523. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth to advise on a policy matter (details supplied); if she will allow retrospective flexibility of the deadline for notifying the NCSE and obtaining a letter of eligibility from a SENO for parents applying for a special school or class place for the 2026-27 school year for their child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6053/26]
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
-
129
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115
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99
-
92
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86
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80
-
68
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
542. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students in post-primary schools, by county, who have a recommendation for a special class placement but do not have a place in the current academic year. [6260/26]
545. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school giving priority to a post-primary special class placement to a student already enrolled in the school, but who only just received an autism diagnosis, and a recommendation requiring a post-primary special class placement would contravene either the Schools Admissions Act 2018 and/or Circular 0039/2025; and if she will make a statement on t…
555. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the efforts being made to increase the number of autism classes in the south Louth and east Meath areas; the measures that have been taken to map demand for the next academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6332/26]
556. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on establishing a special education class in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6335/26]
566. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of sanctioned special classes in the Stapolin area; the current level of demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6387/26]
568. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department's plans to increase the provision of second-level special school classes in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6391/26]
108. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Youth , further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1200 and 1201 of 13 January, if he will explain the reason a report is being insisted upon when a letter from the children's disability network team, CDNT, has always sufficed in the past; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4704/26]
110. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reasons an additional ASD special class was not sanctioned in a post-primary school (details supplied); the criteria applied in determining that the class could not be sanctioned at this time; whether the availability of a modest capital grant to facilitate the fit-out of an additional classroom was considered as part of this decision; and if s…
119. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new special classes which were delivered 2025, by county. [4764/26]
120. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new special class places that were delivered in 2025, by county. [4765/26]
121. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if new special schools were delivered in 2025; and the details of same. [4766/26]
122. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new special school places that were delivered in 2025, by county. [4767/26]
126. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a request to open two additional special classes will be sanctioned by the NCSE for a school (details supplied); when the next tranche of sanctioned schools will be announced; if she will ensure that the information will be communicated to parents and schools in the first instance, and not Government Teachtaí Dála; and if she will make a state…
127. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a request to open two additional special classes will be sanctioned by the NCSE for a school (details supplied); when the next tranche of sanctioned schools will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4974/26]
129. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a plan is in place to re-open the sensory room in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5013/26]
471. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the proposed new process to remove the requirement for professional reports, such as assessment of need reports, from entry requirements for special schools and special classes [3324/26]
474. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the commencement date of the new special education class in a school (details supplied). [3382/26]
476. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if further details will be provided regarding an announcement for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3389/26]
477. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if further details will be provided regarding an announcement for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3390/26]
478. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for a special education needs class at a school (details supplied). [3393/26]
479. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application for a special education needs class at a school (details supplied). [3394/26]
482. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to sanctioning additional special class provision at a school (details supplied) in view of the clearly identified and urgent level of need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3401/26]
483. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that an updated SENO approval letter is issued urgently for a child with a dual diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability (details supplied) given the delays are preventing access to an appropriate school placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3402/26]
509. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Kilkenny currently registered to start school in September 2026 that are seeking a special school place, seeking a special class/unit place, or expected to attend a mainstream school with SNA support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3588/26]