Questions

354. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to create an appropriate leave mechanism for staff employed in special education where occupational health advises that an employee should remain away from a particular working environment while identified workplace safety measures are implemented. [72151/26]

355. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide ring-fenced funding for additional staffing, specialist input and other control measures identified as necessary through individual and workplace risk assessment in special education. [72150/26]

356. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to urgent repairs and upgrades required at a school (details supplied); and the steps she will take to address the fact that these requests have been rejected by her Department to date. [72161/26]

357. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to establish meaningful national reporting and analysis of assaults, injuries and assault-related absence in special education, including mechanisms for identifying repeated incidents and ensuring that reporting leads to reflection and change. [72147/26]

358. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the arrangements that are in place for assistive technology provided to a child under the Department's assistive technology scheme when that child transfers to another primary school or the child moves from primary to post-primary education; whether the child retains the device and brings it to their new school; whether a new application or assessment…

359. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline, with regard to the primary school survey, the statistical basis and appropriateness of applying a margin of error to a voluntary, self-selected survey; how the Department distinguishes the preferences actually expressed by respondents from assumptions about non-respondents; the reason multiple submissions associated with the same eirc…

360. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the maximum timeframe her Department considers acceptable between a child's need for assistive technology being identified and the child receiving the required device; whether her Department has a formal service standard or target for processing assistive technology applications; and the percentage of applications in 2025 and 2026 that were processed …

361. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will engage with the management of a school (details supplied) in relation to their SNA resource allocation in terms of dealing with pupils with additional needs. [72027/26]

362. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has issued, or plans to issue, guidance to primary schools on the educational provision and supervision of pupils withdrawn from religious instruction, including during sacramental preparation and school-time religious ceremonies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72070/26]

363. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth given that the primary annual census 2026-27 is the first time the State has tried to count the number of children withdrawn from religious instruction, whether the Minister will commit to publishing this data by a set date, and to issuing guidance to schools within this school year in order that these children are no longer left without mean…

364. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the current pupil-teacher ratio includes special education teachers; if so, the rationale for their inclusion as special education teachers do not generally teach children within a whole classroom setting. [72081/26]

365. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has plans to establish standalone special educational needs co-ordinator positions within the education system. [72082/26]

366. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number, by county, of home school liaison teachers operating at present in primary schools. [72083/26]

367. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the total number, by county, of home school liaison teachers operating at present in secondary schools. [72084/26]

368. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has any plans to reintroduce the high and low incidence of needs criteria back into the SET allocation process (details supplied); and the rationale for not including this criteria in the process of SET allocation. [72078/26]

369. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether all primary and post-primary schools have been formally informed of the provisions of Circular 0010/2013, concerning the transfer of assistive technology with a pupil when they change school, including when progressing to post-primary; whether further guidance has issued to schools on this process; and whether she will publish any circular, gu…

370. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the objective criteria used to select each area included in the School Transport 2030 pilot schemes in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years; the weighting applied to each criterion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72085/26]

371. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the process by which areas were identified for inclusion in the School Transport 2030 pilot schemes in the 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school years; who proposed or nominated each area selected; whether schools, parents, local authorities or public representatives were consulted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [72087/26]

372. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that graduates (details supplied) have been informed that their qualification is not recognised by an organisation; and her proposals to assist these graduates. [71999/26]

373. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether additional areas will be selected for inclusion in the School Transport 2030 pilot schemes for the 2026-2027 school year; the process that will be used to identify and select such areas; and whether an application or nomination process will be available. [72097/26]

374. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether consideration will be given to including the Clarinbridge–Athenry school transport corridor in future School Transport 2030 pilot schemes, having regard to the number of pupils who are ineligible for transport under the nearest-school rule despite attending post-primary schools in Athenry. [72104/26]

375. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the evaluations of the School Transport 2030 pilot schemes operated during the 2024-2025 school year have been completed; if so, when they were completed; and whether the evaluation reports, supporting data and findings will be published. [72091/26]

376. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the arrangements available for students who cannot attend school regularly for medical reasons to complete and have their additional assessment components authenticated; whether an alternative process will be available; where this cannot be done through their school; and the guidance that has been provided to schools on such cases. [72184/26]

377. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to calculate the true cost of workplace violence in special education including assault leave, ordinary sick leave, substitution, occupational health, healthcare, staff turnover and long-term absence; and to compare it with the cost of prevention. [72142/26]

378. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the guidance provided to post-primary schools on the use of class periods for students exempt from Irish; and if consideration is being given to issuing further guidance on their appropriate use. [72217/26]