Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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707. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is an update on the visits by the National Council for Special Education to schools in Dublin 9 and 11 to assess the potential for extra ASD classes. [63072/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government. 

This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. 

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

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. 

The NCSE continues to work closely with schools within the areas referred to by the Deputy and liaises regularly with the Planning and Building Unit within my Department as part of the process of establishing new classes for the 2022/2023 school year and beyond. As part of this process, both national and local information in relation to projected demand for future special class places for students with autism is considered. Such planning takes into consideration the current availability of special class places and focuses on locations where additional provision may be required.

There are currently 19 special classes (including 1 Early Intervention class) attached to mainstream schools providing ASD placements for students in Dublin 9 and Dublin 11 at primary and post primary level.  4 new special classes for students with autism have been established for the current 2021/22 school year, thus providing an additional 24 special class placements across 4 schools for students with autism. 

My Department and the NCSE is grateful to those schools that have responded and continue to respond positively to meet the educational needs of children in their communities.

The NCSE through its network of local Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs), having established the level of demand locally, are actively engaging with the management authorities of all schools in the Dublin area, including in Dublin 9 and 11 on the opening of additional ASD classes for 2022/23 and beyond.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.

The local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-servic.