364. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether any revised circular, directive, operational instruction or internal policy guidance was issued to the National Council for Special Education or to Special Educational Needs Organisers in advance of the 2026 SNA review cycle altering the weighting of mainstream primary care needs; and if so, to provide details. [13781/26]
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
365. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the SNA appeals mechanism permits a reduction in allocation beyond that originally notified where an appeal is submitted; and to outline the procedural safeguards in place to ensure that the exercise of the right of appeal does not expose schools to additional allocation loss. [13782/26]
366. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether her Department has conducted any review of the operation of the SNA redeployment scheme for the 2025–2026 school year; to provide the number of SNA posts redeployed nationally in that period; and to outline how redeployment interacts with reductions notified to schools. [13783/26]
367. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the net national change in mainstream SNA posts, excluding special class allocations, between the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 school years; and to provide the number of primary schools experiencing a reduction of one or more full-time equivalent SNA posts for September 2026. [13784/26]
372. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an urgent sanction can be provided for a third mild special class at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13906/26]
373. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a decision will issue in respect of the application for additional special classes at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13907/26]
377. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures her Department is taking to increase autism class places in schools in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13950/26]
378. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an update on additional school accommodation application (details supplied); if the application has been reviewed by her Department; if so, the current status of same; the timeline for a decision in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13955/26]
379. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a proposed reduction in allocated SNA hours for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13974/26]
380. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the annual national budget allocation for SNA resources for the years 2020 to 2025 inclusive, and the projected budget for 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13975/26]
381. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth is she is aware of a case (details supplied); if her officials will investigate the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13977/26]
382. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that the NCSE propose to increase, decrease, or leave unchanged SNA allocation posts from September 2026, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13978/26]
383. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have appealed NCSE proposed SNA post allocations for September 2026, as of 14 February 2026, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13979/26]
59. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the massive cuts to SNA provision in schools across County Kerry (details supplied) can be reversed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12943/26]
60. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to immediately reverse the savage cuts to SNAs across County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12944/26]
62. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth to address correspondence from a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12969/26]
130. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the reduction of special needs assistant, SNA, posts in a primary school (details supplied) following a recent SNA review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13070/26]
131. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the increase of special needs assistants working in schools across Cork city and county for each of the years 2023 to 2025; the allocation for 2026, if available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13071/26]
132. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the increase in special educational teachers working in schools across Cork city and county for each of the years 2023 to 2025; the allocation for 2026, if available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13072/26]
134. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the new special school in Carraig na bFhearr will open. [13140/26]
135. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans in place to expand access to special reading schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13141/26]
140. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will urgently give approval for a school in County Clare (details supplied) to open an autism class for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13164/26]
141. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education and Youth the basis on which the recent SNA review determination was made in respect of a school (details supplied); if she will address the serious concerns raised regarding the credibility, transparency and integrity of the SNA review process in this case, given that the initial decision to reduce the school’s SNA allocation was only reversed after it was poi…
148. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans to address the impact the latest SNA review has had on schools where SNA allocation has been reduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13196/26]
149. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools that have lost SNAs after the most recent review, by county, in tabular form. [13197/26]