly for children with complex needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14561/26]
532. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports which are available for families of children with Down syndrome who require assistive technology but have been refused under current criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14562/26]
681. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will outline the measures being taken to increase the number of autism class and special school places at post-primary level, in light of pupils completing primary autism classes who are unable to secure appropriate placements due to capacity shortages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12555/26]
682. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that transition planning for autistic pupils is carried out in line with NCSE guidance, and that children are provided with placements appropriate to their assessed needs, sensory profiles and support requirements, rather than being offered any available place where no suitable provision exists; and if she will make a statement on …
101. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected timeline for the roll-out of the 1,717 additional SNAs and 860 additional SETs announced as part of budget 2026; the regional allocation model; and the measures in place to ensure timely recruitment. [11013/26]
1085. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth in reference to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, to specify the framework or criteria will replace professional diagnostic reports in determining eligibility for special classes and special schools; how this framework will safeguard children’s well-being and evidence-based educational planning; and if she will ma…
1086. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, to clarify who will be tasked with conducting the proposed “educational assessments” for special education placement; to confirm whether classroom teachers, who are not diagnostically trained, will be expected to assume this responsibility; and if she will make a statem…
1087. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, the supports, training, and resources that will be provided to ensure that any new assessment responsibilities do not exacerbate already unsustainable workload levels in schools, as highlighted in recent research on teacher burnout; and if she will make a statement on t…
1088. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, the reason removal of diagnostic requirements was announced without consultation with teachers, unions, or parents; how her Department intends to restore trust and ensure transparency in future policymaking; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74490/25]
1089. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, if the designation of special classes and special schools is being altered or dismantled as part of this policy change; if not, the reason this was not made clear at the time of announcement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74491/25]
1090. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, to provide a timeline for the publication of the full framework governing access to special classes and schools, to commit to halting implementation until robust consultation with educators and stakeholders has taken place; and if she will make a statement on the matter…
1091. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to the Government’s announced reforms to the assessment of need process, whether she accepts that diagnostic reports are not merely bureaucratic hurdles but essential tools for children’s self-understanding and for evidence-based teaching; and the way in which her Department intends to safeguard these rights under the new system; and if she …
1112. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the statutory role and duties of a Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), including how decision making and accountability operate in practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74580/25]
434. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the NCSE has restricted the application window for SNA review requests between 15 September to 24 October; whether she will commit to allowing applications throughout the school year to reflect emerging needs beyond such small windows of opportunity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71501/25]
435. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for unifying SNA allocations across mainstream and special classes; the measures which are in place to ensure autism class resources are not diluted or redeployed to the detriment of children with higher levels of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71506/25]
436. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason behavioural care needs have been excluded from the definition of complex needs and level 3 care needs; whether she will review this definition in consultation with practitioners and parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71502/25]
437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools are expected to provide evidence implementation of the Relate document within the six-week review window, given the absence of adequate training and preparation; whether additional time and resources will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71503/25]
438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will provide assurances that no child currently receiving SNA support will lose that support due to the new NCSE guidelines; and if a robust and accessible appeals process will be guaranteed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71504/25]
127. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish a list of schools that have been sanctioned to open special education classes for the 2025-2026 academic year but have not yet enrolled students; and the enforcement measures being taken to ensure these classes open without further delay. [70379/25]
147. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of sanctioned special classes that are delayed due to incomplete modular accommodation or refurbishment works; and the contingency plans in place to prevent children from being left without a school place in September. [70380/25]
155. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review her Department’s policy of prioritising new special classes in larger population centres, given evidence that children in rural areas are being bussed long distances and denied local placements; and if she will commit to a rural inclusion strategy for special education. [70381/25]
187. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to publishing annual regional forecasts of demand for special class places, alongside timelines for sanctioning and opening, to ensure parents have clarity and to avoid last-minute crises in securing placements. [70382/25]
257. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that every child with additional needs is guaranteed a suitable school placement, given the severe shortage of places in special schools in County Mayo.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67655/25]