Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Dillon for raising this issue. He is dead right to do so. I agree with enabling pupils with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs. This is an ongoing priority for the Government. Another priority for the Government is to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to cater for the needs of children with special educational needs. This year, the Department will spend in excess of €2.6 billion, or more than 27% of the budget, on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs, and rightly so. In 2022, funding was provided for an additional 980 teachers and 1,165 special needs assistants.

For 2023, the Department has further increased the number of teaching and special needs assistant, SNA, posts in our schools. There will be an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs in our schools next year as a result.

Budget 2023 also provided funding for additional staffing in the NCSE and the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. This will ensure that our schools and students benefit from additional practical supports from special educational needs organisers, SENOs, NCSE advisers and educational psychologists.

The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. The Department has engaged intensely with it in the context of forward planning for new special classes and special school places for the 2023-24 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data relating to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements, consideration of available school accommodation and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As Deputy Dillon will be aware, on 12 April, the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, provided an update on the progress being made in respect of meeting the needs of children with special educational needs for the coming school year. Two new special schools are being established in the next school year, one in Carrigtwohill in east Cork and one in the Dublin 7 area, with further capacity being expanded and 11 other special schools. This will bring to seven the number of new special schools established in recent years. The NCSE has also sanctioned 218 new special classes nationwide at primary and post-primary level for the coming school year. Of those, six are located in County Mayo - three at primary level and three at post-primary level. These new classes will bring the total number of special classes in County Mayo to 62, which is 43 at primary level and 19 post-primary level. Additional special classes will be sanctioned in the coming weeks.

See this speech in context