153. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are required, under Departmental circulars, guidance, or policy, to formally notify her Department or an agency under her remit when a child ceases attending mainstream education, or is placed on a reduced timetable, due to the school stating it cannot meet the child’s additional or special educational needs; when such requirements wer…
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
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Showing questions asked by Ken O'Flynn under the heading Special Educational Needs.
115 questions match, newest first.
154. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to set out the legal basis, Departmental policy position, and any issued guidance governing the use of reduced or partial timetables for children with additional or special educational needs; the circumstances in which such timetables are considered permissible; the maximum duration envisaged under policy; and the safeguards in place to ensure reduced…
155. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth what mechanisms her Department uses to monitor and oversee cases where children with additional or special educational needs are no longer attending mainstream schools on a full-time basis, including cases involving reduced timetables, home tuition, or alternative provision; the specific indicators or thresholds that trigger Departmental review; and h…
156. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department tracks educational pathways for children who exit mainstream schooling due to unmet additional or special educational needs, including subsequent placement in alternative education programmes, home tuition, or no provision; and if not, whether she will commit to establishing a tracking mechanism to ensure no child is effectively…
160. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify the formal role of special educational needs organisers in cases where a child’s attendance at mainstream school is reduced or discontinued due to unmet needs; whether SENOs have authority to require schools to maintain full-time attendance where supports are lacking; and how her Department measures the effectiveness of SENO interventions i…
161. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has conducted, commissioned, or plans to undertake a policy review of reduced timetables and informal exclusionary practices affecting children with additional or special educational needs; the timeline for any such review; and whether the review will include mandatory reporting, data collection, and enforceable safeguards. [108…
571. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools are required to formally notify her Department when a child is removed from, or ceases attending, mainstream primary or post-primary school due to the fact the school has stated it cannot meet the child’s additional or special educational needs, including autism, ADHD or related conditions; whether such notifications are currently made…
572. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in each of the past five years who have ceased attending mainstream primary or post-primary schools due to their additional or special educational needs, including autism, ADHD, or related conditions; the number who were subsequently referred to iScoil or other alternative education programmes; the formal monitoring and oversigh…
429. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Cork who notified the NCSE by 1 October 2025 that they require an autism-specific class or special school place for the 2026–2027 school year; the number of new classes required to meet this demand; the number sanctioned to date; and the steps she will take to guarantee that all eligible children in Cork receive an appropriat…
436. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Cork City and Cork County who notified the NCSE by 1 October 2025 that they require an autism-specific class or special school place for the 2026-2027 school year, by primary and post-primary level. [64977/25]
437. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new autism classes that the NCSE has identified as required in Cork for 2026-2027; and the number that have been sanctioned to date. [64978/25]
438. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that reported having no available accommodation for a new autism class during the 2025 NCSE planning process. [64979/25]
439. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of eligibility letters issued by SENOs in Cork from January to October 2025; and the number of these children remain without a confirmed placement. [64980/25]
440. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average and longest waiting time reported by Cork parents seeking autism-specific class placements for 2025-2026; and whether the Department tracks these waiting times. [64981/25]
441. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special class places lost or temporarily unavailable in Cork due to school accommodation constraints in 2025; and the steps being taken to prevent recurrence in 2026. [64982/25]
442. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that requested an SNA review between September and October 2025; and the number of these reviews that remain pending. [64983/25]
443. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of Cork schools that received reduced SNA allocations following the 2025 NCSE review; and the reasons recorded by the NCSE for each reduction. [64984/25]
444. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of NCSE SNA review recommendations nationally and in Cork that were issued outside the six-week review window; and the impact on schools preparing for 2026. [64985/25]
445. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any assessment has been carried out on whether the definitions of "complex care needs" and "level 3 care needs" used in the 2025-26 SNA review process adequately reflect the needs of students in autism classes; and if she will publish this assessment. [64986/25]
446. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of autism class applications in Cork redirected by the NCSE due to capacity issues in preferred schools for the 2025-26 school year, and the number expected for 2026-27. [64987/25]
447. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the NCSE has completed a capacity audit of all post-primary schools in Cork to determine which schools can accommodate new autism classes for 2026-27, and if she will publish the findings. [64988/25]
448. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that identified for reconfiguration or minor works to support the opening of new autism classes for 2026-27, and the expected timelines for completion. [64989/25]
449. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Cork who received eligibility letters for special class placement but were advised by schools to apply to multiple schools due to lack of transparency or clarity in the admissions process. [64990/25]
450. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the NCSE has completed any assessment on the administrative burden placed on parents seeking autism-specific placements in Cork, and whether improvements are planned for 2026. [64991/25]
451. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools in Cork that were issued guidance or support on implementing the Relate document during the 2025 SNA review period; and whether training was delivered in person or online. [64992/25]