Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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207. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure for forward planning and identifying the number, type and location of special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools for 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7014/25]

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).

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.

My Department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. Building on successive budgets, Budget 2025 secured funding for up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools, and an additional 300 special school places for the 2025/26 school year. This will deliver 2,700 new places for children.

The information held on the Department's Geographical Information System (GIS), particularly in relation to student demographics, is a key component when forecasting the need for additional special class and special school places. My Department and the NCSE have undertaken analysis of the trends in special class and special school provision over recent years by county and local school planning area. In total there are 314 local school planning areas.

My Department and the NCSE identify the need for special educational provision with consideration to demographical and statistical data and in regard to an areas existing school provision and future capability. In addition, part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in a region.

In October 2024, my Department published a circular letter introducing a number of new measures to assist with the forward planning of special education provision. This included asking parents to notify the NCSE directly in relation to the need for a specialist placement. In addition, the Circular letter also outlined how the NCSE would be prioritising medium to large primary schools with no special class or just one special class to open a new special class for the coming year. My Department also reminded all post-primary schools of the need to continue planning to provide on average four special classes each.

My Department has also provided additional funding to the NCSE to allow it recruit additional special education needs organisers and team managers, who will be key to working with parents and schools at local level on forward planning. The NCSE have conducted over 1000 school planning visits in the early months of this school year and they will be key to confirming what schools will open special classes for the coming school year.