365. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated full-year cost of increasing the number of special needs assistants by 1,500, 2,000, and 2,500 respectively, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51345/26]
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
366. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated full-year cost of increasing the number of special education teachers by 500, 1,000, and 1,500 respectively, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51346/26]
378. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the request to open two additional autism classes from a school (details supplied); if her Department accepts that there is unmet need for special education school places in the school planning area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51583/26]
379. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a new special school (details supplied) in Kildare will open; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51633/26]
404. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason her Department has ordered a blanket pause on processing transport applications for special needs applicants. [51832/26]
405. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to comment on correspondence received by a person (details supplied) who applied for school transport. [51833/26]
504. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has given consideration to lowering the age of eligibility for free travel passes for SEN students entering post primary schools to avail of public transport, in the event of travel without a primary carer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50839/26]
303. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the capacity and availability of places in special schools, particularly in County Mayo; and the steps being taken to increase the number of places available for children with additional needs. [50396/26]
304. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of places available in special schools in County Mayo, including projected intake for September 2026 and September 2027; the number of applications that have been received for these places; the number of children without a confirmed placement for the upcoming academic year; and the measures being taken to expand capacity where demand excee…
305. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the early intervention supports being provided; and the additional measures that are planned to ensure timely access to assessments (including psychological assessments) and supports for children awaiting school placements. [50399/26]
306. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to acknowledge the financial burden on families who are paying privately for essential services (such as speech and language therapy), and whether additional supports can be provided where HSE services are not meeting demand. [50400/26]
313. 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 engage with the families affected. [50480/26]
316. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the exact number of children in Cork currently on the National Council for Special Education's database awaiting a special education placement as of a stated date; the number of the 63 newly confirmed special classes in Cork that are fully operational versus those still awaiting site readiness or staffing allocation; and if the Department will direct …
317. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth if the Department holds, or has sought, any internal NCSE data showing the number of children in Cork whose assessed special educational need does not match any currently vacant place in the county; and the timeline being applied to resolve those mismatches. [50589/26]
318. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 829 18 March 2026, to confirm whether the NCSE's reference to children being tracked on "our database" constitutes confirmation that a live, countable record of unplaced children exists; and if so, the reason this number was not disclosed. [50590/26]
165. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the supports available to schools to develop a sensory and inclusive outdoor learning area on site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49938/26]
166. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education and Youth to consider an appeal (details supplied); if the decision for refusal will be reversed; if the sanction of home-based summer provision will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49940/26]
167. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will address the long waiting lists for NEPS assessments, noting that some schools with over 200 pupils receive only two assessments per year; and if she will outline the actions being taken to tackle the shortage of NEPS assessments in schools. [50003/26]
170. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students with special educational needs enrolled in schools in County Cork in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50017/26]
171. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide a breakdown of special educational needs provision in County Cork, including the number of special education teachers and the total number of special needs assistants for each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50018/26]
183. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of teachers providing summer provision for each year 2022,2023,2024,2025 and 2026. [50225/26]
184. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of students availing of summer provision for each year 2022,2023,2024,2025 and 2026. [50226/26]
248. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on the implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathway Protocol; the type of adult self-referral that is envisaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50085/26]
314. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the recommendations of the report on inclusive education for persons with disabilities earlier this year; to outline the report recommendations; when she intends to implement the recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49692/26]
321. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she has assessed the impact of the removal of references to therapy plans and therapy-related supports from the revised SNA role on children with cerebral palsy and other significant physical disabilities attending mainstream schools; the way in which schools are expected to implement physiotherapy and occupational therapy recommendation…