Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the cost of expanding the summer programme to include more schools and more students. [38592/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Summer Programme is currently underpinned by funding of €40m. As in previous years, all of the funding is utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most. In doing so, these children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

The main priority of the Summer Programme is that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

Since 2019, the Summer Programme has gone from strength to strength. In 2023, more than 1,400 schools and 50,000 children took part in the Summer Programme. This is compared to the more than 300 schools and 13,000 children who took part in 2019. This upward trend continued in 2024 resulting in an increase of 20% more schools (or 1,700) having participated in the Summer Programme, showing that the measures that have been introduced are an effective incentivisation for schools.

The Summer Programme is reliant on schools and their staff choosing to participate on a voluntary basis. To this end, the Department will continue to engage with management bodies, schools and parents with a view to encouraging even more schools and more children to participate in the programme going forward.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional special classes that will be required at primary and post-primary in each of the next five years; and the estimated cost of providing these. [38593/24]

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 NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.

Over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2024/25 school year bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,335 - 2,338 at primary level and 997 at post-primary level.

The NCSE will be undertaking planning visits to almost 800 schools during term 1 of this school year to assist with the forward planning of special class provision for the 2025/26 school year.

My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning for new special classes and additional special school places. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements, a review of school accommodation needs and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes. My department communicated in October 2022 to all post-primary schools of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 2 to 4 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

Over 400 new special classes were provided for the start of this school year and it is estimated that a similar number of new classes will be required annually over the next few years.

The cost of establishing these classes will depend on the schools existing accommodation however, to resource a class with one teacher and two special needs assistants in primary schools the estimated cost is €152,250 and 1.5 teachers and two special needs assistants in post primary €189,885 per annum.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.