Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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577. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide a list of where the funding allocated for SEN in Budget 2024 is being spent, in tabular form. [57352/23]

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

For 2024 my department will spend almost €2.8 billion of current expenditure on special education. This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for special classes and special school places; special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

For 2024, we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

Attached is a table outlining the Special Education budget allocation as requested.

Special Education Budget 2024

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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578. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she plans to ensure that data will be collected on the educational outcomes for people of the deaf and of the hearing communities. [57354/23]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My department recognises the importance of monitoring educational outcomes for all children with special educational needs who require additional supports in their educational journey. Outcome measures include student engagement, attainment, attendance, happiness, independence and progress.

My department has requested the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to include in their 2024 research programme an examination of educational outcomes as outlined in the question raised and to provide same to the department when completed in the coming year.

My department and the NCSE are 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.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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579. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will consider publishing centralised data every year on the number of children with SEN without an appropriate school place. [57356/23]

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. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education and 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.

In 2023, my department spent over €2.6 billion on special education and further progress will be made this year as an additional €113m will be dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs.

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 2024, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 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 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 almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.

My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, 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, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two special schools for this school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools and that a further four special schools for the 2024/25 school year will be established.

Along with the two new special schools, 389 new special classes – 253 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this 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.

My department has communicated to all post-primary schools 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 2 to 4 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

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.

Additionally, it is general practice to include a special educational need base in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless exceptional local circumstances indicate that it will not be required. The extent of provision made at these schools is informed by the level of demand in the area as well as the size of the school.

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.

I want to assure the Deputy that my department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements are available for children for this school year and future years. This will be achieved through the continued strong delivery of new special class and special school places.