137. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is taking to increase ASD unit capacity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40140/25]
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
140. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the immediate steps her Department is taking to address the urgent issue of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) resourcing in the Roscommon–Galway constituency, particularly in light of the current pause in the allocation process and the restriction that appeals may only be submitted in July 2025; and if she will consider interim measures or fast-tracking a…
141. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Government will address the shortage of early intervention classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40139/25]
142. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if, before issuing 0039/2025, she has considered the unique and complex situation of the cohort of students that currently benefit from the specialised education provided at MGLD special schools across the country; if her Department is aware of the potential negative impacts of a forced redesignation on these students, as expressed by paren…
143. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of children who, according to their autism reports, require one-on-one SNA support, being denied this by the NCSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38437/25]
145. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department is taking to address the urgent issue of special needs assistant (SNA) resourcing in the Roscommon-Galway constituency, particularly in light of the current pause in the allocation process and the restriction that appeals may only be submitted in July 2025; and if she will consider interim measures or fast tracking appeals for…
147. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children with additional needs who have yet to secure appropriate places in primary and secondary schools in the next academic year; what plans there are to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39352/25]
151. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children from Dublin Bay north who were on a waiting list for a place in a special school in each of the years 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40199/25]
153. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that all children who meet the criteria for a special needs class will get a place in a special needs class in September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38426/25]
154. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures she is taking to amend this criterion following the dissemination of circular 0024/2025 (details supplied) to be inclusive of children with a disability and speech sound disorder; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39679/25]
160. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will increase funding for SNAs and SNA allocations for schools to ensure that lack of SNAs is not a barrier to any child accessing an appropriate school place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39846/25]
162. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm that pupils with a diagnosis of dyslexia will be allowed additional time to complete their State exams in 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40136/25]
166. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to invest in and expand early intervention classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40114/25]
168. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a review of the number of special needs assistants will be carried out for a school (details supplied); to outline the recommended student-SNA ratio; the average SNA allocation per 100 students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40133/25]
173. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the development of a school (details supplied); and to outline plans for its future growth. [40069/25]
174. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will urgently review the sanction and subsequent withdrawal of sanction for a new ASD class at a school (details supplied) in Tipperary; the reasons this sanction was removed; if she is satisfied with the manner in which this matter has been dealt with; if she will instruct the NCSE to re-instate the ASD class that she approved and announced…
78. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated first and full year cost of providing an additional 200 SNAs in primary and secondary schools respectively up to 2,000. [39764/25]
79. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated first and full year cost of providing an additional 100 special education teachers up to a maximum of 1,000. [39765/25]
91. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the first- and full-year estimated cost of expanding the summer programme by 2% up to 10%. [39859/25]
109. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the first- and full-year cost of expanding the summer programme by 2% up to a maximum of 20%. [39934/25]
122. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students on a waiting list for a special school place in County Kerry; the number per each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40091/25]
123. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children currently on a waiting list with the NCSE for an assessment of needs; the number of children on a waiting list from 2019 to 2025, in tabular form; the average time children spend on a waiting list; the plans to lower the number of children on a waiting list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40092/25]
125. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Youth to clarify within every special school if every teacher and SNA, respectively has the appropriate qualification; and if not, the number of teachers and SNAs, respectively do not, out of the total number of teaching and SNA staff and if she will make a statement accordingly. [40095/25]
435. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures that can be taken to ensure that a school child (details supplied) can receive the full-time SNA assistance they require, in junior infants, in mainstream setting in their local school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38650/25]
438. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special schools that have received the first day of CPI training, to date in 2025, in accordance with the ‘Understanding Behaviours of Concern and Responding to Crisis Situations’ guidelines published by the Department of Education in December 2024; the number of special schools that have, received the second day of CPI training, to …