School Staff

838. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Education if she will outline, given the significant disparities in terms and conditions between school secretaries and their peers, including the lack of sick pay, family leave, and equitable pension rights, the steps she is taking to ensure that school secretaries receive the same employment benefits as special needs assistants and teachers; and i…

958. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education if she will urgently review the staffing allocation for the 2025/2026 school year at a school (details supplied), where the loss of a mainstream teacher will result in a merged 3rd and 4th class of 39 pupils, well above her Department’s average class ratio size of 23:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20041/25]

960. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the gender breakdown of primary school teachers full and part-time for the years 2020-2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20067/25]

976. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education to examine an appeal for the retention of a mainstream teacher in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20243/25]

985. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education if she is aware that staff shortages have impacted pupils' ability to access transition year in schools and students are being asked instead to proceed to fifth year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20514/25]

995. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education the actions being taken to train teaching staff, including SNAs, on how to support children with visual impairments; and the training available for specialised equipment such as Braille textbooks under the child vision reading services. [20589/25]

999. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Education if training is provided to teaching staff on specialised equipment, including Braille equipment and the Braille keyboard. [20593/25]

1027. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education if a person (details supplied) will be given a contract of indefinite duration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20742/25]

1032. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education if there is a limit as to the number of special needs assistants that the National Council for Special Education is permitted to sanction; the criteria on which additional SNAs will be awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20794/25]

1033. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education if she intends to sanction additional special needs assistants for a school (details supplied). [20795/25]

1037. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education the number of schools that have utilised funding from her Department to enrol teachers in upskilling courses in high-demand subject areas. [20821/25]

1044. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Education to provide a cost breakdown of the expenditure of the “Teachers’ Professional Journeys: The First Decade” longitudinal research study, in tabular form. [20828/25]

1045. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 304 of 20 March 2025, the reason an applicant (details supplied) was denied leave in 2012 and therefore refused incremental credit despite a circular; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20835/25]

1047. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education if her recent announcement that teachers will be given permanent contracts after one year favours newly qualified teachers over highly experienced Irish teachers who have returned from teaching abroad and are fighting to obtain CID; if her Department will recognise Irish teachers for their work in international schools outside the EU and p…

1048. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education to review the case of pension entitlements for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20941/25]

1049. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education regarding her recent announcement about offering teachers permanent contracts earlier in their career, whether she will clarify if she is proposing to reduce the current requirement of two years of continuous service down to one year for contract of indefinite duration eligibility; when these changes will come into effect; and if they w…

1051. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education for details of her proposal for newly qualified teachers to gain a permanent contract a year earlier; what classifies as a 'viable post' in this instance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20953/25]

1052. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education when details of the main panel and supplementary panel for primary schools will be released; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20954/25]

1053. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Education for the urgent approval under a review request for an additional SNA for a school under medical needs for a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20970/25]

1057. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider changing the initial teacher training programme for secondary school teachers back to one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21072/25]

1062. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education to urgently address the disparity faced by school secretaries and caretakers, who are directly paid by the Department but who are being denied a pension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21177/25]

1068. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education if she will introduce a pension scheme for those school secretaries that are employed by boards of management and to give them parity with other school staff such as SNAs and teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21279/25]

230. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education if there is any assistance her Department can provide in securing an SNA post in a school with relevant qualifications. [18232/25]

233. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if a DEIS Band 1 school (details supplied) will lose its 10th teacher (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18237/25]

237. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a breakdown of how the 1,600 new special needs assistant posts for 2025 will be distributed across the country, and specifically how many will be allocated to schools in Dublin Bay north, given ongoing reports of unmet need in the area. [18327/25]