Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein)
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417. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students with additional needs or special education needs across Dublin city school planning areas; the status of the provision of additional needs and special education schools or classes across these areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9544/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. The total education spend will be approximately €2 Billion or over 20% of its total educational budget in 2021 on making additional provision for children with special educational needs this year.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements.

NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and special school places nationally, to meet identified need. This process is ongoing.

It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places.

Through better planning at both national and local level, it is my objective that specialist education places should come on stream to meet emerging demand on a timely basis. However, the active collaboration of school communities is essential in this regard.

Most children with special educational needs are enrolled and supported in mainstream classes and data is not collected on the numbers. The thrust of Department policy in recent times is to allocate special education teachers based on an education profile of the school so a diagnosis of need is not required in respect of children accessing this support. In relation to the Dublin City school planning area referenced by the Deputy, I am advised by the NCSE that there are currently 8 special schools and 53special classes providing special education placements for 469 students at primary and post primary level.

Through ongoing consultation at local level the NCSE is aware of those parents whose children will be seeking placement for the 2021/22 academic year, including mainstream placement with appropriate support, special class placement, Early Intervention and special school placement. The NCSE continues to work at local level to identify any and all relevant suitable placements.

Special classes in the Dublin area generally operate at capacity, and the NCSE is working with a significant number of schools in the county to encourage and support the opening of new ASD classes at all levels.

I can also reassure the Deputy that the local SENOs continue to be available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs.

Further information on special schools, special classes and contact details for SENOs is available at www.ncse.ie.