Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising the matter as it provides me with an opportunity to outline the current position in respect of the accommodation needs of Golden National School, County Tipperary, and the Government's firm commitment to enabling students with special education needs to receive an education appropriate to those needs.

Golden National School is a co-educational national school which caters for pupils from junior infants to sixth class. The school had an enrolment of 94 pupils in 2021 and has a mainstream staffing complement of three mainstream teachers for the current academic year. In addition, the school has one special education support teaching post.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the HSE. This includes the establishment of special classes and special school placements in various geographical areas where there is an identified need. When the NCSE sanctions a special class in a school at primary or post-primary level, school authorities can apply to the Department of Education for capital funding to reconfigure an existing space or spaces within the school building to accommodate the class or to construct additional accommodation under the Department's additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme, or both. Recognising some of the difficulties experienced by parents in securing appropriate school placements, since 2020 the Department and the NCSE have been working closely on a more streamlined and joined-up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year. This intensive intervention has seen 393 new special classes opened nationwide for the 2022-23 school year, bringing the total number of special classes to 2,545.

There are currently three special classes established in the Cashel school planning area, with two in Thomastown National School and one in St. John the Baptist school. In addition, there are two special schools, namely, Scoil Chormaic Special School and Scoil Aonghusa. The NCSE is aware that there is demand for further provision and is grateful to schools that have responded positively to the needs of children in their communities. The NCSE, through its network of special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is currently identifying areas of priority in the area. The Department is liaising with the NCSE on this matter and the need for a special class to be established in Golden National School.

Golden National School submitted an ASA application in October 2022 requesting funding for two special classes. Supplementary information was requested from the school by officials in the Department in respect of the school's engagement with the NCSE and special class requirements in the area. Once this information is received, the Department will be in a position to fully assess the accommodation needs of Golden National School. The Department is also liaising with the NCSE on the matter.

The Senator will be aware of the significant schools building programme that is currently under way, including projects for the provision of special class accommodation. Overall, there are in excess of 1,300 school building projects at various stages of design, planning and construction. The current status of approved projects and projects already completed under the schools building programme is listed on a county-by-county basis on the Department's website and that list is regularly updated.