Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this issue. I welcome the families from County Monaghan who have travelled here today. I did not know they were coming, but I spoke to one of the representatives last night.

Special education is a key priority for this Government. It has been underpinned by over a quarter of the entire education budget. For 2025, €2.9 billion will be spent on special education, an increase of €113 million. This will allow for, among other things, the opening of 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places. Since 2020, almost 1,700 new special classes and 11 special schools have been provided. An additional 768 special education teachers and 1,600 SNAs have also been provided. This is the highest number of SNAs allocated, bringing SNA posts nationwide to over 23,000. The investment of €62 million is the largest yet for summer programmes. There are targeted resources to help with planning and transitioning for children with special education needs. There is a dedicated special education innovation fund in recognition of the need to continually evolve and examine best practice. Additional funding to provide for enhanced training requirements for teachers and SNAs has been announced. At a national level, since 2020, almost 1,700 new special classes with 11 schools have been provided. For this school year, over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned and four new special schools opened last month in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. Throughout the summer, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and the Department of Education have worked intensely with some schools to provide further capacity, and work has focused on particular areas in north Dublin.

I am more than familiar with what is going on in County Monaghan. I know all about the Holy Family School. It is an excellent facility built on the border between Cavan and Monaghan, at the time, to facilitate the needs of the people in the region. I am fully aware of that. In terms of the Monaghan special school, four new classes have been confirmed, bringing the number of special classes in the county up to 46. Deputy McDonald was very welcome in Monaghan. I am sorry to have missed her. When she was there, Deputy Carthy could have brought her to Clontibret to show her the fabulous facilities they have in the school to cater for people with special needs. Deputy Carthy also could have brought her to Lough Morn or to St. Tiarnach's in Clones to see the wonderful work they are doing in all of those units.

The Department of Education and the NCSE are working to increase special school capacity for the 2025-26 school year and beyond. Where additional school places are needed, the preference is generally to expand capacity in existing schools. However, consideration is being given to whether further new special schools in addition to the 11 schools that are established or are being established, are required in certain locations. As part of this work, the NCSE is examining known demand in areas, the distances children are travelling to special schools and the capacity in an area to expand special schools where they already exist. This work is ongoing and is expected to be substantially completed in late autumn. A number of regions are under consideration for special school provision, including Monaghan. I can assure Deputy McDonald that I will be making the case for Monaghan, and I am sure Deputy Carthy will support me.

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