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.

For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. This will allow for, amongst other things, the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places.

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

SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs into mainstream education, special classes and special schools ensuring that these students can access education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

In 2023 there was over 20,000 SNAs in schools. The NCSE publish the SNA allocations for each school year in tabular form, by school and county on its website.

The allocations of SNAs for the 2024/25 school year is currently underway. Schools will be advised of allocations as soon as possible and in line with previous years timelines.

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.

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.

For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is 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.

At the end of March 2024, there are over 14,520 Special Education Teacher posts allocated to mainstream schools which is an increase of 49.8% on the number in the education system since 2011. The tabular breakdown at March 2024 is provided below.

At present for the 2024/25 school year there is a total of 14,600 SET teachers provisionally allocated to mainstream schools and this will increase to approx. 14,750, an increase of in excess of 51% on 2011 numbers, ahead of the start of the 2024/25 school year when the NCSE reviews and the projected enrolment post process is completed at the end of May.

Similar tabular data for 2024/25 school year will not be available until the above processes are completed at the end of May.

	SET Mainstream Allocation
County	Total
	Posts
Carlow	193
Cavan	211
Clare	357
Cork	1,823
Donegal	530
Dublin	3,568
Galway	893
Kerry	474
Kildare	671
Kilkenny	242
Laois	276
Leitrim	92
Limerick	712
Longford	147
Louth	422
Mayo	399
Meath	557
Monaghan	188
Offaly	277
Roscommon	216
Sligo	176
Tipperary	518
Waterford	328
Westmeath	296
Wexford	498
Wicklow	461
Total	14,527

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.

For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. This will allow for, amongst other things, the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places.

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 addition, four new special schools will be established for the 2024/25 school year in counties 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.

The NCSE have published the list of schools with special classes for the 2023/24 school year in tabular form, by school and county, for each school year, this information is available on their website.

Planning for special classes and special school places 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.

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) are available to assist and advise the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE's website.

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.