Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her efforts to accommodate students with special educational needs in Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8533/25]

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, 98 are in County Kerry, 7 were sanctioned for the 2024/25 school year, 5 at primary level and 2 at post-primary level. There are also three special schools educating approximately 290 students. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENO's, advisors and team managers. 120 SENO's now operate nationwide, with 4 solely operating in County Kerry. SENO's play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas and are currently visiting schools nationwide to conduct planning meetings. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months.

These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. The NCSE has already sanctioned 209 new special classes for the 2025/26 school year, of these 17 are in County Kerry. The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. It is expected that the NCSE will sanction the remainder of new special classes in the coming weeks.

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.

As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks it 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.

Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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54. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the training provided to teachers to ensure the adequate provision of education to students with special educational needs. [8610/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Providing inclusive education to children with special educational needs is a fundamental principle of the education system. This principle is observed through Department policies, Teaching Council requirements for initial teacher education, curriculum provision and the range of supports provided to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and Oide.

Teachers undertake professional learning in a range of pedagogical, curricular and educational areas. Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) provided for teachers supports the inclusion of students with Special Education Needs (SEN) in mainstream classrooms.

Inclusive education is a mandatory element of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. Within further updated standards which the Teaching Council adopted in 2020, known as Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education, inclusive education was further strengthened as one of seven core elements which must underpin all aspects of programmes of ITE.

Funded by the Department, Oide works with teachers and school leaders to provide ongoing support and professional development, which promotes inclusive practices.

Oide’s Leadership team are facilitating the Caidrimh Programme. This provides professional learning and support to guide Special Schools in effectively collaborating, sharing, and distributing their roles and responsibilities to create a school environment that is responsive and inclusive to diverse needs.

The Department provides funding for two distinct categories of post-graduate programmes for Special Education Teachers:

• Post-Graduate Diploma Programme of Teacher Professional Learning for Special Education Teachers.
• Graduate Certificate in Autism Education for teachers working with Autistic Pupils in Special Schools, Special Classes or as Special Education Teachers in mainstream Primary and Post-Primary Schools.