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]
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
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 assessment will remain avai…
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 model may affect the…
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]
86. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training or guidance 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. [22571/26]
87. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Departments plans to review the implementation of the revised assessment of need framework to ensure that no cohort of children is excluded from identification due to the streamlining of assessment processes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22573/26]
88. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the safeguards in place to prevent under-identification of children under the revised assessment of need framework, particularly in light of evidence that twice-exceptional children are already under-recognised within Irish education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22600/26]