Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

The Government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for the coming 2025-26 school year. Five new special schools are being established in addition to the 11 new special schools that opened over the past few years. Of these 16 new schools, six have been established in Dublin, bringing the number of NCSE-supported special schools in the county to 42. Special school capacity is also being expanded across a number of existing special schools. This means capacity across Dublin city and county will increase to over 2,700 special school places.

Of the 399 special classes sanctioned for September 2025, 98 are in County Dublin and these will be added to the existing 602 special classes currently in operation in the county.

There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. The new special schools established in recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas, namely, Dublin and Cork. The Department of Education and Youth and NCSE have already begun planning with regard to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026-27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year in the coming years.

When looking to provide additional capacity, the Department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools, if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the Department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school. In planning for increased special school places, the Department and NCSE review all the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand. The NCSE continues to monitor demand for special school places at a local and national level and is committed to ensuring that adequate provision remains nationwide.

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