Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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115. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an updated list of new autism classes opening in Dublin in September 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15775/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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 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, €2.6 billion was spent 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 these children.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.

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 under way 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 have been 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 the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Meath, Kildare, Wexford 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.

Of these 71 are in Dublin, 48 at primary level and 23 at post-primary level. This brings to 534 the number of special classes in County Dublin, 408 at primary level and 126 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these class are autism classes and have a teacher/pupil ratio of 1:6.

The attached documents provide a breakdown of the primary and post-primary schools with autism classes within the Dublin school planning area for this school year.

Planning for special classes and special school places in County Dublin and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. The locations of new classes for 2024/25 will be confirmed by the NCSE shortly.

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 wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of children progressing from primary school. The department and the NCSE continue to have engagement with post-primary school management bodies in relation to the provision of special classes.

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. 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 on the NCSE's website at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list

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.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of reading classes at primary school level in Dublin; the number of children on waiting lists to enrol in a reading class at primary school level in Dublin; her policy on the establishment of reading classes; her plans to extend this service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15788/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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 my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). It is my department’s policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.

My department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.

My department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support them in providing optimal learning experiences for children with special educational needs, including students with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia.

Provision for students is governed by the continuum of support and a range of guidance documents, resources and training opportunities is available to schools to inform their approaches in meeting the needs of students with special educational needs. The most significant of these resources are the 14,500 special education teachers who are employed in schools to provide additional support for children with special educational needs, including dyslexia.

The allocation of special education teachers allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all students who require such support and for schools to deploy resources based on each student’s individual learning need.

Where children’s needs are more complex, some may avail of a special class placement. There are nearly 3,000 special classes across primary and post-primary schools which provide for a broad range of needs including a small number (14) for children with dyslexia, of which eight are in County Dublin. In addition, there are four special schools which provide for children with the most acute levels of reading difficulties, of these three are located in Dublin.

Enrolments to schools are a matter for each board of management and parents apply directly to schools, my department does not hold records in relation to waiting lists as requested by the Deputy.

The NCSE, through its network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports as required. The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year and where additional provision is required to support schools to meet the needs of children with special educational needs, it is planned and established to meet that need.

In addition, there are specialist educational supports provided by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) and the NCSE to help schools provide an appropriate education for students with special educational needs.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia. This is provided where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local SENO for such support.

It is important to note that all classroom teachers at primary level and subject teachers at post-primary level have responsibility for the progress of their students. Where necessary, additional support is provided by special education teachers. The majority of students with significant literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual student’s learning need, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis, or an assessment, of a particular disability.

These supports are intended to provide students with the highest standard of education in mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.

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.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of speech and language classes at primary school level in Dublin; the number of children on waiting lists to enrol in a speech and language class at primary school level in Dublin; the number of speech and language therapists working in primary schools in Dublin; the number of pupils entitled to intervention by a speech and language therapist; her policy on the establishment of speech and language classes; her plans to extend this serviced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15789/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, 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 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, €2.6 billion was spent 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 there will be over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting these children.

The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.

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 have been 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 the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Meath, Kildare, Wexford 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, 391 new special classes – 255 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.

There are 64 speech and language classes nationwide. Of these, 11 are in primary schools in Dublin.

Students with Specific Speech and Language Difficulties (SSLD) have access to speech therapy services either through the speech and language therapy services provided in the special class setting by the Health Service Executive (HSE), or through the HSE’s primary care service.

Students with specific speech and language difficulties that are not enrolled in a special class for SSLD may qualify for additional teaching support under the school's special education teaching support provision.

In deciding on the location of a special class special educational needs organisers (SENOs) take into account both the present and the future potential need for special class provision and they must be satisfied that the special class is sustainable and appropriately located. SENOs liaise with relevant professionals in their area to arrive at an informed decision. In the case of SSLD special classes, the SENO liaises with HSE speech and language therapists.

Enrolments into SSLD classes are managed locally by an admissions & discharges committee, therefore, information on waiting lists is not held by my department.

The provision of health supports, including speech and language therapy services, is the responsibility of the HSE. The opening of a speech and language class is contingent on the HSE being in a position to provide speech and language therapy to the students in the class.

The NCSE publish lists of special classes in tabular form, by county by school and by class type, for each school year, this information is available on their website, www.ncse.ie or by using the following link ncse.ie/statistics

The 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.