Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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369. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated full-year cost of recruiting 250 additional special needs assistant posts. [9181/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

In 2025 over €2.9 billion will be spent supporting children with special educational needs. This figure builds on previous years and represents over a quarter of the education budget. It will provide for, amongst other things, 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places. It will also increase our special educational posts by 768 special education teacher and 1,600 special needs assistant (SNA) posts nationwide.

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.

Allocations of special education teaching posts for the 2025/26 school year have recently been provided to schools and SNA allocations will be confirmed by the NCSE to schools in quarter two this year.

As of 01 March 2025 the estimated full-year cost of a new entrant SNA is €35,030 per annum.

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.