Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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381. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on any plans for upgrading autism services in a school (details supplied) to provide additional SNAs and a special unit for autism; whether any grant funding has been made available for such upgrading; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6311/25]

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

My department's Planning and Building Unit are engaging directly with the school patron regarding the accommodation needs of the school referred to. My department is working to ensure that special classes can be accommodated at the school as a priority. The NCSE has advised my department that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) has been in contact with a number of parents in the Skerries area and its surrounds and remains available to assist and provide advice to both the school and parents as required.

Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide 602 are in County Dublin, 69 are new for the 2024/25 school year, 48 at primary level and 21 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these are autism classes and have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6.

Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide, and it is estimated that a similar level of provision will be needed each year for the next 3 years.

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

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local 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.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.