434. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will introduce new special educational needs coordinators as outlined in the Programme for Government in Budget 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51269/25]
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
439. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the training that has taken place to allow schools to implement the SNA review guidelines for 2025/2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51309/25]
440. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she has reservations regarding the NCSE's SNA review guidelines to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51310/25]
453. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to parliamentary question 385 of 17 June 2025, for an update regarding the provision of ASD classrooms; the steps she has taken to resolve an issue relating to title deeds for a school; if she and/or her officials have liaised with the school in respect of their concerns; and the steps she will take on foot of correspondence received by her…
455. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to review correspondence (details supplied) in relation to the SNA review process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51475/25]
492. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the SNA Workforce Plan; the date on which it will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51808/25]
496. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of primary schools with three or more special education teacher (SET) posts, by local authority area; if she will introduce dedicated special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) posts at assistant principal level in such schools in 2026; the projected full-year cost, timeline, and CPD framework for SENCO implementation; and if she will …
510. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will give urgent and detailed consideration to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52041/25]
514. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the SNA guidelines in light of concerns raised by parents and teachers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52056/25]
521. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth if SNA support will be allocated for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52152/25]
260. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the case of a child (details supplied) who has been diagnosed with autism while in secondary school and needs a place in an ASD unit; and in view of the fact the child’s current school does not have such a unit, to be facilitated in transferring to another school with an appropriate unit. [50918/25]
263. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the case of a child (details supplied) who despite having all documentation required, including psychologist reports, HSE service statements, multidisciplinary assessments, as well as a NCSE eligibility letter, is unable to secure a place in an ASD classroom for September 2026 as there are none available in their area; and if s…
264. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review a request made by a school (details supplied) to have an additional SNA approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50958/25]
266. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Education and Youth the consultation that took place with parents prior to the issuing of the NSCE Guidelines for the Review of SNA Allocations 2025/2026; the reason support for emotional regulation or social skills have been excluded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50994/25]
267. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will give detailed consideration to issues outlined in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the provision of supports for children with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51008/25]
268. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the recently published National Council for Special Education SNA review process guidelines for 2025–2026, in view of concerns raised by parents, schools and SNAs that the narrowed eligibility criteria, short application window, and redeployment of allocations risk reducing supports for children with complex needs; and the consul…
270. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Youth to urgently review the recently published 2025/2026 SNA Review Guidelines and their impact on Children by the NCSE until such time as proper consultation with schools, SNAs, and parents can take place; to consider the important measures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51067/25]
273. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider providing funding to an organisation (details supplied) who provide trained therapy dogs to schools, resulting in improved attendance and literacy levels for children with autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51078/25]
274. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps taken since 1 September 2025 to address reports from parents of suspensions and inadequate provision at a designated special school in Cork; the dates of any inspections carried out since that date; the number of additional SNAs and specialist teachers allocated in response; and the timeline for the completion and publication of a full compl…
63. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students with special needs without school places, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50705/25]
64. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students with special needs who have been offered school places but have been unable to take them up due to a lack of resources in the schools involved, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50706/25]
68. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of sanctioned autism classes in Dublin bay north as of September 2025; her plans to open additional sanctioned autism classes; the reasons a request (details supplied), submitted late in 2024, to open two additional autism classes has not yet been sanctioned by the NCS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50717/25]
69. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding the provision of an autism unit and extension in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50724/25]
275. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the progress made from the publication of the full findings of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49745/25]
276. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of implementing the recommendations arising from the EPSEN review; and the projected allocation for this within the Department’s budget for 2025-26; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49747/25]