Questions

1114. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the criteria used by her Department to award incremental salary credit to returning Irish teachers with overseas experience; if she will specifically address the current discrepancy where primary teachers frequently receive credit for international experience while post-primary teachers face widespread refusals; her views on wheth…

1115. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she is taking to support the provision of afterschool activities linked directly to primary school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54862/26]

1116. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the lack of afterschool facilities in a school (details supplied); if she is conscious of the knock on impact that this has on working families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54863/26]

1117. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she will take to engage with management of a school (details supplied) in relation to the provision of afterschool facilities for working families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54864/26]

1118. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding any mechanism in place to support newly built schools to put in place afterschool facilities for working families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54865/26]

1119. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Education and Youth the breakdown of the number of applications for school transport in County Wexford for the 2025-2026 academic year; the number of pupils who were issued a bus ticket under the scheme; the number of pupils who were refused a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54886/26]

1120. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with additional needs in County Wexford who are currently without a suitable school place for the upcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54890/26]

1121. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the contractual basis on which her Department decided to withdraw the agreed local bargaining (pay) measure for special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54902/26]

1122. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that a school (details supplied) is due to lose a teaching post despite having been granted DEIS Plus status in 2026; whether any temporary one-year measures can be put in place to address this situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54919/26]

1123. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has conducted an audit of recognised post-primary schools that require students to purchase or lease a laptop or digital device; whether there is any Department regulation or policy that permits or requires schools to make the purchase of a laptop mandatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55004/26]

1124. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department has undertaken any research or assessment of the financial impact on families arising from schools requiring students to purchase laptops or digital devices, including the costs of purchase, insurance, repairs and replacement; whether this has been compared with the savings arising from the free schoolbooks scheme; and if she wil…

1125. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the grants or financial assistance are available to assist low- and middle-income families with the purchase of laptops or digital devices where these are required by post-primary schools; if she intends to introduce such a scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55006/26]

1126. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total funding provided under the free schoolbooks scheme since its introduction, in each county, at both primary and post-primary level, for each county and each school year by county; and the amount by primary funding, post-primary funding , total funding, in tabular form. [55007/26]

1127. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average level of funding provided per pupil under the free schoolbooks scheme since its introduction, at both primary and post-primary level, by county and school year, the amount by county primary average per pupil, post-primary average per pupil and the number of pupils benefiting, in tabular form. [55008/26]

1128. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any review or evaluation of the impact of the free schoolbooks scheme on the overall back-to-school costs faced by families, including whether savings on books have been offset by increasing expenditure on digital devices and other school-related costs [55009/26]

1129. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have informed her Department that they require one-to-one student laptops. [55010/26]

1130. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the date for the opening of the online portal for applications for special school places for the 2027-2028 school year has been moved to September; to outline the rationale for this change; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55044/26]

1131. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has assessed the Postgraduate Diploma in Inclusive and Special Education (PDISE) offered by Maynooth University for inclusion under the Department-funded Postgraduate Diploma Programme of Teacher Professional Learning for Special Education Teachers; if not, whether such an assessment will now be undertaken; and if she will m…

1132. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria used by her Department to determine which higher education institutions are recognised and funded under Circular 0035/2025 for postgraduate diplomas in inclusive and special education; whether applications from additional institutions are considered; and if she will provide details of any review or expansion process currently underway…

1133. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether consideration has been given to alternative delivery models for postgraduate qualifications in inclusive and special education, including hybrid and part-time models delivered outside the school day, in order to support teachers in rural areas, teachers with caring responsibilities and schools experiencing substitute teacher shortages. [55…

1134. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has undertaken any analysis comparing the cost of the current eight-week block release model for funded postgraduate diplomas in special education with hybrid delivery models which do not require substitute teacher cover; and if she will provide the findings of any such analysis. [55056/26]

1135. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department intends to expand eligibility for funded postgraduate diplomas in special education to further support mainstream class teachers who teach pupils with special educational needs, in recognition of the increasing inclusive education responsibilities within mainstream settings. [55057/26]

1136. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she accepts that expanding recognition of accredited Level 9 programmes in inclusive and special education could increase national capacity in special educational needs provision and reduce barriers for teachers seeking specialist qualifications; and if she will outline any plans to increase the number of funded training places nationally.…

1137. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Teaching Council will review a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55109/26]

1138. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the 200 hours teaching practice to qualify for Droichead completion must be completed within a single academic year. [55135/26]