Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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450. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide the two special classes approved by the National Council for Special Education in March 2021 at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44713/24]

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 me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, 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 responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide. They advise that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) recently undertook a visit to the school referred to by the Deputy and the school advised that an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) would be submitted to my department once a transfer of land is completed. This is a matter for the school authorities to progress. The NCSE advise that the local authority is aware of the matter.

My department and the NCSE are engaging with schools and school management bodies in relation to the provision of future special classes and are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.

I would like to assure parents that where there is known demand for special education provision in an area my department and the NCSE will provide the necessary supports and capital funding to ensure there is adequate provision for their children within that local area.

Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE over the last 5 years. In recent years, 11 new special schools have also been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,337.

131 of these classes are in County Kildare, 16 are new for the 2024/25 school year, 12 at primary level and 4 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these are autism classes and have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6.

Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide and it is estimated that a similar level of provision will be needed each year for the next 3 years.

The NCSE have recruited additional SENOs, advisors and team managers. A total of 120 SENOs now operate nationwide, six of these are solely operating in County Kildare. SENOs play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas and are currently visiting schools nationwide to conduct planning meetings. These visits will be key in terms of forward planning for the 2025/26 school year.