Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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360. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update from her Department and the NCSE on admissions to special schools and special classes in September 2023; the number of places that her Department and the NCSE anticipate are needed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61908/22]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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361. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions that are being taken to create places in special schools and special classes ahead of the September 2023 school term to ensure that each child has a place in an appropriate setting and to ensure that parents do not have to deal with ongoing uncertainty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61909/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 360 and 361 together.

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

My Department is committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential. My Department strives to ensure that every child has access to an educational experience that is appropriate to their needs and supports both their academic and personal development.

Our policy, which is set out in the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN) is that children with SEN should be educated in mainstream placements with additional supports provided as appropriate.

Where children require more specialised educational settings, such as special classes or special schools, the Department and National Council for Special Education (NCSE) ensures that the necessary resources and supports for such placements are provided in line with the needs of the child.

My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

The NCSE is statutorily responsible for planning and coordinating provision at both a local and a national level and advising my Department in this regard. At local level, the NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe. As part of Budget 2023, additional funding is being provided to allow the NCSE recruit additional staff, including SENOs. These additional resources should ensure that the NCSE can better support parents and schools in relation to the provision of special education needs places.

Significant improvements have been made to the forward planning process for special education places over the last 2 to 3 years, including:

- the inclusion of special classes in all new schools by default (e.g. 4 class in a 1000 pupil post-primary school).

- improving the use of Geographic Information Systems in planning for special classes and special school places and

- increased engagement with key stakeholders such as patron bodies and management bodies, particularly at post-primary level.

As of 30 November there have been 396 new special classes open for the 2022/2023 school year, bringing the total of special classes to 2,548 opened nationwide. The 396 new special classes for 2022/23 is broken down by 263 at primary level and 133 at post primary level.

As part of Budget 2023, my Department’s budget was substantially increased, by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 the Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education. This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023. This includes additional teaching and care supports.

For 2023, at least a further 370 special classes will open, taking the total number of special classes to over 2,900 in 2023.

My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the 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-services-contact-list.

Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie.

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.

I want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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362. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions that she will take to ensure that all children who need access to the in-school July provision programme in 2023 can access it; the number of children at primary and post-primary level who need access to in-school July provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61910/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The 2022 Summer Programme built on the success of the expanded 2021 Summer Programme. Over 1,000 schools ran a programme this year with over 41,000 pupils benefiting from both school based and home-based programmes in 2022.

For 2023, additional funding has been secured in Budget 2023 to run the programme to match the investment in 2021 and 2022 bringing the total funding available to €40m.

This will allow schools the certainty they require to let them plan for a summer programme in their school next year. In recent years my Department has made a range of additional resources and supports available to schools to encourage participation in this essential programme and it hoped that the early announcement of funding in Budget 2023 means that schools will commit to running a programme next year.

My Department is currently undertaking a review of the 2022 programme with a view to improving it for next year and with a committed focus on increasing the number of schools participating, particularly special schools. This review process has already started to engage with the management bodies, schools, parents with a view to encouraging schools and supporting them to participate in next year’s programme.

It must be noted that while it is important to support a summer based programme in our special schools and special classes, it is also essential to ensure that the children with complex special educational needs (SEN) who are in our mainstream settings also have access to this critical support. As our system has become more inclusive and many of these children with more complex needs now attend mainstream settings, it is recognised that they too will be impacted by school holidays and require that additional support to ensure that they achieve their potential.

Following the review of this year's programme and finalisation of planning for next year, the details of the 2023 Summer Programme will be published at the earliest possible opportunity.