Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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631.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special schools in Ireland, and the total number of students in attendance for the academic year 2023-24; the number which are hospital schools, and the number of students in attendance at these schools; the number which are attached to CAMHS units, and the number of students in attendance in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31377/24]

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).

There are 120 NCSE supported special schools throughout the country with an enrolment of 8,829 students. In addition, there are seven hospital schools with an enrolment of 240 students and three CAMHS units with an enrolment of 70 students.

Four new special schools have also been established in counties Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick for the 2024/25 school year and admissions have commenced. This will bring to 124 the total number of NCSE supported special schools available nationally.

My department and the NCSE continue to monitor and review the need for further new special schools and the expansion of existing special schools in all areas of the country. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required nationwide each year for the coming years.

Where additional special school places are needed, the preference is generally to expand capacity in existing schools. However, consideration is being given to whether further new special schools, in addition to the 11 recently established or those currently being established, are required in certain locations. As part of this work, the NCSE is examining known demand in areas, the distances children are travelling to special schools and potential capacity in special schools which already exist. This work is ongoing and is expected to be substantially completed in late autumn. A number of regions are under consideration for special school provision.

My department and the NCSE are progressing this review work ahead of determining where additional capacity is required, in existing special schools, or, in what regions a new special school may need to be established for the 2025/26 school year.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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632.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in special classes in mainstream schools for the academic year 2023-24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31378/24]

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.

For the 2023/24 school year there were 2,921 special classes providing provision for 18,080 students in mainstream schools. My department publishes statistics yearly in its indicators report. The figures for the 2023/24 school year are currently being prepared, however, in the report published in March this year it reported that in 2022 there were 14,241 students enrolled in special classes nationwide.

My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places.

402 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2024/25 school year, 284 at primary and 118 at post primary level providing over 2,400 special education places in mainstream schools.

The NCSE is confident that through the provision of the newly sanctioned classes and vacancies in existing classes there is sufficient places to meet the needs of all children known to them for September 2024.

I am determined to ensure that all children who require a placement can access this as quickly as possible. I meet with NCSE weekly to discuss progress and to ensure that every child has a school place for the coming term.

Significant additional resources have been provided to the NCSE to allow for their expansion. We will have 120 local special educational needs organisers at a local level in September who are a pivotal point of contact for parents, guardians and schools. This together with the enhanced capacity of other services within the NCSE, will bolster the level of service and provide effective structures to relieve pressure on parents.