Special Educational Needs

253. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training or guidance is being provided to assessment officers and multidisciplinary teams to ensure that complex presentations, including masking and twice-exceptionality, are recognised under the revised model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23171/26]

273. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason in certain cases, an official from the National Council for Special Education does not visit a school applying for a special class placement to assess the suitability of its facilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23357/26]

274. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the person or body responsible for determining which schools are awarded special classes through the National Council for Special Education; the criteria used in making such determinations; and the measures in place to ensure transparency in this decision-making process. [23358/26]

275. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the full criteria used by the National Council for Special Education when assessing applications from schools seeking a special class; and the plans to publish or further clarify these criteria to improve transparency. [23359/26]

276. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the oversight mechanisms in place to ensure that the process undertaken by the National Council for Special Education in allocating special classes is open, transparent and accountable; and if any independent review or audit process applies to such decisions. [23360/26]

277. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if consideration has been given to introducing a formal appeals mechanism for schools whose applications for special classes through the National Council for Special Education are unsuccessful; and the plans to establish such a mechanism. [23361/26]

278. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason schools that apply for special classes through the National Council for Special Education are not routinely informed when their application is unsuccessful; and if steps will be taken to ensure all applicant schools receive timely and clear communication regarding the outcome of their application. [23362/26]

279. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the level of transparency in the allocation of special classes by the National Council for Special Education, given that this involves the expenditure of public funds; and if measures are being considered to improve openness, transparency and accountability in this process. [23363/26]

284. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding the recent changes to the allocation model for special education. [23422/26]

288. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which the proposed reform of the assessment of need process will ensure that gifted and twice exceptional children those who are both highly able and who present with additional neurodevelopmental or learning needs are not inadvertently excluded from appropriate identification and support; if access to cognitive assessm…

289. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if further progress has been made to date in developing a model for smaller schools, that due to their size do not meet the threshold of six pupils with special needs in order to have a special class sanctioned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23485/26]

291. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that a special class will be sanctioned in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23508/26]

68. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the review of the role of a special needs assistant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22498/26]

69. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the review of Circular 0030/2014 with regard to the role of special needs assistants in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22499/26]

70. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria under consideration as part of the review of Circular 0030/2014 with regard to the role of special needs assistants in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22500/26]

71. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the way in which school principals can feed into the review of Circular 0030/2014 with regard to the role of special needs assistants in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22501/26]

72. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the calls of school principals who wish to feed into the review of the role of special needs assistants in their schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22502/26]

73. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there is a timeline for the completion of her review of the role of special needs assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22503/26]

74. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the EPSEN plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22504/26]

77. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special classes that are being built from the sanction lists from 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [22507/26]

78. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which schools will be included in advocating for their own inclusion in the new DEIS+ designation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22508/26]

82. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the recently revised assessment of need framework limits or reduces access to cognitive assessment for children, including in cases where intellectual disability is not suspected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22563/26]

83. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the way in which the revised assessment of need framework ensures that children with uneven developmental profiles, including those who may be gifted or twice-exceptional (details supplied) will be appropriately identified within the system; whether her Department has conducted any impact assessment on the way in which the revised …

84. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will clarify if access to cognitive or psychological assessment remains available where there is evidence of significant intra-individual discrepancy, asynchronous development, or unexplained underachievement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22567/26]

85. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether consideration has been given to the potential for increased reliance on private assessments arising from any restriction in public access to cognitive assessment; the implications this may have for equity of access; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22569/26]