Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will give very serious consideration to the development of a new build school premises for a school (details supplied) to accommodate the growing demand for mild, moderate and severe spaces in Waterford, and parts of East Cork and South Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3832/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The NCSE have engaged with the special school referred to by the Deputy at local level will continue to support parents to secure placements for children in the area. Special education needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist parents. The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENOs, advisors and team managers. 120 SENOs now operate nationwide, 3 of these are operating solely in County Waterford.

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. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. It is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year in the coming weeks.

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 over 3,300.

70 of these classes are in County Waterford, 12 are new for the 2024/25 school year, 7 at primary level and 5 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

A new special school is being established in Tipperary for the coming school year and a new special school opened in Carrigtwohill in East Cork in 2023. These new special schools will grow and expand over time. My Department and the NCSE will continue to review the need for additional special school capacity across County Waterford, East Cork and South Tipperary.