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 & 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).

While the additional funding being made available to provide more special education teachers, SNAs, NCSE supports and NEPs supports in our schools is significant, it is accepted that there are a range of additional challenges facing our special schools.

Special schools support children and young people with the most complex special educational needs and need to invest significant time to establish and foster positive links between the home, school and other agencies.

My department has been actively engaging with the representative bodies for boards of management, particularly the body representing special schools, the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE) over the last year or more to address some of these additional challenges.

In 2023 NABMSE facilitated a series of meetings nationwide with special schools. This engagement has focused in on a number of issues including:

a. The challenges attached to the designation of special schools as primary schools (the vast majority of special schools enrol students from 4 through to 18) and how this could be addressed

b. The resources necessary for special schools to support their students and

c. How best to ensure that all children who require it have access to a summer programme.

Following this close engagement with special schools, and aware of the challenges facing special schools from my own engagement with and visits to these schools, I was determined to introduce a number of new measures to support special schools. Some of these measures require additional budgetary provision. Budget 2024 has provided for two very targeted measures to support our special schools. These measures are effective for the 2024/25 school-year.

Firstly, the removal of the current 15 teacher threshold for the appointment of administrative deputy principals in special schools, so that all special schools can benefit from this additional resource. These posts will be instrumental in assisting principals with leadership and management functions and to support learning and parental and community engagement. This will make a real difference to staff and students in our special schools.

Secondly, an additional allocation of 100 teaching posts will be provided to special schools. I am very conscious that our special schools provide an education for children and young people aged from 4 – 18 years of age and these posts will allow schools to deliver a greater range of the national curriculum subjects and to improve student progression and transition. A circular letter outlining further details for special schools on these two measures will be issued shortly.

In addition, special schools will also benefit from the increase in capitation grants for all schools. Funding has also been secured to continue to provide an enhanced summer programme for students with special educational needs, with a focus again on children and young people in special schools.

In addition to these budgetary measures, my department is also working closely with the NCSE to further support special schools in relation to a range of issues relating to administration, curriculum and training.

These measures will ensure that my department can deliver 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.