Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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310. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when the details of the Summer programme for 2025 will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13091/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Details of the 2025 Summer Programme were published on Thursday, 13th February 2025. More than €60m in funding, secured in Budget 2025, is being made available for this year's Summer Programme. All of this funding will be utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

The main priority in 2025 continues to be that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

This year, to combat holiday hunger, a pilot project will be extending the Department of Social Protection’s School Meals Programme into the Summer Programme. Schools eligible for the School Meals Programme will be able to make meals available for the 2025 Summer Programme. This will also help to alleviate the costs for schools associated with running a Summer Programme and will be in addition to the other supports and measures already in place.

Full details of the school-based Summer Programme have been issued to schools and are available on www.gov.ie/summerprogramme. It is now open to schools to register their interest in running a school-based summer programme via an online registration portal. The closing date for registration by schools has been set for the 11th April 2025.

Where a school-based programme is not being run or a place is unavailable, the Home-based Programme will be available for those children with complex special education needs. Details of the home-based programme will be released in May.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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311. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children on the waiting list for an autism class school place in Dublin Fingal west; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13092/25]

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

The NCSE, in line with their statutory function, approach schools in relation to opening new special classes directly. Parents are advised to contact the NCSE to inform them that they are seeking a special education placement, this is to allow the NCSE provide advice and support to the parent but also to ensure adequate planning regarding required provision in local areas. Therefore, the information and detail requested is held by the NCSE. I will therefore share your request with the NCSE for a direct reply.

Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that 309 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 53 are in Dublin, 37 at primary and 16 at post primary level.

This will add to the 602 special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,600 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in Lucan and Belmayne also. These schools will open for enrolment shortly.

In Dublin and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further 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.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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312. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of sanctioned autism classes for 2024 that have opened and enrolled pupils; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13093/25]

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

Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last five years, eleven new special schools have been established and many more expanded. Five new special schools are being established for the 2025/26 school year and capacity is being expanded in other special schools.

For the 2024/25 school year a total of 408 new special classes were sanctioned by the NCSE, bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to over 3,300. Of these new classes, 395 are autism classes and seven are autism early intervention classes.

These classes have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6 at primary level and 1.5:6 at post primary level with special need assistant support also provided. A number of these classes will have varying enrolments year on year as children move between settings and indeed between schools, however the majority will remain at the maximum capacity of six students per class.

Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that 309 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 53 are in Dublin, 37 at primary and 16 at post primary level. The vast majority of these are autism classes.

This will add to the 602 special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,600 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in Lucan and Belmayne also. These schools will open for enrolment shortly.

In Dublin and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further 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.

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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313. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the sanctioned autism classes for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13094/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school to which the Deputy refers has been granted capital funding under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration & Modular Accommodation Programme for the provision of two Special Education Needs (SEN) classrooms.

This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. Kerrigan Sheanon Newman (KSN) has been appointed, from the Department’s Framework, to design and tender the project at the school in question. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department.

The manufacture of the accommodation has commenced and the project is currently at Detailed Design stage which is expected to be finalised in April following completion of site surveys etc. The next step is progression to construction on-site subject to approval.

My Department is fully aware of the urgency in respect of this accommodation and will be working closely with the Project Managers and School Authority to keep it updated on overall project delivery and timelines.