Written answers
				Tuesday, 8 April 2025
  				
Department of Education and Skills
				 
  - Scoileanna Gaeilge agus Gaeltachta 
 114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the importance of promoting the provision of Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí; and if she will make a statement on the...
- Education Schemes 
 115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Dublin 15 Special Education Taskforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17231/25]
- Special Educational Needs 
 116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the provision of autism classes in County Mayo. [17236/25]
- School Staff 
 117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teacher posts currently vacant, by county. [17203/25]
- School Admissions 
 118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of children who were forced into mainstream schools because they could not secure a suitable placement for their child; how she...
- School Accommodation 
 119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the provision of additional accommodation to schools in Mayo. [17237/25]
- Education Schemes 
 120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to implement the employment and governance structures of the school completion programme. [14634/25]
- School Accommodation 
 121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the timeline for the additional school accommodation section to work towards when processing invoices from schools; and if she will make a...
- School Transport 
 122. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the changes planned in the school transport scheme for the 2025-2026 school year in order to ensure all children will be accommodated; and if she...
- An Teanga Gaeilge 
 123. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills an dtabharfaidh sí na spriocdhátaí measta agus amchlár maidir le foilsiú nó cur i bhfeidhm gach ceann de na 13...
- School Staff 
 125. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she is taking to address the recruitment and retention crisis in education and the related increase in numbers of unqualified...
- Mental Health Services 
 126. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions she is taking to expand mental health supports in primary and secondary schools, including the provision of structured training and...
- Special Educational Needs 
 127. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps her Department is taking to increase the numbers of speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists for...
- School Facilities 
 128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will engage with schools who wish to install solar panels, but have been disallowed as roof mounted panels are not considered...
- Schools Building Projects 
 129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the current status of the permanent school building for a school (details supplied); and if she will commit to...
- School Accommodation 
 131. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the revised national planning framework will be used to inform and, if necessary, alter school planning processes in areas of high projected...
- Special Educational Needs 
 132. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support the development of a pilot project in a small number of DEIS primary schools in order to gather empirical and scientific...
- Schools Building Projects 
 134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a school (details supplied) regarding its emergency works application, following a recent visit by the emergency works team; and...
- Special Educational Needs 
 136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to open a new special school in south Tipperary (details supplied); if she will task her Department officials and the NCSE to seek...
- School Funding 
 137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to increased capitation for primary schools that are struggling to pay operational costs due to rising prices; and if she will make a...
- Special Educational Needs 
 138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures her Department has taken and will take to make the education system more inclusive for children with autism; and if she will make a...
- Schools Building Projects 
 139. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the provision of two modular units for additional classroom accommodation at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a...
- Disadvantaged Status 
 141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her progress to date in the implementation of the DEIS plus scheme as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if she will make a...
- Schools Building Projects 
 142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the construction of a school (details supplied). [16856/25]
- Public Sector Pay 
 146. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the local bargaining process in the primary education sector; if she will provide an update on the 19 costings...
- Teacher Training 
 147. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the efforts being made to increase the number of qualified primary teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17200/25]
- Schools Building Projects 
 148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a timeline for delivery of new primary and post-primary schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter....
- School Curriculum 
 149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to expand the social and emotional support in all schools. [14638/25]
- Education Policy 
 150. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department's plans to expand the role of the home school liaison roles. [14636/25]
- School Funding 
 151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding schools seeking financial contributions from parents; if she intends to adequately fund schools to negate the need for...
- Special Educational Needs 
 152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional special school places that have been provided for Cork for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement...
- School Accommodation 
 153. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on additional buildings needed for Danu special school Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17234/25]
- School Funding 
 154. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what action she will take to increase capitation and other funding for schools so they are able to meet their running costs; and if she will make...
- School Enrolments 
 155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children nationally, and specifically in Dublin, that will not have a school place this coming September; and if she will make a...
- Special Educational Needs 
 156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in the Dublin Mid-West area; the number of special schools; to outline the plans for new schools in the area; and if she...
- School Transport 
 159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the implementation of the school transport strategy. [16970/25]
- Schools Building Projects 
 160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when phase 2 of the building works at a school (details supplied) is scheduled to commence; if she will provide an update on the timeline for its...
- Teacher Training 
 162. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure new teachers in training are trained to deliver high-quality teaching to children of all abilities, including those with...
- Departmental Meetings 
 164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has met with parents who held a 24-hour sleep-out outside her Department’s headquarters on Tuesday, 1 April 2025; and if she will...
- State Examinations 
 165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how she intends to address to concerns of students and parents regarding the grade inflation in recent years and the potential impact on Leaving...
- Special Educational Needs 
 166. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on her Department’s work regarding accessibility of education for people who are visually impaired. [17149/25]
- School Facilities 
 167. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how her Department is supporting second-level schools to prepare students for rapid technological advances, such as artificial intelligence and...
