Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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24. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline plans for the creation of additional autism places at primary and secondary schools in County Louth for the next academic year, 25/26; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6003/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government are fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now just over 28,000 students accessing special class and special school places in the current school year.

Budget 2025 provides for up to an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special classes, for on average 6 children each and 300 additional special school places. On top of this, there will be well over 1,000 places available through the normal annual movement of students progressing from primary to post-primary and students graduating from post-primary or special schools. There are also special classes with vacant places in some areas of the country.

Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025 the NCSE has advised that 209 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 15 are in County Louth, 11 at primary and 4 at post primary level.

This will add to the 98 special classes currently in operation in County Louth. There are also four special schools in the county with approximately 400 students enrolled.

In Louth and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further new special classes as soon as possible. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of the remaining special classes they will advise parents of the location of the new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.

Where new special classes have been sanctioned, I would urge schools to progress the admission of students as soon as possible to ensure that the NCSE can continue to evaluate demand in local areas, sanction classes as required and assist parents in securing a school place.