Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

183. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason post-primary education for deaf and hard of hearing students in Kerry does not exist, when Cork and Limerick have successfully implemented programmes tailored to the needs of their students (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5269/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 five years, eleven 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 3,330.

98 of these classes are in County Kerry, seven are new for the 2024/25 school year, five at primary level and two at post-primary level. Two of these primary classes are dedicated to children who are deaf/hard of hearing. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

In October 2022, my department wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of children progressing from primary school. Last year my department issued a circular to all schools setting out new measures to support the forward planning of special education provision. Included in this circular was a reminder of the need for post primary schools to continue planning for this level of provision.

The NCSE have recently recruited additional special educational needs organisers (SENOs), advisors and team managers. 120 SENO's now operate nationwide, with four operating solely in County Kerry. SENO's 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 and it is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes in the coming weeks.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local SENO's are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENO's directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. The NCSE will progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks and will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.