Topics / Special Educational Needs

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Special 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
MonthQuestions
January 202531
February 2025124
March 2025114
April 2025160
May 2025134
June 2025183
July 2025215
August 20250
September 2025113
October 202576
November 2025191
December 2025122
January 2026163
February 2026283
March 2026270
April 2026167
May 2026181
June 2026171
July 2026101
August 20260
September 202644
October 202678

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.

  • 100% RDR3 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Aontú77 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil539 from 37 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael416 from 24 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party40 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent169 from 13 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland121 from 4 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party276 from 11 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity133 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin902 from 38 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 139
  2. 129
  3. 115
  4. 99
  5. 92
  6. 86
  7. 80
  8. 68

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
510. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Carlow 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. [3589/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
511. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide data on the current capacity of special schools and special classes in County Kilkenny; the projected demand for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3590/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
512. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide data on the current capacity of special schools and special classes in County Carlow ; the projected demand for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3591/26]
Mattie McGrath Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
516. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school in west Tipperary will be approved for a second ASD class, as promised ahead of the 2025-2026 school year, but which did not happen (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3630/26]
Niamh Smyth Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
517. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3631/26]
Jen Cummins Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
524. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special education classes sanctioned in 2024/2025 which are open and operational, in tabular form. [3688/26]
Jen Cummins Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
525. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the NCSE will reopen the parents portal in order that parents can submit their children's assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3693/26]
Mattie McGrath Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
528. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 383 of 9 December 2025, if he will provide the details requested in the question specifically, the number of children who have sought a letter of eligibility for a place in a special class or special school through the parents notify portal before the deadline of 1 October 2025, by county; the number of childre…
Cian O'Callaghan Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
535. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will work with the NCSE to help establish an autism class in a school (details supplied); the reason some schools in the area have not been required or supported to open an autism class despite clear local demand; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3752/26]
Eoin Ó Broin Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
536. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions intended by her Department and the National Council for Special Education to ensure a sufficient number of special class placements for boys in the Clondalkin, Dublin 22 area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3762/26]
Eoghan Kenny Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
541. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth when schools were notified they would be opening a special class for 2026-2027; if all schools from tranche 1 have been notified as of 13 January 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3798/26]
Louis O'Hara Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
542. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application by a school to establish a special class (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3849/26]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
544. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Education and Youth when her Department will provide an update on the establishment of a special class in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3885/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
547. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a special school place for a child (details supplied); the engagement there has been with the NCSE to secure a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3897/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
548. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding a special school place for a child (details supplied); the engagement there has been with the NCSE to secure a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3898/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
549. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update, including a timeline on the progress to date for the new ASD classes in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3906/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
550. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update, including a timeline on the progress to date on the new ASD class for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3907/26]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
551. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish a list of early intervention pre-school classes that will be operational for the 2026/2027 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3908/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
552. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the special school place for a student (details supplied); the engagement with the NCSE to secure a place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3912/26]
Darren O'Rourke Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
554. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will publish the list of early intervention classes for 2026/2027, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3914/26]
Darren O'Rourke Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
559. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1182 of 13 January 2026, if she will provide a list of names of just special schools across the State that have an early intervention class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4042/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
561. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the accommodations for students with dyslexia and other learning differences under the RACE scheme, initially confirmed to be in place for the 2026 leaving certificate examinations, will be introduced in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4168/26]
John McGuinness Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
576. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth if funding will be approved for an ASD class for a school (details supplied); and the reasons this school has not been approved to date. [4374/26]
Eoghan Kenny Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
577. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of places available in each sanctioned class (details supplied); the number of places held for in-school allocations; the number held in each sanctioned class for new school entendres, with its list form as requested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4376/26]
Michael Murphy Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Education
578. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the criteria currently being applied by SENOs in the context of ongoing SNA allocation reviews; whether her Department accepts that children without primary care needs may nonetheless require SNA support to access education safely and meaningfully in mainstream classrooms; the guidance issued to SENOs to ensure that SNA reviews are needs-based rath…