Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the question. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for my Department and for the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. My Department engages intensely with the NCSE on 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 in respect of 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.

Along with two new special schools opening this school year, 391 new special classes - 255 at primary level and 136 at post-primary level - have been sanctioned by the NCSE. Of those, 76 are in Cork, 52 at primary level and 24 at post-primary level. This brings to 496 the number of special classes in County Cork, comprising 351 at primary level and 145 at post-primary level.

In respect of the school referred to by the Deputy, I confirm that my Department received an application in 2021 under the additional schools accommodation scheme. The application was for funding for the provision of three special education classrooms. The Department's school building technical team carried out an in-depth review of the school site in 2021. The review confirmed that the school and the site are at maximum capacity and that it would not be possible to provide the required accommodation on site unless vast amounts of existing accommodation were to be demolished and replaced with two-storey accommodation. At that time, considering all the relevant impediments to delivering the brief of accommodation and the site constraints, the Department was not in a position to provide funding for the significant demolition of the school building. In light of this, officials in my Department contacted the NCSE to advise it of same and to establish the special classes in other schools in the area.

In January 2024, the NCSE confirmed the need for special classes in the area. I will come back in again and add to my reply.

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