Questions

98. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes operating, and the number of places available, in each school year from 2022-2023 to 2026-2027, broken down by county, in tabular form; and her views on the value of early intervention classes to autistic children who have difficulty transitioning to mainstream primary school/primary special school. [74605/26]

424. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department or NEPS has sought any change to the current accreditation or training standards for educational psychologists, including any change from a requirement for experience across mental health, disability and education settings; the rationale for any such change; whether an organisations relevant professional divisions (details suppl…

425. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether NEPS is currently supporting, funding or facilitating educational psychology doctorate placements that are primarily or exclusively school-based; whether such placements meet existing PSI accreditation standards; whether any concerns have been raised by PSI, CORU, universities, the HSE or other child health services; and if she will make a sta…

426. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of educational psychology trainees currently funded or sponsored by NEPS, the HSE or other agencies; the contractual obligations attached to such funding; the number of trainees who have sought to withdraw from NEPS-funded arrangements or repay funding in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49871/26…

427. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of NEPS psychologists that are currently employed; the number of whole-time equivalent vacancies; and the turnover rate in each of the past five years. [49872/26]

428. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the assessment that has been carried out on whether educational psychology training delivered largely through NEPS placements would equip graduates to work with children under five, non-verbal children, children with acquired brain injury, children with significant mental health needs, children requiring autism diagnostic assessment, and children requ…

430. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has examined the implications of training a significantly increased number of psychologists through school-based placements when major psychology shortages exist in CDNTs, CAMHS, primary care psychology, CHI and assessment of need services; whether there is a risk that public funding will produce graduates whose training is too …

431. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether graduates of educational psychology programmes with placements largely or exclusively in NEPS settings would be eligible and considered competent to work outside NEPS, including in HSE child psychology posts, CDNTs, primary care psychology, CAMHS, CAMHS-ID, CHI and assessment of need services; the discussions that have taken place with the HSE…

432. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the role additional NEPS-supported educational psychology trainees are expected to play in reducing assessment of need waiting lists, supporting implementation of the Autism Assessment Protocol and meeting the needs of children under five or children with complex disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49878/26]

852. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has issued guidance to primary schools that provide, host, facilitate or contract after-school services on the inclusion of children with disabilities or additional needs; whether such services are expected to be accessible to children with additional care, communication, sensory, behavioural or medical needs; the supports avail…

853. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether school-age childcare and after-school services operating in or through primary schools are required to make provision for children with disabilities or additional needs; what statutory, regulatory or funding obligations apply to such services in relation to inclusion and reasonable accommodation; if supports are available to providers to enabl…

609. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion will meet with a group (details supplied), as he promised to do in October of last year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34934/26]

1265. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of places available for students with additional needs at primary and secondary level, respectively, for the school term starting September 2026, by school and locality; and the number of students on a waiting list for place in respect of same, in tabular form. [24115/26]

1468. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current and projected provision of early intervention and special class places in the Cork east constituency, including for children with mild general learning disability; the number of children awaiting an appropriate school place; and the steps being taken to expand provision. [26053/26]

1469. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department is aware of concerns from families regarding insufficient special class and appropriate school-place provision for children with mild general learning disability, Down syndrome and related needs in the Cork east constituency; and the action planned in response. [26054/26]

88. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the safeguards in place to prevent under-identification of children under the revised assessment of need framework, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within Irish education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22600/26]

399. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has a stance on the value of early intervention classes in assisting children with additional needs to transition to school. [16421/26]

429. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of early intervention classes nationally in 2023, 2024 and 2025. [16419/26]

430. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she plans to increase the number of early intervention classes nationally in 2026/2027. [16420/26]

684. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a primary school (details supplied) has been notified of a reduction of 1.5 Special Needs Assistant (SNA) posts in its allocation for the coming school year; the criteria and assessment process used to determine this reduction; whether her Department has considered the impact this reduction will have on pupils with additional needs, staff c…

542. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in post-primary schools, by county, who have a recommendation for a special class placement but do not have a place in the current academic year. [6260/26]

545. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school giving priority to a post-primary special class placement to a student already enrolled in the school, but who only just received an autism diagnosis, and a recommendation requiring a post-primary special class placement would contravene either the Schools Admissions Act 2018 and/or Circular 0039/2025; and if she will make a statement on t…

517. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth her long-term plans for special classes and special school provision in light of recent proposed changes to the assessment of need process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72507/25]

518. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the additional responsibilities teachers and/or SNAs will be expected to take on as part of the proposed changes to the assessment of need process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72508/25]

865. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will publish the criteria and decision-making processes in respect of her proposed changes to the assessment of need process; who will now carry out these assessments; the training or safeguards that will be put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72506/25]