260. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the analysis that has been carried out to project the demand for special school places over the next five years, and if the Minister will publish that projected analysis. [67658/25]
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
271. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a special school place will be provided for a child (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67749/25]
296. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Youth if he will consider and resolve problems raised in correspondence (details supplied) concerning funding and supports for special education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68127/25]
298. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps the Government will take to address the shortage of special educational places in Mayo given the unprecedented demand for the 2026-2027 school year; and if she will commit to urgently sanctioning the necessary capital investment and staffing required for special education places. [68169/25]
299. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she or her officials will engage directly with a school (details supplied) in Castlebar County Mayo to discuss the lack of available special educational places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68170/25]
294. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if, under the new SNA review guidelines, an emergent/above-SERC need arises in an autism class and a school requests a review, if the NCSE will conduct its review of the autism class exclusively or will the school have to undergo a whole-school SNA review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66806/25]
295. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if it is determined following an SNA review that additional SNA support is required in an autism class, if schools can be asked to staff above-SERC needs from their mainstream allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66807/25]
328. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Dublin Bay North awaiting a special school place for the school year beginning in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67165/25]
329. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in Dublin Bay North awaiting an autism school place for the school year beginning in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67166/25]
330. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of sanctioned autism classes in Dublin Bay North that are scheduled to open for the start of the school term in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67167/25]
336. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 280 of 10 November 2025, the reason for the delay in preparing a large scale recruitment campaign for the education therapy support service by the National Council for Special Education; the contingency plan if recruitment is unsuccessful; the interim supports that will be put in place for children later in the …
165. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding phase 2 of the SEN reconfiguration with regard to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66335/25]
178. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students currently supported by reading schools or specialist classes for severe dyslexia, by region and by local authority area, in tabular form; the projected future demand for such provision; the planned timeline for expansion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66490/25]
182. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with additional needs waiting for an appropriate school place a month after schools returned from the summer holidays, on a county-by-county basis, in tabular form, for the years 2022 to 2025 date, inclusive. [66618/25]
337. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a new ASD class at a school (details supplied); the reason for any delays; and when the class will be open. [65131/25]
344. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a school’s (details supplied) difficulties in securing an increase in its SNA allocation; the progress on this issue; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65187/25]
352. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; if additional places for mild learning disability classes will be accommodated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65233/25]
358. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of the case of a student (details supplied); and if she will instruct her Department to investigate the matter to ensure the student is able to complete their education in their current supportive environment. [65290/25]
370. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason there are no specialist therapies and supports available to special schools dealing with severe educational behaviour difficulties. [65355/25]
371. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she plans to review the special school model and the related system of supports which are available in an inconsistent basis to such schools across the country; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65356/25]
372. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the number of SEBD special schools in the country and their respective staffing profile. [65357/25]
390. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth if additional support will be provided to a student (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65553/25]
408. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will fulfil the commitment made by the former Minister of Education and Youth and meet with the principal of a school (details supplied) to discuss the urgent need for additional autism class provision within their school, and wider community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65810/25]
426. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider increasing the number of posts of responsibility in a special school, bearing in mind that special schools generally have a large staff of SNAs and ancillary staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65938/25]
434. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools and students that will be included in the pilot programme (RACE accommodations) for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia for the upcoming 2026 examinations; and if she will roll this out to all eligible students across the State in the interest of fairness and equity for the 2026 examinations. [65950/25]