Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will give urgent consideration to the expansion of a programme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8150/25]

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

There are 3,336 special classes nationwide, 408 of these are new for the 2024/25 school year, 289 at primary level and 119 at post-primary level. In County Cavan, there 59 special class in operation and in County Monaghan there are 54 special classes.

Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide. The NCSE has confirmed that over half of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Four are in County Cavan, 1 at primary and 3 at post-primary level and three are in County Monaghan, 2 at primary and 1 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these classes have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6. The details of these new special classes will be published on the NCSE website shortly.

The NCSE has completed over 1,000 school planning visits in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) 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. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of more 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.