Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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559. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the special education taskforce in Dublin 15 will report and make proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46887/24]

Photo of Hildegarde NaughtonHildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for 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.

A new taskforce to support the forward planning of special education provision in the Dublin 15 area was established by Minister of State with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton, and held its inaugural meeting on 23 October 2024. I has met on 4 occasions. The next meeting is scheduled for February 2025 and the taskforce will continue to meet over the course of this 2024/25 school year.

The membership of the taskforce includes an independent chairperson and representatives for parents, school principals, school patrons, the NCSE, the Department of Education, the Department of Children Equality Integration & Youth, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Early Years sector. The representative members of the taskforce reflects the broad stakeholder community for special education in the Dublin 15 area.

The voice of parents will be a key component of the taskforce, and representation includes three parents, a representative from the Autism School Dublin 15 (ASD15) group and a representative from the National Parents Council.

The taskforce is committed to communicating its findings to me, as minister with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, and my department's Special Education Section no later than quarter 2 2025.

In parallel to this work, my Department and the NCSE continue to work closely on the forward planning of special education places. The NCSE have conducted over 1,000 school planning visits and it is expected that the NCSE will shortly begin to sanction new special classes for the coming school year.

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