Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

398. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 6 February 2025, if the number of notifications received by the NCSE from parents and guardians by the 1 February 2025 deadline pursuant to her Department’s circular 0080/2024 has now been determined; and for a breakdown of same by county, and by category of need, in tabular form. [7334/25]

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. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

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 special education places for children.

My department issued a circular letter (0080/2024) to all schools setting out a number of new measures to support the work of the NCSE in forward planning for special education provision. This circular set out a new process whereby parents of a child with special educational needs would notify the NCSE, as early as possible, if a special class or special school place was being sought. In providing this key data to aid planning its also allows the NCSE to provide advice and information to parents on the supports available.

As advised previously, these notifications are being examined and validated by the NCSE. Local SENOs are making contact with parents and schools and seeking further information where required. As this is the first year of this new process being in place, the NCSE may also be aware of children needing a special education placement who may have not come through the new notification process.

The recent school closures and impact of Storm Éowyn on households may also mean there is a slight delay in notifications in some instances. The NCSE have decided to extend the timeline for parents to notify them. In any event, parents are free to continue to continue to notify the NCSE of the need for special class or special school places for their child on an ongoing basis as well.

Once the NCSE has all the relevant reports and verified information on the number of children requiring a school place they will inform my department. A direct response will be provided to the Deputy on this issue as soon as the information is available.

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.

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