353. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to her Department's recent enquiries, the number of unique applications for a junior infants mainstream place for September 2026 in schools in County Meath (details supplied); the number of those currently without an offer of a place in a local school; the method and timeline for providing additional capacity to meet demand; and if she wil…
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 Darren O'Rourke under the heading Special Educational Needs.
139 questions match, newest first.
487. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 350 of 19 February 2026, the exact number of early intervention preschool classes for autistic children in mainstream and special schools that have been redesignated to primary autism classes/other special classes for the 2026/2027 school year. [16899/26]
488. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes which were open and functioning, by county, for each of the years 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16900/26]
489. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to redesignate any more early intervention classes for the school year 2026/2027 or 2027/2028; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16901/26]
490. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes which were redesignated to primary autism classes/other special classes for each of the years 2020 to 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16902/26]
350. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention preschool classes for autistic children in mainstream schools and special schools which are being redesignated to primary autism classes/other special classes for the 2026/2027 school year [13713/26]
92. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children notified to the NCSE before the October parent notification deadline; the number of children notified to the NCSE after the October deadline; the number of those children currently without an offer of a school place for September 2026; the measures she is taking to address this to ensure every child has an appropriate school …
555. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth when parents who were unable to notify the NCSE of their child’s recommendation for a special class before the 1 October deadline will receive a letter of eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9269/26]
502. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children on Register 14 of TESS; the percentage of whom are identified as having AEN/SEN; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7782/26]
503. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children awaiting assessment via AEARS in order to be added to register 14 on TESS; the percentage of whom are identified as having AEN/SEN; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7783/26]
504. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special classes sanctioned in 2025 and up to the 2nd tranche in 2026 that require modular buildings or building work prior to opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7791/26]
506. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the process for families who missed the NCSE’s October 2025 deadline for eligibility letters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7793/26]
518. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has considered instructing schools with special classes to assign a teacher to coordinate said classes; to specify a minimum number of administration hours per class for that teacher; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8067/26]
522. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the NCSE will provide the special class numbers, by primary and post primary schools, by county, for each of the years 2020 to date in 2026, in tabular form; the reason this data is not made publicly available. [8071/26]
526. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that a full autism class in primary school receives €4,020 annually (year on year funding), meanwhile full autism classes in post primary schools receive €0.00 in annual funding despite having the same number of students as primary school; and if she plans to ensure both primary and post primary autism classes are funded equally. […
527. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that the NCSE will provide accurate numbers of the students in post primary schools that have a recommendation requiring a special class placement but do not currently have that placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8076/26]
528. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in post primary school with an autism diagnosis, requiring a special class, which are waiting on a special class placement since transitioning from primary to post primary school. [8077/26]
529. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will direct the NCSE to provide specific CPD on the way in which to run post primary autism classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8078/26]
534. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school which gives priority enrolment to a post-primary autism special class, to students already enrolled in the school (details supplied) contravenes either the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 or circular 0039/2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8102/26]
561. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth following the publication of the NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for 2026-2030, the funding which will be provided to the provision of additional special classes to meet annual needs each year through just repurposing existing accommodation. [8383/26]
588. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for a county by county breakdown of newly established special classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8546/26]
474. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children which have been notified to the NCSE after the 1 October 2025 deadline, looking for a special class placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5612/26]
554. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish the list of early intervention classes for 2026/2027, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3914/26]
559. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1182 of 13 January 2026, if she will provide a list of names of just special schools across the State that have an early intervention class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4042/26]
52. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is taking to ensure that all teachers across the State are informed and provided with training for students with epilepsy; the supports that are provided to schools who have students with epilepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2534/26]