Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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656. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all efforts are underway to ensure that the son of a person (details supplied) will have a secondary school place in September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38208/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, for school planning purposes, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and utilises a Geographical Information System to anticipate school place demand. Information from a range of sources, including Child Benefit data, school enrolment data and information on residential development activity is used for this purpose. Additionally, Project Ireland 2040 population and housing targets inform my Department's projections of school place requirements.

While the Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in the Prosperous_Clane area, it is important to note that where enrolment pressures arise, it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:

• Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
• School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
• Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school they are not available to all pupils
• External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available the pupil should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

The Department is working to establish the true extent of any capacity issues through ongoing discussions with the relevant school authorities. In that context, similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, the Department is engaging with patron bodies and school authorities, including those of schools in the Prosperous_Clane areas, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming years which may necessitate further action to that already in train. Following discussions, an application for additional accommodation was received by St Farnan's and approved which allowed the school to increase their first year intake for September 2023.

Additionally, the Department will continue to work to advance the planned and current projects in the Prosperous_Clane School Planning area and to ensure sufficient places for both mainstream provision and for pupils with special education requirements both for the coming academic year and into the future. This includes the additional accommodation project approved for Scoil Mhuire, Clane.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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657. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all efforts are being made to accommodate a secondary school place for the son of (details supplied), who currently attends as ASD class in Celbridge, County Kildare, given they have been refused from local schools due to oversubscription, who is turning 14 in September 2023 and still has no place secured and needs to progress his education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38252/23]

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 to receive an education 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).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

For 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my 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 funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.

For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. 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.

As a result of this forward planning, on the 12 April, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two special schools for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.

Along with the two new special schools, 388 new special classes – 252 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year.

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

In October of last year, my department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

Enrolments to individual schools are a matter for each board of management.

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 special educational needs organisers (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: www.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/special-classes.

The NCSE is committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for the coming school year 2023/24.

My Department understands that the NCSE at local level are continuing to work to support the family referred to by the Deputy and secure a placement for this student. I will arrange to have it referred to the NCSE for their attention, and to provide an update by direct reply.

I want to assure 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.