Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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152. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional special school places that have been provided for Cork for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17213/25]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South-Central, Sinn Fein)
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527. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with additional needs waiting for a school place in Cork for the upcoming school year; if she will commit to ensuring that each child that needs one has a place in a special school or an ASD class; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17343/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 527 together.

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).

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. 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 53 are in County Cork, 35 at primary and 18 at post primary level.

This will add to the 263 special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 16 special schools in County Cork with approximately 1,060 students enrolled. One of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in the North of the City also. My Department and the NCSE are also working with Cork Education and Training Board to expand capacity at both Rochestown Community Special School and East Cork Community Special School.

Dedicated working groups have been established by my department to work through the details in relation to the establishment of the five new special schools, for the 2025/26 school year, including the new special school in County Cork which is under the patronage of Cork Education and Training Board (CMETB).

This new school will be located in spare accommodation at Gaelscoil De Híde, Fermoy, temporarily while accommodation is built at the former primary school building in Carrignavar.

A principal for the new special school is currently being recruited. This role is critical to the special schools advancing their enrolment policies and procedures as agreed with the school patron.

The school will provide for students with a diagnosis of autism and complex learning needs or students with complex learning needs with a professional recommendation for a special school.

I understand that the school will initially admit 24 students and the application process will begin shortly. Special schools set out the number of places available, for each enrolment intake, in their admission notice. It is a matter for each school to set their own selection criteria in the event that there are more applicants than places available. These details are set out clearly for parents in the published admission notice and admissions policy for the new special school.

My department and the local ETB will continue to review and assess the accommodation options available to allow the new special school to grow and expand over the next few years.