Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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789.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 89 to 91, inclusive, of 12 June 2024, to outline the mean and median average duration of summer programmes run in 2023, with a breakdown of the average weekly duration of primary school schemes, post-primary school schemes, DEIS literacy and numeracy summer camps and special school schemes, in tabular form. [32627/24]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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790.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the median and mean average weekly rate of payment for special education needs teachers (SETs) and special education assistants (SNAs) who participated in the summer programme in 2023, in tabular form, with a breakdown of the average payment rate for SETs and SNAs who participated in primary school schemes, post-primary school schemes, DEIS literacy and numeracy summer camps and special school schemes, respectively. [32628/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 789 and 790 together.

Further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 89 to 91 of 12 June 2024, the following tables outline the details sought by the Deputy.

Table 1 – the mean and median duration of the School-based Summer Programmes in 2023:

Table 2 - The average weekly rate of pay for a teacher and SNA who participated in the 2023 Summer Programme (using the mean and median from table 1):

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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791.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the ratio of special education teachers to pupils with special educational needs in 2022, 2023 and 2024, in tabular form, with a breakdown of the ratio of teachers to pupils in mainstream primary and post-primary schools and in special schools. [32629/24]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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792.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the enrolment projections of pupils with special educational needs in each of the years 2024 to 2030, in tabular form, with a breakdown of projections for pupils with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, and in special schools. [32630/24]

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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793.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of maintaining the 2024 ratio of special education teachers to pupils with special educational needs relative to the enrolment projections for pupils with special educational needs for each of the years 2025 to 2030. [32631/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 791 to 793, inclusive, 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.

As the deputy is aware the allocation of special education teaching (SET) resources to mainstream schools is provided as a school resource and not to individual students. When such resources are allocated to schools it is based on the schools profile of need, it does not require that students have a confirmed diagnosis or disability in order to access such supports. Schools deploy these resources in line with the continuum of support, as a result, the data on the number of students supported in mainstream classes is held at a local level.

The table below provides the teacher/student ratio for special classes in primary and post primary schools.

Special schools do not have a defined teacher/student ratio as supports and resources are provided depending on the complexity of needs of the individual students enrolled. However, for the 2022/23 school year there were 1,529 teachers in special schools and 8,424 students, an average ratio of 1:5.5.

My department publishes statistics yearly in its indicators report. The figures for the 2023/24 school year is currently being prepared, however, the table below provides a breakdown of the enrolment figures in special classes in primary and post primary schools and in special schools for 2022.

For the 2023/24 school year 390 new classes were sanctioned nationwide, 254 at primary and 136 at post primary level. The vast majority of these were autism classes.

Over the next three years it estimated there will be a need for at least 1,200 additional special classes across primary and post primary schools or 400 additional classes on average per year. In addition, it is estimated that 300 additional places will be required annually in special schools.

The average cost of a new entrant teacher at primary level is €55,570 and at post-primary €56,610.

Based on these figures and trends the average cost of teaching staff for 400 new special classes in each of the next three years is €26,336,300.

*values include substitution costs and employer PRSI.

Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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794.To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the annual cost of new-entrant special education teacher posts, in tabular form, with a breakdown of the annual cost for new-entrant special education teachers in primary, post-primary and special schools. [32632/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the deputy for the question and the following table outlines the details requested.