Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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304. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when resources such as teachers, special needs assistants and buildings will be supplied to a school (details supplied), permitting each individual offered a place can receive one; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4515/25]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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305. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a student was offered a school place in a special school (details supplied) when no such place existed [4516/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 305 together.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive a befitting education is a priority for this 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.

There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. To meet this need, eleven new special schools have been established in recent years and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five more special schools will be established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary.

Special schools are staffed on the basis of their student profile and the disability category of each student. Special schools will continue to be staffed on the basis of each year’s current school enrolments and disability category of each student. It is a matter for special schools to deploy their teaching staff in accordance with the needs of the student cohort and to ensure age-appropriate placement.

When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.

When a special school is established, in order to ensure it can enrol students as quickly as possible, it can be initially established in temporary accommodation while awaiting its permanent structure. In addition, some students can be accommodated in other schools, for example in special classes, as deemed appropriate as an interim measure, while the building remains under construction and is prepared for occupancy.

The NCSE has confirmed that a special class place has been provided to the student referred to by the Deputy, for this reason. The local special educational needs organiser (SENO) remains available to the family to provide advice and support as required.

My department's Planning and Building Unit advise that the school referred to by the Deputy has two significant projects in train. One under my departments Accelerated Delivery of Architectural Planning and Tendering (ADAPT) scheme, which involves the construction of a new twenty classroom school. This project is currently at Stage 2(a) Developed Design. This stage is a crucial element of the architectural planning process as it is at this stage that the design is developed to a point where it can be fully cost planned and prepared to lodge for statutory approvals.

The other project is under the Devolved Special Education Needs Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation Programme. Under this scheme the school was granted approval for the provision of five special education needs classrooms plus refurbishment works to existing spaces.

The use of this programme assists in ensuring lead in periods for procurement of modular accommodation are minimised to the greatest extent possible. To date, this has worked very well in the education sector and has seen delivery of large scale, high quality modular accommodation to meet the needs of children, particularly those with special educational needs.

The school authority has received their first tranche of funding and this project is currently in the pre-construction stage. The assigned project manager will keep the school authority updated regularly as the project progresses.

I want to assure you also that my department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education and are actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.