Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I genuinely and sincerely thank Deputy Stanley for raising this issue and laying out very considerably what is an extremely delicate matter - I think we both accept that - not just for the students in question but particularly their families, teachers and the wider school community.

At the outset, with the Deputy's indulgence, I would like to lay out a little bit of the detail with regard to the work of the Department of Education and National Council For Special Education on how they are continuing to support children with special educational needs, not just at a post-primary level but also at a primary school level, although I will particularly refer to post-primary level in County Laois at the end.

In 2023, the Department of Education spent in excess of €2.6 billion, or over 27% of the Department’s budget, on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs, and further progress will be made this year as an additional €113 million will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.

This will allow the Department to further the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.

Over the last number of years, the Department of Education and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream, special class and special school places. These initiatives are bearing fruit with more than 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.

The Department continues to engage intensely with the NCSE with regard to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well under way ahead of the 2024-2025 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data with regard to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level. As a result of this forward planning, the education Ministers announced the establishment of two special schools for this school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools and that a further four special schools for the 2024-25 school year will be established.

Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes, that is, 253 at primary and 136 at post-primary level, have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this school year. Of these, eight are in Laois - four at primary level and four at post-primary - bringing the total number of special classes in County Laois to 60, that is, 44 at primary level and 16 at post-primary level.

The NCSE is currently engaging with a number of post-primary schools, including schools such as Coláiste Íosagáin and Heywood Community School to which the Deputy referred, to open further classes for the 2024-2025 school year and these details will be finalised in the coming weeks.

I will undertake this evening that as soon as these details are finalised, they will be forwarded to Deputy Stanley and his office for consideration and that there will be an increased amount of consultation with the parents, students and teachers in question. We all are in shared agreement that there is absolutely a need for additional classes across the country and, indeed, particularly at post-primary level. I look forward to engaging further with the Deputy going forward.

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