Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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661.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether the National Council for Special Education is examining the demand for specific special schools and special education places in mainstream schools in Dublin 6, 6W, 8, 10 and 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31609/24]

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.

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 in May.

Prior to this, both Our Lady of Hope special school in Crumlin and Libermann special school in Templeogue have opened in recent years. Libermann special school are expanding to take an additional 12 students for the coming school year and a new school building project is being planned which will support over 150 students in this new special school. Capacity is also being expanded in a number of other special schools across Dublin.

My department and NCSE continue to work on expanding special school capacity. In planning for increased special school places, my 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.

In relation to special classes, 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. Of these, 65 are in Dublin, 45 at primary level and 20 at post primary level. This brings the overall number of special classes in County Dublin to 595. The following link provides a breakdown of these classes.

The NCSE is confident that through the provision of these additional classes, as well as 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.