Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new ASD classes delivered in Cork primary schools for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9034/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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357. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new ASD classes delivered in Cork secondary schools for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9035/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.

This government is 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.

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

Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now just over 28,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. Budget 2025 provides for an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special classes and 300 additional special school places. On top of this, there will be 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 existing special class vacancies in some areas of the country.

The total number of special Classes in Mainstream Schools in County Cork over the last three school years 2022/23 – 2024/25 are set out in tabular form below. Almost all of these new special classes are provided to support children with autism.

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 22 are in County Cork, 12 at primary and 10 at post primary level. This will add to the 563 special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 16 special schools in Cork with approximately 1,000 students enrolled and there is also a hospital school attached to Cork University Hospital. Of the five new special schools announced for the 2025/26 school year, one will be located in Cork, in the North of the city. Dedicated working groups have been established by my department to work through the details in relation to the establishment of the new special schools.

In County Cork and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further new special classes. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of the remaining special classes they will inform parents.

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.

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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358. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has considered establishing a school in Cork county exclusively for children with a specific autism diagnosis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9036/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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This government is 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. It is important to remember that the majority of children with autism are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. The number of special classes, which are predominantly for children with autism, has also doubled over recent years. For children with more complex needs special school places can be provided.

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

There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support children with complex needs. Of the eleven new special schools established in recent years, three have been established in County Cork and a number of special schools in the County have also been expanded. Five more special schools will be established for the 2025/26 school year and one of these will be located in the North of Cork City area.

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 are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation in County Cork and indeed nationwide as to where new special schools are required.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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359. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of newly appointed special education teachers for 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9037/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The majority of children with special educational needs are supported by mainstream class teachers, special education teachers and special needs assistants (SNAs) to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children have more complex needs, special classes are provided and for children with the most complex needs, special school places are provided.

Budget 2025 provides for an additional 768 special education teachers and 1,600 SNAs to support children with special educational needs across mainstream, special classes and special schools. These additional teaching and SNA posts will support both children with special educational needs attending mainstream classes and children taking up an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special classes and 300 additional special school places.

By the end of the year there will be over 20,800 special educational teachers and 23,400 SNAs in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. This will mean we will have over 44,200 teachers and SNAs working in our education system committed to supporting and nurturing children with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has already sanctioned 218 new special classes for the coming school year, with further new special classes being confirmed in the coming weeks. Five new special schools are being established and capacity is being expanded in other special schools. Allocations of special education teaching (SET) posts for the next school year have recently been provided to schools and SNA allocations will be confirmed by the NCSE to schools in quarter two this year.

The following table illustrates the number of SET posts allocated to support children in mainstream classes, special classes and special schools in the years listed.

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.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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360. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special education teachers that retired in 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9038/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is not in a position to provide the information requested by the Deputy as the nature of the post held is not required to administer the pension benefits of teachers.

A person who is qualified as a primary or post-primary teacher may work in various educational settings throughout their career. These settings include mainstream schools, special schools, special classes and other special education settings. Consequently, a teacher may not be designated solely as a special education teacher.

It is therefore not currently possible to provide statistical information of special education teachers who retire.