Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Education and Skills
Special Educational Needs
Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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580. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the specific steps that are being taken by her to ensure that children on the autistic spectrum and other children with special educational needs are accommodated in their local communities rather than being assigned to schools in areas that are often remote from their homes and support networks and which necessitates considerable additional transport costs; if she accepts that this well-established approach constitutes a negation of the principle of care and education in the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1070/25]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. Thanks to considerable investment in special education in recent years 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 National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last 5 years, 11 new special schools have 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 3,336. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide. The provision of further special classes should ensure that the more children can access a local special class.
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.
The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENOs, advisors and team managers. 120 SENOs now operate nationwide. 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 planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided and it is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes in the coming weeks.
The NCSE are focusing on large - medium schools, i.e. those with a principal and 8+ teachers, that currently have no special class or only one special class. These schools are more often than not located in urban settings and easily accessible. This is to ensure there is an even spread of classes among schools of varying advantages i.e. DEIS versus non-DEIS schools, but also to ensure more schools have special educational places to offer students in their locality. The NCSE have completed site planning visits at over 1,000 schools during the last few months.
As the NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. They will advise parents on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
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