Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy has acknowledged, I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for the Minister and this Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and the necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper. It is important to highlight that the majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. For children with more complex needs, special classes are provided. For children with the most complex needs, special school places are also provided.

The need for special education is at an all-time high and over a quarter of the education budget is allocated to special education, providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. This has increased under budget 2025, with almost €2.9 billion allocated, which represents an increase of 6%, or €159 million, on last year’s funding. This funding will deliver up to 2,700 new special educational places, an additional 768 teachers and 1,600 special needs assistants. This will mean we will have more than 44,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

Since 2020, almost 1,700 new special classes have been provided, bringing the total to more than 3,300. Over the same period, 11 new special schools have been opened. Four of these new special schools opened last month in counties Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. More than 400 new special classes have been sanctioned for this school year, with classes provided in every county. Of the new special classes sanctioned for the 2024-25 school year, 16 are in County Louth, with 13 at primary level and three at post-primary level.

This brings the total number of special classes in Louth to 98 - 75 at primary and 23 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these classes are autism classes and have a teacher-student ratio of 1:6.

Statutory responsibility for the provision of additional special education provision lies with the NCSE. The NCSE has progressed the recruitment of additional special education needs organisers, SENOs, team managers and advisers. The number of SENOs increased from 65 to 120 at the start of this school year. The additional staffing will ensure that parents and schools experience an increased level of support and guidance from the NCSE. The NCSE is undertaking some 800 school planning visits in September and October of this school year. These meetings will be key to determining which schools should open new special classes for the next school year 2025-26. The NCSE is particularly focusing on medium to Iarger primary schools which do not yet have a special class, and post-primary schools, to open new special classes. The NCSE will also reach out to families to help and guide them through the range of supports available to meet the needs of their children. It is important for planning purposes that parents engage with the NCSE when seeking special educational placement for their children. The contact details of local special educational needs organisers are available through schools and on the NCSE’s website. That is a valuable point. I am sure the Deputy is aware that we need the NCSE to help carry the burden for the parents as opposed to them applying to a number of schools. The Department of Education and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for all children who require such a placement.

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