Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I want to raise the issue of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, portal. The council has a new process in place to identify and ensure there is capacity for children who need special classes as part of their education. In moving to this new system, there has been a major gap in the process, which I am really worried about. Essentially parents were to upload the information and medical reports about their child's diagnosis into the Parent Notify portal on the NCSE website. Once that was assessed by the council, a letter of eligibility was given to the parents and the parents could use that to apply for a special class in the school. The NCSE closed that portal on 1 October. Many parents were not aware that this portal existed and what they needed to do to get the letter of eligibility. They did not have the final paperwork required because of how long it takes for assessments in this country. Unfortunately, the portal is now closed and those parents are absolutely unable to apply for a special class for their child.

I have repeatedly raised this with the Department and with the Minister. I keep being told not to worry and that the NCSE is going to manage this. The council is aware that for some children the parents did not have the information up in time and support will be given to them. However, that has not actually happened yet. The NCSE provided the following update:

Details of the process to be followed by parents and guardians who have not used Parents Notify to make contact with the NCSE when seeking a special class/school placement will be published on the NCSE website and social media accounts in the coming weeks.

That was seven weeks ago and there has been no update. I have been contacted by a number of parents in my constituency. This is a nationwide issue, and not just a Wicklow issue. It would appear that there's large-scale confusion over how those parents can be catered for. They are not hearing from their SENOs and there has not been any contact with the Department. Unfortunately, the guidance the NCSE sent out to all the schools states that a child who does not get into the first enrolments will go onto the waiting list. A child on a waiting list in any area where there are capacity issues is not getting a place.

Parents are really worried about this. Two things need to happen. There has to be immediate communication from the NCSE to parents in this regard. The SENOs need guidance. There seems to be a lot of confusion among the SENOs as to what is happening and that communication absolutely must happen. The Department or the NCSE must reopen that portal so that those parents who have received additional information can submit it. This issue has to be addressed. It cannot be the case that children who have additional needs are not being catered for or accounted for. This is not even for education this year; this is for September 2026. There seems to be a major gap in that process. I hope the Minister of State has an update from the Department for me on this. It is a huge worry for parents.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy. What I have in the reply is more of a rationale for the change and for the earlier date in terms of trying to have everything in place so places can be allocated in a timely manner and be in position. In terms of reopening the portal, according to the response I have it sounds unlikely. To be fair, the Deputy's suggestion about immediate communication with the parents and guidance for the SENOs does not seem like a big ask, and it is something I will certainly go back to Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, with. This is an area he is passionate about and he really has grabbed the bull by the horns in a sector that needs more support and more resources. I will certainly bring that back, but what I am going to outline here is the rationale for the change.

For children and young people with more complex needs, a special class can be provided and for children and young people with the most complex needs a special school place can be provided. Over 2,700 new special education places were provided for the 2025-26 school year, meaning there are now 3,741 special classes nationwide. The Department of Education and Youth will build on this figure next year by providing at least 3,000 new places, placing provision in locations where it is best placed to meet existing and future demand. In addition, 16 new special schools have been established in recent years. Special school capacity has also been expanded across a number of special schools nationwide. These schools are supported by the Department and the NCSE.

The NCSE will have a clear picture of local demand for special class and special school places for the 2026-27 school year after staff review and assess all the information that has been provided through the parents’ notification process, which was closed on 1 October, as the Deputy referenced. The new timeline was published widely and communicated with schools, special education advocacy groups and parent representative bodies. The NCSE also undertook a lot of work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process. There was an undertaking in terms of public awareness, but with any of these new systems there are always gaps. It is inevitable and it always happens in the first year. The earlier notification deadline was introduced this year to support forward planning and to earlier equip the NCSE with local information as to what students would be leaving school, transitioning to post-primary specialist places or those seeking specialist placement and entering the education system for the first time. This information is critical when examining where provision needs to be placed to meet demand. This earlier date in October coincides with when schools begin enrolment processes so affords parents the opportunity to enrol in existing classes.

Many mainstream schools, particularly at post-primary level, commence admissions processes for the following school year on 1 October annually. The NCSE is also working on sanctioning the majority of new special classes for the 2026-27 school year by 31 December 2025. This is four months earlier than last year and will bring clarity and certainty for both parents and schools as to where classes will be located. It will also afford greater lead-in times for schools that require repurposing or major building works to get works complete and allow schools to recruit staff and undertake the training needed so that children are fully supported in these placements. Once the NCSE has fully collated and assessed the information received from the Parents Notify process, it will engage with schools across the country to open new special classes. The council will also have due regard to any vacant places in existing special classes in any area and any places that will become available through the normal movement of children leaving a primary or post-primary school. The council advises that the majority of children and young people coming to it through the Parents Notify process are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants. With any date for applications for supports, it is important that those who come forward after that date are assured that they are not forgotten or excluded from the system. I would like to stress that NCSE staff will continue to support all children made known to them after 1 October.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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I absolutely understand the need to forward plan and it is welcome. I have spoken to school principals who say that when this process is up and running properly, it will be a huge help to them, but as the Minister of State said, in the first year of this process, there are clear flaws and gaps in it and, unfortunately, children with additional needs or special needs are falling through those gaps and their parents are absolutely stressed to the eyeballs trying to figure out how they can get their children into a special class or get them the supports they need in education. I am finding the language used in the Minister's replies to parliamentary questions and, indeed, the language in this reply so frustrating. The NCSE say it is important for people who come forward after 1 October to be assured they are not forgotten or excluded from the system and that it will continue to support them. That has not happened. Parents who did not make the 1 October deadline have had no contact from the NCSE or SENOs. The NCSE portal stated guidance would be provided but seven weeks later, there is no update on that website. It is not fair on parents. Many children in my constituency of Wicklow have not been able to apply for a special class in the school in this enrolment period because they did not have that letter of eligibility and they are not going to get the support they need. This is a big problem that has been ignored for far too long. I ask that Deputy O'Sullivan brings that back to the Minister of State. I am seeking a meeting with the Minister of State to go through this with him. It is really important that he understands how this is impacting parents on the ground. This is not just a Wicklow issue. I was raising it on social media, and I had parents coming back to me from counties Kilkenny, Kildare and all over the country saying their children are in a similar situation. It is important that the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, understands the impact this is having.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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If the Deputy is seeking a meeting with the Minister of State, I will certainly mention that to him. We have seen this before with other changes in systems or structures; when something that is intended to make something more efficient and help with forward planning, people are left behind in the initial phases. That should not be the case. It needs to be addressed if that is the case. Put simply, I will mention it to the Minister of State and make sure he knows the Deputy is seeking a meeting. At the very least, parents who for whatever reason did not see the notifications or the social media campaign that was undertaken to improve knowledge of this new system and did not get the messages or the communications - I have seen it happen before and school transport is an obvious example - should be communicated with and given some type of reassurance that they will be catered for and that efforts will be made. That is a very fair and straightforward ask. I will ensure that is communicated back to the Minister of State.