Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1086. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to ensure children with special educational needs who received a recent change in diagnosis as in the case of a child (details supplied) resulting in the school of their choice being no longer suitable for their needs will not lose out on a place in a second-level special school in September 2021. [20671/21]

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.

This year, over 20% of the total Education budget or €2bn will be invested in supporting children with special educational needs.As a result, the numbers of special education teachers, SNAs and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.

The majority of special schools cater for students up to the age of 18. However, in the event that students are transitioning from a special school to a post-primary school, such enrolment applications are a matter for each individual board of management and the NCSE does not hold such records.

The NCSE, through its local network of SENOs (Special Educational Needs Organisers), is available to provide advice and support to parents of students that are due to transition to post-primary on the possible placement options available to their child, including mainstream placement with appropriate support, special class placement and special school placement. Post-primary placements are supported with additional resources where required.

The Deputy will be aware of the recent announcement whereby I have secured a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork through the establishment of a new special school and increased capacity in an existing special school to meet the needs of children in the Cork area.

The new provision will see the establishment of a new special school in Carrigaline which will have the capacity to provide 48 school places. It will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.

The provision will also provide for a change to the designation of St. Mary’s Special School, Rochestown to cater for children with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism with 12 new school places becoming available for September 2021.

Priority will now be given to those children who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September.

I can also confirm that the local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) remains available to support this family regarding a suitable placement.