James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her Department’s plans for a special school in the Youghal and wider east Cork area to alleviate the long waiting lists; if her Department will consider modular or rapid build to speed up the process to allow these children have a school unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8513/25]

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).

There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. To meet this need, eleven new special schools have been established in recent years and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. In 2023, a new special school was established in East Cork in Carrigtwohill. This new special school will grow and expand over time. Five more special schools will be established for the 2025/26 school year one of these will be based in the North of Cork City area.

The majority of the new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork. The department and NCSE have already begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026/27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years.

When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.

In planning for increased special school places, the department and NCSE are reviewing all of the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand.

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 the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in a region.

My department and the NCSE will continue to monitor the requirement for special school places in Youghal and the wider East Cork area.

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

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on Strand I and II of the educational therapy support service; if she intends to transition this service to a national therapy service in education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8488/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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It is my ambition, and as outlined in the Programme for Government, to extend therapy supports within the Education system, over time.

This ambition is reflected in the establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS) within the NCSE in June 2024. This expansion of NCSE therapy services is expected to build on the achievements and impacts of the School Inclusion Model (SIM) pilot programme.

The ETSS, initially, will comprise of 39 speech and language/occupational therapists embedded into the NCSE regional structure, providing 2 strands of support.

Strand I involves Regional Therapy Support and includes Teacher Professional Learning (TPL) seminars for both Occupational and Speech and Language Therapy, with in-school support. 111 teachers have been supported through a mixture of Teacher Professional Learning Seminars and in-school support visits in 93 schools in the Eastern region. It is planned that these supports will be available nationally for the 2025/2026 school year. Since September 2024 there have been 48 in-school visits to 43 schools.

The second strand, Strand II provides Sustained In-School Therapy for a period of 24 months, in line with the School Inclusion Model (SIM).

The NCSE intends to deliver Strand II of the ETSS initially, in its Eastern and Western regions. 22 schools in the Eastern region are currently availing of this service.

It is anticipated that schools in the Western Region will be invited to apply to the NCSE for Strand II sustained supports for the 2025/26 school year.

The introduction of the Educational Therapy Support Service in schools is a major step forward towards the development of a National Therapy Support Service for schools. This service will ensure children can avail of therapeutic supports in their school in addition and in an integrated way to those provided by their local health service.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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58. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he is aware of the situation faced by parents and children in Dungarvan and west Waterford whereby 22 children have been placed on a waiting list for the local special school; if he understands the anxiety, anger and anguish of the parents of these children; if the Government will commit to drastically expanding special school capacity in west Waterford, which also caters to children from east Cork and south Tipperary; and if he will work across party lines and across Government to find appropriate spaces for these 22 children in time for September. [4185/25]

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.

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 NCSE has advised my department that they are engaging directly with the families of the students concerned. They are providing advice and support as required and are evaluating the needs of the students not already known to them to establish what provision is required. The NCSE have sanctioned another 11 new special classes in schools across Co Waterford and are working intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further new special classes as soon as possible.

My department has also conducted a site visit at the local special school this week to review the accommodation needs of the school.

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.

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