Special Educational Needs

381. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the NCSE 'notify parents system' for special education placements is fully operational and used in all cases where new or vacated special class or special school places arise; if its use is mandatory for all schools and the NCSE; the compliance and monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure the system is consistently used; whether…

382. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which the NCSE ensures that all parents of children awaiting special education placements are engaged with in a consistent and equitable manner across all regions; and the safeguards in place to prevent variation in practice between NCSE areas. [32346/26]

383. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the timelines that apply to NCSE engagement with parents once a special education need is identified; and the average time taken to first contact parents in each of the past three years. [32347/26]

384. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the records maintained by the NCSE to evidence engagement with parents regarding special education placements; and whether these records are subject to audit or independent review. [32348/26]

385. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a project (details supplied); to provide a timeline on its completion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32379/26]

393. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will list the location and number of autism classes attached to secondary schools in the Dublin 1 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32444/26]

394. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth the location and number of autism classes attached to secondary schools in the Dublin 3 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32445/26]

395. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Education and Youth the location and number of autism classes attached to secondary schools in the Dublin 7 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32446/26]

403. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm which body has ultimate statutory responsibility to ensure that every child is provided with an appropriate school place, including access to a special class or special school placement where required; and to outline the escalation and enforcement mechanisms where a place cannot be secured. [32545/26]

404. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to confirm which body has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that a child assessed as requiring a special class or special school placement is provided with a place within a reasonable timeframe; and the statutory enforcement mechanisms that exist where schools do not engage with the NCSE in providing such places. [32546/26]

414. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department receives regular reports from the National Council for Special Education on the deployment, vacancy status and allocation of behaviour support practitioner posts across special schools; if so, the frequency, format and content of such reports; and if not, the reason no such reporting mechanism is in place. [3…

415. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a centralised dataset is maintained by her Department, or on its behalf, recording the filling of behaviour support practitioner posts, including appointment dates, commencement dates and weekly hour allocations by school; and if so, if she will provide details. [32573/26]

436. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a full breakdown of all special classes in County Mayo, including the number of places in each class, current occupancy levels, and projected availability for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33057/26]

437. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who have been identified by psychologists and SENOs as requiring a special class or special school placement for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33058/26]

438. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo who are expected to attend mainstream schools with SNA support in September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33059/26]

439. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the Department's plan to ensure that all children identified as requiring a special class or special school placement in County Mayo for September 2026 will be accommodated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33060/26]

440. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the ongoing training and support that is provided to teachers and SNAs in County Mayo to enable them to support children with complex needs, particularly in cases where therapy services are understaffed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33061/26]

442. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools operating under the block grant scheme are considered to be within the special education teaching (SET) allocation model for the purposes of Circular 0013/2026; if so, the reason such schools have not been allocated SET co-ordination hours in line with other schools within that model; if not, the basis on which th…

444. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration can be given to universal access application to future proof a school’s access (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33137/26]

445. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the current status of the review of the assistive technology scheme for primary and post-primary schools, as referenced in the WHO Assistive Technology Capacity Assessment in Ireland (2026); when revised arrangements are expected to be implemented; whether the revised scheme will move from a diagnosis-led model to a functional, ne…

446. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address the WHO report’s finding that assistive technology funded through schools is generally owned by the school rather than the pupil, resulting in loss of access during transitions, including from primary to post-primary education; if she will consider reforms to support student-centred continuity of assistive tech…

447. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she is taking, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to ensure that pupils who rely on assistive technology do not experience a loss of equipment, training or support during transitions, including progression to further or higher education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33150/26]

448. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s role in the proposed cross-departmental National Assistive Technology Programme, recommended in the WHO report; the way such a programme will improve equity, consistency and timeliness of assistive technology delivery in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33151/26]

449. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures in place to ensure that assistive technology provided to pupils is supported by ongoing training, technical support and follow-up, rather than being limited to initial equipment provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33152/26]

450. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she supports the recommendation in the WHO report to establish regional assistive technology hubs, including loan libraries and specialist expertise; whether her Department will engage with this model to support schools dealing with complex assistive technology needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33153/26]