- Disadvantaged Status 
 168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the appeals process for schools denied DEIS status; the criteria upon which schools may appeal; and if she will make a...
- School Accommodation 
 169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the new premises for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17048/25]
- Schools Building Projects 
 170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the planned works for school buildings (details supplied); the current stage each project is at; and the expected timeline for...
- School Accommodation 
 171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to ensure a school (details supplied) has the modular unit in place for September to cater for the two special needs classes it will have; and if...
- Special Educational Needs 
 172. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the Autism Class Application Trial, which is being run by primary schools in Dublin 15; if her Department has signed off on the...
- Schools Building Projects 
 174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the need for a multi-gendered, multi-denominational secondary school in the Ashtown Navan Road area in Dublin; and if she will make...
- Special Educational Needs 
 176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of expressions of interest that have sought to secure a place for a child in the interim special school in County Monaghan; and if she...
- School Curriculum 
 178. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the Government commitment to return therapists, such as speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, to schools has not...
- Disadvantaged Status 
 179. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide a timeline for the introduction of a DEIS Plus programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17225/25]
- Special Educational Needs 
 180. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review Circular 0002/2024 in relation to the distribution of special education teaching hours at primary level, given many schools...
- Pupil-Teacher Ratio 
 181. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the announced reduction in pupil teacher ratio will be introduced for the coming school year, where a school could potentially loose a...
- Education Policy 
 182. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will take into account the findings of a recent survey (details supplied), which received 1,231 valid parental responses representing...
- School Accommodation 
 183. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the four prefabs at a school (details supplied); when they will be replaced; and if she will make a statement on...
- Schools Building Projects 
 184. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on a permanent building for Danu special school in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17235/25]
- Mental Health Services 
 185. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she intends to continue and expand the counselling in primary schools pilot given that schools have not yet been informed whether this...
- School Transport 
 186. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the school transport scheme; the number of applications currently in the system from Cork county; and if she...
- School Funding 
 187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools currently in debt across the country. [17202/25]
- Teacher Training 
 188. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to ensure teachers currently working in the education system are trained to deliver high-quality teaching to children of all abilities,...
- School Transport 
 189. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on school transport; the measures she is taking to increase school transport places in Kerry; and if she will make a statement on...
- Site Acquisitions 
 190. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on plans for a Department of Education site at Brooklodge, Glanmire, Cork; the progress made to locate a special...
- Special Educational Needs 
 191. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason mainstream classes in a pre-school (details supplied) have been excluded from special needs education support; and if she will make a...
- School Transport 
 193. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on her Department’s evaluation of pilots run under the revised school transport scheme for 2025-2026; to provide the next...
- Special Educational Needs 
 196. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the plans in place to ensure that children in County Mayo who are waiting prolonged periods for their initial CDNT appointment do not experience...
- Schools Building Projects 
 197. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is considering the establishment of a new second level school in east Cork given the projected rise in population figures in...
- Special Educational Needs 
 198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the applications for ASD classes in two schools in County Tipperary which have not had their classes sanctioned (details supplied);...
- School Curriculum 
 200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide an update on plans for senior cycle reform, in particular the practical steps that she has taken since previous Minister's Questions...
- School Accommodation 
 201. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if additional space will be provided at a Louth primary school (details supplied) to accommodate an extra classroom and additional ASD places;...
- Disadvantaged Status 
 202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her criteria to define these new additional supports DEIS +. [14635/25]
- School Staff 
 203. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to keeping a teacher at a primary school in Louth (details supplied) as its projected pupil numbers will be higher...
- School Transport 
 204. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in order to alleviate the shortage of primary school places in Portlaoise, that the transport section of her Department would provide transport...
- Special Educational Needs 
 205. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has examined initiatives to assist dyslexic students to study Irish at post-primary level; and if she will make a statement on...
- State Examinations 
 206. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how the issue of grade inflation in recent years and the potential impact on Leaving Certificate students graduating in 2025 will be addressed by...
- School Staff 
 207. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she is taking to ensure the full complement of special needs assistant posts are filled in September 2025 in order to adequately...
- School Funding 
 208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to increase the capitation grant per child, for each school, to meet the growing demands on schools due to the rising cost of...
- Teacher Training 
 209. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the training and the type of training that has been provided to senior cycle teachers for senior cycle reform to begin in September of this year;...
- Special Educational Needs 
 210. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she intends on expanding the Dublin 15 autism class application trial across Ireland to introduce a centralised application system for autism...
- State Examinations 
 211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures she is taking to ensure fairness in Leaving Certificate 2025, particularly in comparison with previous cohorts, in light of grade...
- School Accommodation 
 212. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the status of the extension to a school (details supplied); if stage 1 has now completed; the timeline for the delivery of the...
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