439. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the removal of the ‘direct training model’ delivered by CPI to a ‘train the trainers’ model; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38667/25]
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
-
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
441. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated full-year cost to increase the number of SNAs to 24,200. [38669/25]
450. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a requested exceptional review of the SNA allocation of a school (details supplied) was cancelled; if there is a freeze on SNA allocations to schools; if so, if this is the case; the measures she will take to reverse this freeze; if she will ensure the review of SNAs in the school takes place and the required SNAs and other resources a…
456. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps she has taken to deliver on the commitment in the Programme for Government to create special educational needs coordinators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38809/25]
457. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth if 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. [38869/25]
460. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her rationale for limiting eligibility for entry into DLD/SSD special classes Circular 00024/25 to students with conditions of an unknown origin when students with similar symptoms with a known cause would also benefit from the targeted support provided in such classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38913/25]
461. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to develop alternative educational supports and classes for children with SSD of known origin to make up for the gap in provision created by circulars determining access criteria for DLD/SSD classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38914/25]
462. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the contractual deployment of speech and language therapists in the DLD/SSD special classes and how duties are split between her Department and the Department of Health; the number of such posts vacant at the moment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38915/25]
463. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of concessionary places that are occupied in DLD/SSD special classes at the moment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38916/25]
474. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth the special needs supports that can be provided for an individual (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39200/25]
475. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a full review will be carried out of the SNA review carried out at a school (details supplied). [39201/25]
478. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the recent review of the SNA allocation at a school (details supplied) which recommended a significant increase to its allocation of 8.66 SNAs for a school of 700 pupils; when such an increase is likely to be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39221/25]
479. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth how a school (details supplied) was not allocated additional SNAs for 2025/2026 despite a report following an exceptional review by the NCSE SENO investigators which recommended a significant increase in its allocation; if this is a temporary processing issue, which will see an increase early during the next school year, due to a shortage of…
480. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the SNA allocations per head at each primary and second level school in Dublin since 2015, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39223/25]
494. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she examined the case of a child with very complex needs (details supplied) who needs SNA support as they transfer schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39358/25]
498. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the special classes that were in place for 2024 to 2025 but that will be suppressed for 2025 to 2026 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39437/25]
499. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to list the special classes that were sanctioned for 2025 to 2026 but which now have been withdrawn by the National Council for Special Education and her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39438/25]
216. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of schools, including their ethos, who have received suppression of special class notices to date in 2025, including the number of these classes, in tabular form per county; to include those which were due to open for the school year 2025/2026, the maximum capacity of each and the financial expenditure incurred to date in relation to these…
217. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide the number of Gaelscoileanna that have requested to alter their ethos contrary to the Autism Good Practice Guidance for Schools (details supplied). [38402/25]
218. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth in relation to the special education or ASD classes sanctioned in 2024 and 2025, including those who have received suppression notices, the cost of all forms of consultancy fees associated with each individual sanctioned rooms or classes. [38404/25]
220. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth where a sanction for a special class has been revoked via a suppression notice, to outline the step by step process, including the key decision makers involved, the engagement with the school, the NCSE and the parents who have enrolled children in these classes for the upcoming school year. [38411/25]
222. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to explain the rationale for redesignating mild general learning disabilities schools, including a school (details supplied), as complex needs schools without consultation with the school community, thus altering the very identity of those schools, and potentially forcing thousands of children with mild learning disabilities into mainstream scho…
225. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans in terms of the EPSEN report recommendation to bring forward legislation to change the present situation wherein students in special schools cannot legally continue education after their eighteenth birthday; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38537/25]
227. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the new services for children with special needs in County Wexford for which funding was sought for delivery in 2025; the funding sought for each initiative project, the funding allocated to each to date, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38576/25]
229. Deputy Gillian Toole asked the Minister for Education and Youth to explain and provide documentary evidence of the rationale and detailed planning for re-designation of mild general learning disability schools to include children with more complex needs; how human and educational resources will be provided and utilised to ensure all children will receive equal assistance, attention and opportunities to be their …