Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Education has reduced the criteria for the allocation of special education teacher hours and removed the complex needs criteria from the calculation. Some 76% of principals of primary schools say the 2024-25 allocation does not meet the needs of children for the upcoming academic year and is wholly inadequate, while 37% reported a decrease in their allocations despite evidence that classrooms have a higher number of children with additional needs than ever before. How are these cuts in the best interest of children with complex needs who will regress if they do not get the right supports at the right time? How do the cuts correlate with recent advice in the National Council for Special Education's policy document on working towards an inclusive education?

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