Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline the position with regard to the accommodation needs of St. Gabriel's Special School in Bishopstown, County Cork. This matter has been raised with me by a number of public representatives, including my Cabinet colleagues and the Taoiseach.

St. Gabriel's Special School is the primary school under the patronage of the Brothers of Charity. The school caters for children and teenagers aged four to 18 years of age with severe and profound learning disability and those in this category with associated autistic spectrum disorder, ASD. The current staffing at the school includes a principal, eight mainstream teachers and 30 special needs assistants, SNAs, with an enrolment in 2021 of 43 pupils. St. Gabriel's Special School is currently accommodated in a former primary school building. Another former primary school building adjoins St. Gabriel's and St. Gabriel's has secured the use of some additional space in this property, as has been outlined. Both school buildings are owned by the Diocese of Cork and Ross.

This property has the potential to offer the school valuable extra space to meet its accommodation needs. Remedial work is required to the property to facilitate its use by St. Gabriel's. The Department has been liaising with the school regarding its accommodation needs. An architect and an engineer from the Department's building unit recently visited the school. It is intended that the visit will assist in identifying proposed works that could be undertaken in the building, taking account of the specific needs of the school. The Department is also engaging with the Diocese of Cork and Ross, as owner of the buildings, in this regard. The Department is committed to providing for the school's long-term accommodation needs and is considering all the options available. It will continue to engage with the school in this regard.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for the Government. The Department's policy is that children with special educational needs should be included, where possible and appropriate, in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special schools and special class places are provided for. This year, the Department will invest over 20% of its education budget, or €2 billion, in supporting children with special needs. As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, special needs assistants, special classes and special school places are at unprecedented levels. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased by almost 235%, from 548 to over 1,800 for the 2020-2021 school year. Some 199 new special classes have been established nationally for the 2020-2021 school year. Budget 2021 also provides for an additional 235 special class teachers this year, supporting the provision of over 1,200 additional special classes. An additional 990 special needs assistants brings the provision of special needs assistants to a record of more than 18,000. An additional 145 special education teachers brings the total provision to more than 13,000 in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, with an additional 23 special education teachers to be allocated to meet increased enrolments in special schools.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, I am acutely aware that there are parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places. The Department's schools building programme is focused on providing additional school places to ensure that every child, including children with special needs, has a school place. This includes opening new schools and extending existing schools in areas where more school places are needed to meet the growing number of children living in these areas.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well-established structures in place for engaging with schools and patrons. The NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements. It continues to work with and support the families who have a recommendation for, and are seeking to secure, a special school placement. A number of meetings between the Department, the NCSE and relevant stakeholders, including patron bodies, have taken place to consider how the demand for special school places in Cork can be met. The Deputies will be aware that new special schools in Cork and Dublin will be established for the 2021-2022 school year.

See this speech in context