Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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157. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on resources for special education classes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8571/25]

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

Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide, 98 are in County Kerry. 7 of these were sanctioned for the 2024/25 school year, 5 at primary level and 2 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

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. It is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year in the coming weeks.

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.

At a local level in County Kerry and indeed nationwide the NCSE is examining which special schools have capacity to expand and are targeting medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation and no existing special class to open a new special class for the 2025/26 school year. This will ensure that classes can open quickly as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner.

However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, my department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places.

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.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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158. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of the waiting list for classes for dyslexia in the greater Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8573/25]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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159. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plan to increase the provision of classes for dyslexia in the greater Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8574/25]

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether it is her policy not to have specific classes for dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8575/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 158, 159 and 160 together.

The majority of children with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia, are supported to attend their mainstream local school. This is appropriate as it is generally in the best interest of children to access their local school with their peers unless a more specialist setting is required.

Within the mainstream settings, students are supported by special education teachers and special needs assistants. There are now almost 15,000 special education teachers and over 12,000 SNAs supporting children in mainstream settings. This has also been coupled at primary level with the lowest ever teacher/student ratio of 1:23. This ensures that mainstream education settings are well supported to meet the needs of children with special educational needs such as dyslexia.

Of the 3,336 special classes across primary and post-primary schools which provide for a broad range of needs, fourteen are specifically for children with dyslexia. These classes, historic in their founding, offer intensive intervention in the teaching of literacy skills within a differentiated curriculum to children and young people whose overall ability level is average or above and whose performance in literacy skills, as measured by a standardised test, is at a very low level i.e. under the 2nd percentile.

Children generally attend these classes for a maximum of two years and then return to their local schools.

For the majority, under an inclusive education system, children with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia are educated in their local schools for the entirety of their education. To ensure each student is supported throughout their educational journey the NCSE provides teachers in mainstream schools with additional training in the area of special education. This is done through the NCSE support service which manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training need including Teacher Professional Learning (TPL). In addition, specialist educational supports can be provided by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) where required.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia. This is provided where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.

This means that no matter where a child is located or which school they choose to enrol they are supported in achieving their educational goals and reaching their full potential.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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161. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update and clarity regarding the provision of an ASD class and a general assembly for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8576/25]

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).

Of the 3,336 special classes nationwide, 563 are in County Cork, of these, 66 were sanctioned for the 2024/25 school year, 43 at primary level and 23 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

The NCSE actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest. However, it is not always possible to open a special class in every school that does so.

At a local level in County Cork and indeed nationwide the NCSE is examining which schools have capacity to expand and are targeting medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation and no existing special class to open a new special class for the 2025/26 school year. This will ensure that classes can open quickly as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner.

However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, my department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places.

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.

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.