Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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364. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the recent announcement to establish a new special school in Tipperary next year to cater for the increasing number of students with special educational needs, where in Tipperary this school will be located; and if it will be a new standalone school or an extension of a current school. [44010/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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My department works closely with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. In Budget 2025 funding was secured for up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools, and an additional 300 special school places for the 2025/26 school year. This will deliver 2,700 new places for children.

Almost 1,700 new special classes have been opened over the last 5 years and 11 new special schools have been established in recent years. For this school year alone, over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned with classes provided in every county. Four new special schools also opened last month in counties Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick.

Just last month Minster Foley and I announced that another five new special schools will be established for the next school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the county.

The exact location, size of the schools and other details are currently being worked through.

However, it is envisaged that existing buildings will be repurposed, in the first instance, to facilitate the opening of the new special schools for the 2025/26 school year. This will allow the schools to open as quickly as possible.

The schools will provide for children and young people with complex special education needs from 4 years up to 18 years of age. They are being sanctioned as early as possible as part of advanced forward planning for the next school year to ensure that appropriate placements are available where needed to meet the needs of students with special educational needs. The exact initial capacity of each special school, including the new school in Monaghan will be considered further and confirmed shortly. Parents and families looking to apply for admission to the new special school will be supported and guided by the NCSE at local level and kept updated on developments.

Part of the forward planning process looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process.

The early announcement of the new schools allows more time for the planning of school admissions, recruitment of staff, staff training and completion of any necessary building works.

Dedicated working groups will be established by my department to work through the details in relation to the establishment of the new special schools.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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365. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for clarification on the planned capacity of a school (details supplied) to provide dedicated ASD classes, and the expected timeline on that; and for an update on extension works for the school. [44018/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy was approved a project to cater for a school with 1,300 students. The building project for this school has been devolved for delivery to Dublin Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) under a service level agreement.

Significant technical challenges for the delivery of the project on the current site have been identified. Given the complexity of these challenges on the site, the Department continues to engage with DDLETB, as patron of Skerries CC, to advance the provision of required accommodation at the school, including for the facilitation of special classes.

It is not possible currently to give a time frame for the delivery of the accommodation however the Department has and will continue to work closely with the school authority, DDLETB to identify the most appropriate solution for the wider education community in the area.