459. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide details, by reference to building works, of autism units and special schools scheduled for completion between April and September 2025, if these works are on schedule to be completed by September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25579/25]
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
460. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth regarding the 399 new special classes sanctioned for the 2025-2026 school year, how many will be fully operational on the first day of the school year in August-September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25580/25]
466. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of mild general learning disability classrooms in County Kildare attached to a mainstream school or otherwise; the number of children waiting for a place in said classroom for September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25614/25]
467. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide additional funding and resources to mainstream schools without mild general learning disability classrooms, to support children with mild general learning disabilities for 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25615/25]
468. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special education teachers that will be provided for one-on-one learning support for children with a mild general learning disability in County Kildare for September 2025; the number of special needs assistants in County Kildare for September 2025; the level of resources allotted for movement breaks when required in County Kildare; and …
469. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of ASD classrooms that were sanctioned back in 2021 for a school (details supplied); the timeline for their opening; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25617/25]
470. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will respond to concerns raised by school principals who report that although their schools meet the criteria for additional SNA support they are being informed that no allocation can be made due to a cap on available posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25662/25]
471. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will clarify whether it is current practice that SNA allocations can only be granted to some schools if they are first removed from others in the same area, as reported by principals; if so, how this aligns with the principle of meeting individual pupil needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25663/25]
472. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide more detail on how the NCSE's review process is carried out and how schools and families can appeal decisions if they believe a reduction in SNA support is inappropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25664/25]
473. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth , further to Parliamentary Question 62 of 30 April, if she will clarify how many of the SNA posts have already been allocated; the number of the 1,600 SNAs not allocated to newly sanctioned classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25665/25]
481. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide an update on the status of an additional needs application from a school (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25820/25]
483. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth the circumstances surrounding the decision not to approve the application made by a school (details supplied) for the opening of a special class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25824/25]
485. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her Department plans to open a special class for boys in any of the primary schools in Moate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25836/25]
493. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Education and Youth in view of the significant increase in new autism spectrum disorder classes anticipated in September 2025, whether her Department will consider collaborating with the Department of Transport to support the implementation of a fast-track application process for the local area hackney driver licence and ensure that up-to-date information on school trans…
505. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth if any more special classes will be sanctioned for the academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26045/25]
506. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth is considering sanctioning any additional special classes for September 2025, specifically in cases where no renovations are required, in order to meet the demand in communities for school places. [26046/25]
509. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth the level of communication between her Department and the NCSE; if the NCSE reports to her Department on the demand for mild learning classes in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26051/25]
510. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if there is a record of demand for mild learning classes in an area (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26052/25]
222. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding the proposed expansion of an autism class in a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24951/25]
224. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth what concrete co-ordination mechanisms are in place between the CDNTs, the NCSE and schools to ensure that parents who have children under assessment for learning disabilities can expect to have an appropriate school place for their child in the upcoming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24965/25]
225. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is considering expanding the eligibility criteria for SNA allocation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24966/25]
226. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she is taking to help schools plan for children with diagnosed autism and other neurodivergent conditions before they enter school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24967/25]
227. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth the actions she is taking to address the inequity in supports that children with neurodivergent conditions receive in mainstream schools compared with those attending special schools, as raised by a local advocacy group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24968/25]
228. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is considering mandating neurodiversity training for all teachers, both for those who have already qualified and those currently in training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24969/25]
229. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is working to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to autism classes, as raised by a local advocacy group (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24970/25]