Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.

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.

Over 320 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE nationwide for the 2024/25 school year, and of these 36 are in County Dublin, This means there is now over 3,000 special classes in our education system. The NCSE continue to sanction classes for the coming school year. As these new classes are sanctioned, the NCSE will support families to make applications for places. The attached table provides a breakdown of the special classes sanctioned as of 21 May 2024.

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.

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.

The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas: Dublin and Cork. The most recent of these new special schools to open was An Cosán Special School in Dublin 7 which opened earlier this month.

The department and NCSE continue to work on expanding special school capacity for the 2024/25 school year and beyond. In addition to expanding capacity in established special schools four new special schools will be established for the 2024/25 school year. these schools will be located in Limerick City; Enfield, County Meath; Gorey, County Wexford and in Naas, County Kildare. The schools will be under the patronage of their local Education and Training Boards.

In planning for increased special school places, the department and NCSE review all of the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand.

An important consideration when deciding to establish or expand provision in an existing special school is the distances that some students are travelling in order to access a special school placement.

My department and the NCSE are continually reviewing where additional capacity is required in existing special schools or in what regions a new special school may need to be established over the coming years.

It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years. When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible.

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.

My department engages intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. 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.

I want to assure the Deputy that both my department and the NCSE will continue to monitor and review the need for further new special schools or the expansion of existing special schools, in Dublin and other areas, to ensure that sufficient special education placements will be available for this coming school year and future years.