647. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education to examine the case of a child (details supplied) who is at risk of expulsion from primary school due to a lack of additional supports available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11544/25]
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
651. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education the steps taken to address the lack of school places in Carlow for children with special educational needs, specifically referring to a five-year-old boy (details supplied) whose parents have applied to 11 different schools in Carlow, Laois and Athy and have been refused by each one due to a lack of spaces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. …
652. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education if she plans to approve a special learning difficulties reading class in north Dublin; the timeline for this expansion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11591/25]
653. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education if an additional SNA would be provided to a school (details supplied). [11616/25]
654. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the measures being considered to support children with special educational needs who are unable to attend mainstream or special schools due to severe anxiety, ASD, or other related conditions; if there are plans to expand long-term online learning options beyond temporary home tuition schemes; if consideration will be given to developing structured, accredited …
664. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education if consideration will be given to the option of opening a second ASD classroom in school (details supplied) for the coming academic year, 2025-2026, given the school has a classroom fitted and ready to go and has seven children on its current waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11667/25]
666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to ensure a child (details supplied) receives appropriate education and support, following the child's expulsion from school after a decision by the school board; if it is her policy to allow a child with additional needs, including a diagnosis of autism and ADHD, to be expelled from primary education without alternative educational prov…
680. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education if the National Council for Special Education runs a communications campaign; if so, the communication channels used to inform parents that they should contact the council to secure a school place for children with additional needs in a special class or special school; the budgetary allocation for such communication; and if she will make a statement on the matt…
681. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education if the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has any engagement with third parties, such as pre-schools, public nurses, the HSE, assessment of need providers, primary care centres, community centres and resource and family centres, to inform parents that they should contact the NCSE to secure a school place for children with additional needs. [11809/25]
682. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education the steps and process the National Council for Special Education undertakes each year to identify demand for special classes and special school places in local areas, such as Dublin 15; if the council relies on parents contacting it directly or an overall national percentage is used as part of that process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11810…
683. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education whether the NCSE has to report to her Department on the number of new special classes or special school classes are required in Dublin 15 for September 2025; and if so, when that report was received. [11811/25]
689. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education if she will consider establishing a special school or pre-school unit for children with additional needs in a school building which is no longer in use (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11832/25]
690. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education when enrolment will be open for applicants for the new special school in Griffeen Avenue, Lucan; the process and criteria for new applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11836/25]
691. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Education to consider establishing a special school, or pre-school unit for children with additional needs in a building no longer in use by a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11876/25]
694. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the case of a child (details supplied) who has autism and is yet to receive a school placement; if she will instruct her Department to ensure this child has a place by September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11897/25]
695. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education if she will intervene in the case of an additional special classroom for a primary school in County Clare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11903/25]
710. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education if she will open a special education school in the premises where a school (details supplied) is vacating in Gorey, County Wexford; the funds available to support special education schools for 2025; the number of special education places for the catchment area of Gorey, County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12058/25]
715. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education the total number of suspensions and expulsions in each special school across Ireland for the past three academic years, in tabular form, including any relevant details regarding the demographic breakdown where available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12102/25]
719. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Education the steps being taken to address the lack of school places for children with additional needs in the Donabate area; the options that will be open to parents who do not get a school place in September; and if a series of queries (details supplied) will be addressed. [12127/25]
739. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for details on the number of schools in Balbriggan which expressed an interest in opening a specialist class for the school year 2025/2026, the number of these applications refused; the reasons for refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12453/25]
740. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for details on the number of schools in Balbriggan approached by the national council for special education to open a specialist class in the last three years in tabular form; what percentage the schools declined; the reasons given for these refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12454/25]
741. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for the number of schools in Fingal west that expressed an interest in opening a specialist class for the school year 2025/2026, the number of these applications refused; the reasons for refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12455/25]
742. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education for details on the number of schools in Fingal west approached by the national council for special education to open a specialist class in the last three years in tabular form; what percentage of the schools declined; the reasons given for these refusals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12456/25]
746. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education the supports and additional accommodations available to children and young people with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder at primary and post-primary level in Irish schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12511/25]
748. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education the level of mandatory training within the national training programme for SNAs on managing children living with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12514/25]