Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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81. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will work with the board of management of a school (details supplied) to establish an ASD unit, when their change of status to a co-educational school proceeds soon; and if she and her Department are aware that the school has a long history of innovation in special education, and with an administrative principal and specialist trained SEN staff (to masters level) already in place and two classrooms immediately available for use as ASD units, alongside their spacious grounds and large sports hall, they are in an ideal position to establish an ASD unit. [24183/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has the statutory responsibility to work with schools to open additional special classes. It is also important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers through the provision of special education teachers and special needs assistants.

In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, the NCSE actively encourages expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest. When assessing the needs in the local area, the NCSE identify schools in the neighbouring vicinity with available special class vacancies and assess their capability with consideration to demographical and statistical data. Schools not sanctioned to open a special class for the 2024/25 school year will remain as an option for future years should the need arise.

So far more than 320 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE nationwide for the 2024/25 school year. Of these, 10 are in Donegal of which 7 are at primary level and 3 at post-primary level. This brings the total number of special classes in the county to 125. The vast majority of these are autism classes which have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6.

The NCSE continue to sanction some additional classes for the coming school year and is engaged in ongoing discussions with schools. As new classes are sanctioned, the NCSE will support families to make applications for places.

I will ask the NCSE to continue to consider the need for special class places in the area and to engage with the school referred to by the Deputy should the need arise for additional places. I note also that the school are moving to become co-educational as well and that this may give rise to an increased need for special class places over time.