Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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233. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what provisions are in place, or planned, to ensure the best supports possible are provided for schools which have a high number of students with additional learning needs, for example the Educate Together National School in Fermoy, County Cork, in which 62% of students have an identified additional learning need but are experiencing overcrowded classrooms at present. [23931/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The National Council of Special Education (NCSE) play a pivotal role in co-ordinating and reviewing the provision of educational supports to support students with special educational needs.

The NCSE provide a range of supports to schools varying from staff training to day-to-day advice to assisting with administration matters.

The vast majority of children with special educational needs attend mainstream classes with their peers and are supported by special education teachers and special needs assistants (SNA). Where schools wish to appeal the level of their allocation of teaching or SNA they should engage directly at local level with the NCSE.

When a special class is established, schools are allocated additional resources such as an additional teacher(s) and SNAs and schools may receive enhanced capitation rates. Where additional accommodation is required, schools can apply to my department’s Planning and Building Unit for a technical visit and additional accommodations can be provided where required.

A comprehensive range of teacher professional learning courses are available to schools through the NCSE also.

Last month my colleague Minister Foley announced plans for the roll-out of the next phase of investment in the school capital building programme. This additional funding of almost €800 million will support over 90 building projects in 2024 and 2025 including 138 additional rooms for children with special educational needs.

Significant additional resources and funding of €13 million have been allocated to the NCSE to allow for the expansion of its services which will bolster the level of service it delivers.

This funding has allowed for, among other things, a significant increase in the number of SENOs which will increase from 73 to 120 by next September. These SENOs will work closely with children, their families and schools on the ground in order to provide the necessary supports.

Additional administrative support staff, team managers and other professionals are also being employed to allow SENOs concentrate on working directly with schools and families.