84. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on her plans to remove a diagnosis as an eligibility criteria for a special education placement; the extent of engagement with teachers and their representatives in developing her plans to date; the extent to which the impact such a change would have on demand for resources has been assessed and the approach taken to this asses…
Topics / Special Educational Needs
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSpecial Educational Needs
2,921 questions from 146 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.
2,921
questions
2,881 written, 40 oral
146
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 31 |
| February 2025 | 124 |
| March 2025 | 114 |
| April 2025 | 160 |
| May 2025 | 134 |
| June 2025 | 183 |
| July 2025 | 215 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 113 |
| October 2025 | 76 |
| November 2025 | 191 |
| December 2025 | 122 |
| January 2026 | 163 |
| February 2026 | 283 |
| March 2026 | 270 |
| April 2026 | 167 |
| May 2026 | 181 |
| June 2026 | 171 |
| July 2026 | 101 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 44 |
| October 2026 | 78 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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139
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129
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115
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99
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92
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86
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80
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68
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
85. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans for redesignation of mild general learning disability schools. [75316/26]
86. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the number of applications for a special place in County Kildare; the age profile of the applicants; the number that have been successful; and the plans to provide a school place for those that were unsuccessful. [74947/26]
87. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary school pupils in County Clare who are currently receiving additional teaching support for literacy difficulties, including dyslexia; the way in which this compares with the previous three school years; and the waiting lists for specialist reading classes for the same years. [74989/26]
92. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools in Kildare North will benefit from the additional investment in special education from budget 2027, particularly in relation to the provision of special classes, special education teachers and SNAs. [74874/26]
93. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the impact that changes to special education school transport and escort provision have on children with special educational needs. [74578/26]
96. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she is taking to ensure safe staffing levels in all special schools and to ensure that all children attending special schools can access a full school timetable. [73911/26]
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]
108. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she is taking to secure appropriate school placements for children with special educational needs who are currently without a school place and remaining at home. [73897/26]
113. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s plans to improve the provision of educational supports and accommodations for children with dyspraxia or childhood apraxia of speech across primary and post-primary school. [74215/26]
255. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether additional special education classes have been sanctioned for a school (details supplied) for the 2027 intake year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74946/26]
256. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the difficulties accessing educational psychology assessments and appropriate educational supports for children that attend a school (details supplied) and the wider issue of availability of educational psychology services in the wider Blackrock and Booterstown area. [74972/26]
279. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she can guarantee that the Department engage with a school (details supplied) to ensure that the SEN Transport Application is submitted without further delay; and if her Department, the NCSE and the school will work together to ensure that the assessment and transport process does not take too long for the family. [75111/26]
284. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the consequences for children who cannot secure an appropriate special education place for September 2027. [75313/26]
285. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special education places are expected to be available in Waterford city and county for September 2027. [75310/26]
288. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional ASD classes or special school places planned for Waterford city and county for September 2027; and when these will be confirmed. [75311/26]
289. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Waterford city and county that require special education places for September 2027. [75308/26]
64. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth to proactively mandate and fund mainstream schools to open dedicated autism classes ahead of demand, ensuring no child is left without a suitable placement in their local community. [74852/26]
66. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she plans to reintroduce special allowances for teachers who invest personal time and money to pursue a diploma in special education. [74846/26]
68. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of NEPS posts currently filled and unfilled, respectively. [74844/26]
69. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has issued written guidance to post-primary schools on reasonable accommodation for students with dyslexia who experience significant and persistent difficulties learning a modern foreign language; whether schools are expected to consider alternative subjects or other arrangements in such cases; if not, the guidance that governs …
455. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special education classes in a location in 2023; and the expected number of special education classes to be in place in 2027. [73480/26]
456. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has issued guidance to school management authorities on their obligations under the Equal Status Acts in respect of students with dyslexia who are required to study a modern foreign language; whether a school's subject selection policy can be applied without consideration of a student's individual disability-related needs; and t…
457. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the procedures available to parents who believe that a post-primary school has refused to consider reasonable accommodation for a student with dyslexia in relation to the study of a modern foreign language; whether her Department can review or investigate the application of school policies in such circumstances; and whether she will issue national gui…
460. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if support will be given to secure a school place for a 17-year-old student (details supplied). [73547/26]