672. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated first- and full-year cost of increasing the number of special needs teachers by 500, 1,000 and 1,500 respectively, in tabular form. [30504/25]
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
677. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school in Cork will receive an extra special needs classroom (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30533/25]
680. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the expected timeline for completing the SNA workforce development programme to provide clarity on their role and career paths; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30565/25]
681. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of additional special education teachers and special needs assistants she intends to hire to provide greater support to students and schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30566/25]
682. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure that a child (details supplied) will be able to avail of an appropriate school place this coming September; if she is satisfied that progress is being made to ensure there are enough school places for those with additional needs in the north Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30569/25]
687. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth the work her Department is undertaking to map the number of children who will be enrolling in post-primary school in the next five years with special education needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30579/25]
1593. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health the steps her Department will take to ensure that a child (details supplied) will undertake their ADHD assessment in a timely manner and if she will engage with the child’s parents on the matter. [30354/25]
1604. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Health the measures being taken to address the long wait times for initial assessments for speech and language therapy services (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30432/25]
344. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason the NCSE does not have certain information readily available (details supplied) given the importance of collecting this information. [28485/25]
346. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason a budgetary cap for SNA posts of 23,179 posts is being operated; and whether she thinks that this budgetary cap is standing in the way of children getting the support they need in school. [28493/25]
349. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Education and Youth to examine the case for provision of an ASD room in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28501/25]
350. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider expanding English as an additional language (EAL) teachers to special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28521/25]
351. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider providing a multi-annual fund, available on a rolling basis, to special schools to help cover the cost of non-routine day-to-day expenses; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28522/25]
353. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth for the number of EAL teachers allocated to schools on a permanent and temporary basis over the past five years; the level of investment in EAL provision over those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28524/25]
354. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if English as an additional language (EAL) teachers are available to special schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28525/25]
357. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of a specific urgent case (details supplied) who is in need of full-time access to education; if she will provide an update on the relevant school’s application for additional autism classes; the immediate supports are available from her Department to ensure the child receives timely access to appropriate educational provision; and …
360. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an explanation from the NCSE which has stated it is unaware of a family seeking a special class placement for their child (details supplied) despite the fact that the family has been engaged with their local SENO since October 2024 about this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28578/25]
369. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department will take to fast-track the approval of funding for an outside modular unit to provide an additional special class at a school (details supplied). [28856/25]
724. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the plans or strategies being considered for the integration and inclusion of neurodivergent people in higher education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28854/25]
188. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on a request by a school (details supplied) for the establishment of an autism class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27872/25]
200. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will deliver a special class for a school (details supplied) for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28029/25]
201. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question 385 of 1 April 2025, if she will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if her department will consider providing additional special education classes in the area; if the National Council for Special Education has engaged with this school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2806…
212. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth the annual cost of new entrant special education teacher posts, with the breakdown of the annual cost for new-entrant special education teachers in primary, post primary and special schools, in tabular form. [28229/25]
269. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will commit to removing the obligation on special needs assistants to undertake an additional 72 hours of work annually, in light of widespread concerns raised regarding the implementation and potential misuse of this requirement, as documented by representative organisations (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the mat…
270. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will ensure parity of health and safety leave entitlements between special needs assistants, SNAs, and teaching staff; to explain the rationale for the existing 21-day cap on such leave for pregnant SNAs, a restriction not applicable to teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26815/25]