Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 290 together.

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.

In 2023, my department spent over €2.6 billion on special education and further progress will be made this year as an additional €113 million 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 planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs and is committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.

Over the last number of 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, two new special schools are being established for this current school year in Cork and Dublin, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.

In December 2023, I was also very happy to announce with my colleague Minister Foley, the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Enfield, South Kildare, Gorey and Limerick. This will bring to 11 the number of new special schools established in recent years.

Along with the two new special schools opening this school year, 390 new special classes – 254 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.

I would like to assure the Deputy that my department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years, including children transitioning from an early intervention class who require a special class at primary. The NCSE will also work with schools to support children transitioning from an early intervention class to a mainstream primary setting.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Please find attached requested data.

The National Council of Special Education has Special Educational Needs Organisers who are available to work with families to support the transition of students from early intervention classes to primary special or mainstream classes as appropriate.

Academic Year	Total in ASD IE	Retained in ASD IE from previous year	Moved to a Special class other than ASD IE	Moved to mainstream class	Moved to Special school	Cohort Previous year in the same school	Cohort Previous year moved to MS school	Enters ASDIE Class	Previous year with no record in following academic year
2019/20	654
2020/21	714	268	305	40	28	466	147	446	13
2021/22	805	288	324	39	47	489	162	517	16
2022/23	917	299	408	34	39	523	219	618	25

Notes: Data is taken from the Primary Online Database, (POD) and represents enrolment of pupils for each year with ASD Early Intervention as their class type in POD and there movement in subsequent years.

Using 2019 as an example it shows the outcomes of pupils enrolled in 2019, 654, in the following year 2020-21, with 641 pupils subsequently enrolled across class and school categories in 2020-21. There are no special class categories in special schools in POD. 2022-2023 is the latest year we have final enrolment data and we expect final enrolments for 2023-2024 to be published in June 2024