We have a commitment in the programme for Government to establish Gaelscoileanna and Gaelcholáistí where there is demand to support parents to choose Irish-medium education for their children. My Department launched the new policy last November. A key action of that policy was the establishment of the task force. My Department has established three new Irish-medium post-primary schools since 2014 for demographic reasons - Coláiste Ghlór na Mara in Balbriggan, Gaelcholáiste an Phiarsaigh in Rathfarnham, and Gaelchol…

There are currently 50 Gaelcholáistí across the country and almost all of them are undersubscribed for enrolments. This Government is committed to establishing and supporting-----

My Department and the Government are absolutely committed to expanding the number of Gaelcholáistí and Gaelscoileanna across the country. As the Deputy knows, there was a recent primary school survey which included questions to establish parental interest in Irish-medium provision and while it was a survey for primary schools, it provides very useful information and a guide to inform post-primary provision. There will be further clarity on the outcomes of that survey later this year. We have committed in the progra…

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue. It gives me an opportunity to outline to the House the Department of Education and Youth's plans to address the accommodation needs for Monaghan Community Special School. The Senator is correct: I had a fantastic visit to the school, one of five new special schools established for the 2025-26 school year. My Department's priority and my own was to open that school as quickly as possible to help to support those 18 children who urgently needed an education support pl…

In budget 2026, we secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places. The NCSE is currently examining where best to locate those places for the 2026-27 school year. As the Senator has outlined, it was a priority to get the 18 places opened. They are now up and running. The next step is to get the next six school places up and running through modular builds on that site. Work is progressing with the Department to identify further potential sites right across the country, including in Monaghan. We all acknowledge that …

I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity to come to the Seanad today. The purpose of the emergency works scheme, as the Senator knows, is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation. An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate r…

That would be great. The information in the Department is that an application has not yet been received. Maybe work is ongoing. There is a commitment within the Department. The team understands the urgency of carrying out these works to ensure the school is safe and classes can open for students. There has been engagement with the school and perhaps we can clarify where the application is at present. I hear the Senator loud and clear in relation to the urgency of these works.

I will circulate one.

I thank Deputy McGreehan for her question. It gives me pleasure to have the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the current position in relation to accommodation at Monksland National School in County Louth. The school is a co-educational Catholic school under the patronage of the Archbishop of Armagh. It has an enrolment in 2025-2026 of 139 pupils, which includes pupils in the two special education classes that were established at the school in 2022. In line with the national decline in primary demogr…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue with me. Deputy Paula Butterly had also raised the issue of this school. I will ask the Department about those previous applications. As I said, we have to look at the existing capacity within schools across the country when we are looking at providing spaces. The priority is for special educational places across the country. We are committed to ensuring that there is appropriate accommodation available for all pupils in the wider context and to ensure that each schoo…

I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to provide an update to the House on the school building project at St. Farnan's Post Primary School in Prosperous, County Kildare. The project brief is to provide a new-build replacement school for a long-term projected enrolment of 1,000 pupils, including a four-classroom special educational needs base. The delivery of this project has been devolved to Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, KWETB. The project is in the final stag…

I thank the Deputy. I can certainly hear his passion for this project. As I have said, the Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available to all school pupils and will in the wider context outlined ensure each school project on the school building programme is subject to the due diligence required under the public infrastructure guidelines. It is a challenging construction environment, as I said, and we are also required to ensure we are managing the timing, scope and cost of all these p…

Hear, hear.

Well done, a Cheann Comhairle.

The Government and I recognise the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and of ensuring they receive the right services at the right time. For children with complex needs, these services are delivered through the CDNTs across the country. In 2025, the CDNTs will provide supports and services to almost 45,000 children with complex needs. This is an increase of some 2,000 children in receipt of services at the end of December 2024. Despite increasing pressures on waiting lists across the co…

At the end of September 2025 the whole-time equivalent posts for the Cork area was 308.77. Of those, 234.73 were filled and there were a further 32.42 post holders on various types of leave.

I thank the Deputy. He is not disputing the figures. These are the figures that were supplied to me and they include, as he has outlined as well, those who are on various types of leave. Across the board we are engaging in recruitment campaigns. Student placements within our CDNTs continue to be expanded because we want to encourage those on placements within in our teams, so they will come back to work in those settings. There are also a number of bursaries in place to encourage therapists and social care workers …

On the Deputy's last point, that is exactly what we are doing. I am not disputing the fact we absolutely need to increase recruitment. There is a huge amount of work happening. In budget 2026 €8 million has been secured to allow for the funding of 150 staff for our CDNTs and the configuration of these posts is under review by the HSE. That expands on the funding of €2.85 million which was made available in 2025 for children’s services. Also, the programme for Government commits to a doubling of the number of colleg…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I am taking this question on behalf of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. The Minister and the Government continue to make progress in improving access to meet the health needs of rural and remote communities. Sláintecare is the roadmap for reform of our healthcare system. A key milestone is the organisation of the HSE into six health regions. This took place last year and a phased transition to the new structures continues. Each region is now em…

I will raise the issue as well with the Minister for Health. The Department of Health encourages regional teams to explore service models that reflect the realities in their communities. It is important that the regions learn from one another and that they share best practices. Such work can then inform broader strategies for improving care in remote areas right across the country. Looking ahead, this regional innovation can inform national strategy and strengthen service delivery everywhere across the country. Pat…