Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

The NCSE is the statutory agency with responsibility for the provision of special education places. The NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes for the coming school year, of which 398 are autism special classes while three are autism early intervention classes. This brings to 3,742 the number of special classes in our schools. The NCSE has advised my Department that an updated list of these classes is available on the NCSE website and I am also happy to share this list with the Deputy.

Combined with 300 new special school places, this brings to 2,700 the number of new school places for children with special educational needs. This additional capacity, together with the movement of children across existing classes, means that the Department and the NCSE have created more capacity than there were children known to the NCSE by the deadline of February 2025.

The NCSE has advised me that, outside of Dublin, all children known to it by the February deadline and who required a special class placement at primary or post-primary level had received a place. For a small number of children in the Dublin area who are seeking a special class or special school placement, the NCSE is working intensively with those parents and the schools concerned to finalise the arrangements for the 2025-26 school year. In addition, the NCSE is working closely with parents who came forward post the February deadline to support them into available placements.

This year, in order to ensure new special classes could open as quickly as possible for the 2025-26 school year, the NCSE prioritised work with medium and larger primary schools that have available accommodation but do not have an existing special class. This approach maximises the use of existing space that can be reconfigured efficiently while also ensuring that new provision continues to be established.

The increased number of schools with special classes provides parents with greater choice and will also reduce the distances that some children are travelling to access a special class place. This will remain a priority for the 2026-27 school year.

See this speech in context