Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to review correspondence (details supplied) and if she will provide an update on the matter. [14841/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school to which the Deputy refers was approved a project under my Department's Additional School Accommodation scheme for the provision of a special education needs base and a special education teaching room.

The responsibility for delivering the project has been devolved to the school authority and they appointed a design team to progress the project through the various architectural stages. A Stage 2b report (following planning approval) has been submitted by the school authority to my Department. This report is presently undergoing a thorough evaluation from both technical and financial standpoints.

My Department has a strong track record of delivery of school building projects involving circa. 300 projects currently at construction including 34 new school buildings and over 800 projects completed since 2020 notwithstanding the wider construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues. We continue to have a strong pipeline of projects for delivery under the school building programme. My Department has an overall pipeline of some 1300 projects across the school system. The current status of all projects is listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction. Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing over €5 billion during the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day.

Last year, my Department received supplementary funding to help alleviate funding pressures which was reflective of my Department’s strong delivery of school building projects particularly to support mainstream provision accommodating Ukrainian students and special education needs provision. My Department also have a large modular accommodation programme delivering urgently needed school places. The Department has always operated a tightly prioritised approach to the school building programme, focused over recent years on the delivery of additional capacity where required, and this will continue to be the case. My Department is committed to ensuring appropriate accommodation is available for all pupils in the school referred to by the Deputy and will in the wider context outlined, ensure that this project - as for all projects on our school building programme - is subject to the due diligence required under the public Infrastructure Guidelines. It is a challenging construction environment across all sectors (Education, Housing, Transport etc.) and my Department is also required to manage the timing, scope and cost of individual projects to remain within budgetary parameters for the overall programme – this involves constant review throughout the project lifecycle.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government.

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).

Budget 2024 has provided for a number of targeted measures to support 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 which cater for children with special educational needs, so that all of these schools, rather than just a quarter of them, can benefit from having an Administrative Deputy Principal. 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. Within individual allocations each special school is free to determine how to use this additional allocation. This could include hiring subject specific post-primary teachers.

In addition, special schools will also benefit from the increase in capitation grants for all schools. I was also happy to secure funding to continue to provide an enhanced summer programme for students with special educational needs, with a focus again on children in special schools.

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.

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.