Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Harkin for those questions. On the question of forward planning, there is a range of strategic initiatives we are building on and some of the recommendations were set out in the ombudsman's report. We have been building on those anyway for the past two years. As I said, he acknowledged that there has been much work done over the past two years with the Department, the NCSE, patrons and management bodies. There is also updated technical guidance for building projects and future-proofing, which I mentioned a few moments ago, for future accommodation in all new schools. The modular accommodation framework has also been in place since 2021. There is the expansion of existing planning exemptions for additional accommodation at existing school sites. Usually, if a school applies for additional accommodation under the scheme, it is requested to put in a special educational needs provision when it seeks that new project.

The strategic initiatives have helped to deliver permanent accommodation for 292 special classes and there is additional capacity for 122 classrooms in 22 special schools. That is during the period of the national development plan. There are 700 projects under that plan that would deliver 1,300 new special educational needs classrooms and 200 replacement classrooms for 7,800 pupils in primary and post-primary education. Almost 100 are currently on-site delivering classroom spaces for almost 1,000 additional special educational needs pupils. Taken together, that will enable approximately 50% new and additional or modernised accommodation in special schools.

A total of 60% of post-primary schools either have an existing special class or there is a project in the school at present. I am satisfied, in so far as I can be, with the forward planing. It is vastly different to what was there before. It will make a significant difference. A question was asked about training for teachers, particularly for newly qualified teachers. There is a lot of work being done in the national induction programme for teachers. A range of induction workshops specifically for newly qualified teachers is offered.