Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for asking the question. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for the Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper.

To ensure schools can open new special classes as quickly as possible, the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is examining which schools have capacity to expand and is reaching out to medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation, and no existing special class, to open a new special class for the 2025-26 school year. This will not only ensure that classes can open quickly, as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner, but it will also provide more options for parents in local areas as more and more schools open specialist provision. However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level, and there is a known demand in a local area, the Department of Education will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places.

At local level in Lucan, and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continues to examine where provision is best placed to meet demand. I confirm that the council has ruled out sanctioning a special class at Scoil Mhuire for the coming school year. The council is confirming this directly with the school now to avoid any confusion. As new special classes are sanctioned in other schools, it will inform parents and provide advice and support on how to apply.

Of the 400 new special classes to be sanctioned for the next school year, the NCSE has sanctioned more than 350, with classes provided in every county. A total of 66 of these classes are in Dublin, with a number in the Lucan and broader west Dublin area. The council continues to sanction classes. These will be added to in the coming days.

The Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Michael Moynihan, both meet the NCSE and senior Department of Education officials on a weekly basis to track the progress being made on securing additional classes and special school places.

I will raise the other issues the Deputy mentioned here.

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