Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will support a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20253/23]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will provide a school place for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20568/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 174 together.

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

Enabling children with special educational needs (SEN) to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government.

It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

For 2023, the spend by my department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion providing supports to children and young people with special educational needs and their schools.

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 funding to support children with SEN in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers and special needs assistants.

The NCSE has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with SEN nationwide.

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

If the recent growth in the need for special classes continues, it is expected that a similar level of new special classes will be needed at primary level over the next three years as have been provided over the last three years. At post-primary level however, it is expected that we will need to double the number of new special classes being provided over the next three years as compared to the last three years.

Both Minister Foley and I recently announced that 2 new special schools are being established for the 2023/2024 school year - one in Carrigtwohill, east Cork and one in the Dublin 7 area - with additional capacity also being provided in 11 other special schools.

The new special school in Dublin will be under the patronage of City of Dublin ETB.It is intended that places in the new special schools will be prioritised for children who have no offer of a special school place for the 2023/24 school year. Details in relation to the location of the new special schools, the admission process and the number of places to be offered for 2023/24 in each new special school will be confirmed very shortly.

For the 2023/2024 school year the NCSE has also sanctioned 218 new special classes nationwide at primary and post-primary level. Of these new classes, 29 are in within the Dublin area. These new classes will bring the total number of special classes in Dublin to 494, 376 at primary and 118 at post-primary. Additional special classes will be sanctioned in the coming weeks.

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

In relation to the student referred to by the Deputy, the NCSE has advised my department that they have been engaging with potentially suitable special schools in the area and have also discussed the option of a post-primary school with a special class with the family.

I can reassure the Deputy that the local SENO will continue to provide assistance and support to the family to secure an appropriate placement.

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.