Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to establish additional special schools in County Cork. [22801/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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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 special educational needs nationwide.

Over the last two to three years, my Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.

These initiatives are bearing fruit with over 600 new special classes sanctioned at primary level, almost 300 new special classes sanctioned at post-primary level and five new special schools established over the last three years, 2 of these are in Cork – Carrigaline Community Special School and the new Rochestown Community Special School.

This brings the number of special schools in County Cork to 15, with a provisional enrolment of 952 children in September 2022.

Carrigaline Community Special School opened in 2021 and has a current enrolment of 48. Rochestown Community Special School which opened earlier this month will cater for an initial enrolment of 25 students and, on a phased basis is expected to grow its capacity to provide up to 60 school places.

Just recently on 12^thApril, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of a further special school which will be established in Carrigtwohill, east Cork.

My Department and the NCSE continue to engage with Cork ETB in relation to the specific location of the new special school and I expect that the final details in relation to location and the admission process for the new school will be confirmed very shortly.

It is expected that the new school will open for the coming school year.

My Department and the NCSE will continue to monitor and review the need for further new special schools or the expansion of existing special schools over the coming months and years.

It is particularly important to consider the distances that some of our students are travelling in order to access a special school placement, and this is a key consideration when we decide to establish any new special school or expand provision in an existing special 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.