Dáil debates

Tuesday, 13 May 2025

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions

 

2:40 am

Photo of Micheál MartinMicheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First of all, every child is entitled and has a constitutional right to an education. It is our job as the Government to vindicate that right. I do not accept the Deputy's presentation that the Government does not care. The Government does care. There is evidence of that. I do not want to go through all the statistics as that does not console a particular parent or family who are having difficulty in getting confirmation of a school place for next September.

Expenditure has increased exponentially in the special education area, and rightly so. It is now about 28% of the education budget, with a 48% increase since 2020. We now have about 124 special schools, with 11 opened since 2020. There had been a lapse before 2020 but since 2020 we have opened new special schools and built 11 of them. Five more are opening in 2025-2026. The number of children attending special classes in mainstream schools has doubled over the past five years from just over 9,000 in 2019 to almost 19,000 in 2024, with 3,335 special classes now in place to support them.

We are planning a substantial number of school places for this year. Some 3,900 places will be available for 3,275 students known to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, who are seeking special classes and special school places, through additional capacity.

There is a challenge and intensive work is ongoing. I have been in touch with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and with the Minister, Deputy Helen McEntee, on this issue and particularly in the Dublin area in endeavouring to get specific confirmation around students who have yet to get a place confirmed.

Some of the issues relate to getting the sanctioned special classes ready before September. They will definitely be provided, as they have been sanctioned, but I am referring to the logistics of it. In some cases it could be Portakabins and in others it may be a matter of getting new facilities in place. No effort will be spared to make sure everyone gets a place rather than having people seeking to vindicate their rights through the courts. I do not want that. There has been a significant increase in terms of children presenting with special and additional needs. Work is also ongoing in terms of the NCSE and the Department getting far better at predicting and having databases for the future through the former whereby the application dates will come forward earlier in the year and we will have a common application system nationally for children with additional needs. This issue is being given intense attention by the Government right now to give that assurance to parents.

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