Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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537. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to ensure that communication between NCSE and her Department’s building unit is operating effectively given the severe lack of special school places in 2025 and commit to a review to ensure that such a scenario does not materialise again; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17440/25]

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.

My department's Special Education Section and Planning and Building Unit meet the NCSE and engage on a weekly basis in relation to the forward planning of special class and special school provision to meet the present, and future need, of 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. 2,700 new places are being created and these together with the over 1,200 existing places available for enrolment will mean there is close to 4,000 places available for the coming school year. This significant level of provision means that the department and NCSE have created sufficient capacity for the children whose parents and schools have identified as requiring a place.

Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that 375 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 264 are at primary and 111 at post primary level.

This will add to the 3,335 special classes currently in operation in the country. There are also 129 special schools with approximately 9,000 students enrolled, five of these are new for the 2025/26 school year.

A new special school is being established North of Cork City and capacity is being expanded across a number of other special schools in Cork.

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.

My department has requested the NCSE to work closely with schools and families to ensure that these children access places as quickly as possible. My department has also written to all schools opening new special classes asking them to commence their admission processes as quickly as possible.

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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538. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will undertake a review of the way in which we provide special education classes and special school places for children with additional needs given that the nature of how we undertake assessment of needs is an all year round process that does not conform to the policies surrounding mainstream enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17441/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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539. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department’s building unit provides for additional headroom capacity in the area of special needs given that the children present with a diagnosis on an all year round basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17442/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 538 and 539 together.

Article 24 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, to which Ireland is a signatory, requires us to provide education to children which is as inclusive as possible. The majority of children with special education needs in this country are supported by their classroom teachers, special education teachers and SNAs to attend mainstream classes with their peers. This is considered the most inclusive environment for children with special education needs and ensures that children can attend their local school. My department has significantly increased the resources available to support children with special educational needs in mainstream provision with 15,000 special education teachers and over 12,500 SNAs.

Where children have more complex needs a special class or special school is provided. Through the 2,700 new places being created and the over 1,200 places in existing special classes and schools, there are close to 4,000 places available for the coming school year. This significant level of provision means that the department and NCSE have created sufficient capacity for the children whose parents and schools have identified to them as requiring a place.

What is important here is that children have access to a placement that is appropriate to their needs and that is why in October 2024, my department issued a circular letter to all schools setting out a range of new measures to support the forward planning of special education. Among the new measures introduced was a request for parents of children seeking a special education placement, including children already attending mainstream classes, to notify the NCSE. This was to ensure that the NCSE had a clear picture of the children in mainstream who may have needed a special placement. The number of special education needs organisers (SENO) also increased from 65 to 120 at the start of this school year and this has helped to ensure that the NCSE have greater clarity on the level of need for special education places for children, including children in mainstream classes.

Up to an additional 2,700 specialist places will be provided for the coming school year. The NCSE has already sanctioned 375 new special classes, and they are engaging intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm additional special classes as soon as possible. Of these 264 are at primary and 111 at post primary level.

This will add to the 3,335 special classes currently in operation in the country. There are also 129 special schools in the county with approximately 9,000 students enrolled. Five of these are new special schools for 2025/26 school year and will open for enrolment shortly.

The scale of increased provision in special schools and special classes as well as the strong supports for mainstream means that children with special educational needs are accessing education appropriate to their needs regardless of their educational setting.