Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is very important for me, as Minister for State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, that I support children with additional needs in any way I can. I have a budget of €2 billion, which is more than 25% of the entire education budget and an unprecedented amount. It has grown by 60% since 2011. Due to that, we have been able to put in place many more special education teachers. We have more than 14,000 of those and more than 19,000 special needs assistants, SNAs. In addition, special classes and special school places are at unprecedented levels. but, clearly, there is still a gap for some children and we need to make sure that we provide for them.

Recognising some of the difficulties experienced by parents in securing appropriate school placements, my Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have worked over the past two years, since I have been in this role, on a more streamlined and joined-up planning process, which has ensured a targeted approach to meet the demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year.

The Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to deliver the scale and quantity of special educational needs, SEN, provision required for our children and young people. The Department has a geographical information system that is being utilised to support a more strategic and co-ordinated approach to the planning and delivery of SEN provision. Some of the initiatives that are bearing fruit from that are: 269 special classes opened in September 2021, with a further 33 opening for 2021-22; 315 new special classes opening for the 2022-23 school year; two new special schools established in Cork and Dublin in 2021; and a new special school opening in Cork in the 2022-23 school year. In addition, there is a new major policy departure in the Department where we got the fee-charging schools under the Spiritan Education Trust to agree to open special classes for the very first time. It will open a new special school in existing accommodation at the Templeogue College campus in Dublin, with an overall objective to provide a modern permanent provision for the school to enable it to cater for up to 150 pupils when completed, adding very significant capacity for the south Dublin area.

The Senator mentioned section 37A of the Education Act. That process has been initiated for the third time by the Department and I triggered it. The NCSE wrote to me and formed an opinion that there was insufficient special class capacity in Dublin. At the moment, we have special class and special school provision completely covered outside of Dublin. Dublin is the pinch point and that is what we are trying to sort out.

The NCSE advice in May was that 80 special class places and 49 special school places were still needed for September this year. Since then, due to much ongoing work, we reduced those places to 56. We are making progress and we will continue to make progress during the summer. I recognise how stressful it is for families who are working hard to get sufficient school and special class placements.

Stage one of section 37A is now complete. The Senator will be aware that the process itself is under review. It needs to be streamlined and truncated. It is the only tool available to me at present. However, we want to make sure that we review that properly and that it is more streamlined.

On emergency legislation, which the Senator mentioned as well, my Department is considering the need to bring in emergency legislation to assist us in securing additional placements where we do not have them in schools at present. My officials are currently engaged with the Office of the Attorney General on that matter.