Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she and her Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have identified the number of places in special schools and special classes that will be required next September; if so, the number; and the number of places above and beyond what is currently available that will be required; and if all named parties are now beginning to analyse where it may be necessary to make use of legislation to compel schools rather than waiting until late spring. [5252/23]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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In the late summer of last year, a lot of time was dedicated to ensuring there were adequate places in special schools and special classes. At the time, we all agreed it was important that this year we would be as far ahead of that as possible. That said, I have already heard from four or five families in my constituency, and I was just speaking to Deputy Clarke about Athlone and various parts of the country where children do not have a place for September. What is the plan for them? Has the number of children who do not have a place in a special class or special school for this coming September been identified?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for his question, which is important, in particular for me as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. The NCSE works very closely with the Department, parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.

The Deputy will be aware that in the past two to three years, the Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan and provide for sufficient places in special classes and special schools. I refer in particular to the Department's geographic information system, GIS, which supports a strategic and co-ordinated approach to planning and the delivery of special educational needs, SEN, provision. That includes real-time data on capacity across the school system, and it uses data from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, and elsewhere.

There is also updated technical guidance for building projects that involve special education provision, including guidance on reconfiguration, which is something schools ask about regarding existing accommodation. Where there is capacity to extend onto existing accommodation, that is something that is looked at prior to building a new building.

When I was appointed to this role, I wanted to make sure there was a commitment from the Department on future-proofing, which means that all post-primary schools with 1,000 students, for example, will have four special classes in the school and other large-scale projects and facilities will be provided in other schools on a pro rata basis. That means that in the future there will be capacity, in particular in post-primary schools, and we do not have the issue to which the Deputy referred in his contribution whereby we are scrambling to get places at the last minute. We are trying to prevent and mitigate against that.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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There was a bit of that. It was fairly broad brush strokes. I have acknowledged and welcomed some of it in the past. The question is specifically about the number of places. As things stand, the NCSE should know how many places are available in special schools and special classes. It should also know how many children require those places. Anecdotally, on the ground, it seems that this year again there are more children than there are places. Could the Minister of State confirm that? Is she taking steps to address that for this September? In time, we should be in a situation where we could plan two years ahead. I know children and families in my area, and in Dublin and Athlone, who, as things stand, do not have a place. If there is going to be a section 37A or emergency schools opened, we need to be talking about this now not in May or June. How many extra places are needed and what is the Minister of State going to do about it or is it the NCSE's view that no additional places are needed?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I am answering the Deputy's question because I am outlining to him the steps that are being undertaken, have been undertaken, and will continue to be undertaken, to ensure we have appropriate placements for the children.

I will give him specific statistics if he wishes, but I want to outline to the House what we are doing in terms of forward planning, which is a critical component of making sure that we have the appropriate placements in situ. Fee-charging schools is another area that we are looking at. As the Deputy will be aware, even Bandon Grammar School in Cork, which is a fee-charging school, is now opening a special class. We are looking to have that as a blueprint, along with the Spiritans, in other schools throughout the country. Modular accommodation is going in and there is the expansion of existing planning exemptions, which is critical as well. In addition, there are issues concerning project management.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister of State offered to provide numbers. Given that such information was sought in the question, I would welcome some numbers in her final response.

I am aware of one particular child who is in a special junior school, who has applied to five or six different schools. The child does not have a place for September. I know other families whose children are in unsuitable places, who have home tuition and other such arrangements. I am aware that this is an issue in other areas. Given that Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan and other Deputies have similar questions tabled, as things stand, although last year was not as bad as the previous year, it does seem that this year again in Cork we may have an issue. The Minister of State has outlined the forecasting model and the GIS. The Department should be in a position to tell us how many places we have, how many we are missing and what we must do to fill the gap. How many places have we got? Is there a gap? What is the gap? That is the conversation we must have now so that we do not have it in May and June of this year.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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This is not just about the forecasting model. These are the new initiatives that we have undertaken. These initiatives are bearing fruit. We will have 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level and almost 300 new special classes at post-primary level. We have had five new special schools over the past three years. We can see clearly that it has had a major effect on what we are trying to achieve, especially in Cork.

We have 65 new special classes in Cork; 23 in Limerick; 24 in Meath; and 94 in Dublin. However, there is a focus on urban areas where demand is highest. It is a given that is important.

The NCSE website, ncse.ie, has a list of all schools that have special classes with the types and locations of these classes. That can be clearly seen. We have 2,544 special classes, which is an increase from 548 in 2011. The NCSE is collaborating with schools. We have written to all post-primary schools to ask them to open special classes. Once the child is known to the council, there should be no reason to fail to have an appropriate placement for that child.