Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has met with parents who held a 24-hour sleep-out outside her Department’s headquarters on Tuesday, 1 April 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17221/25]

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.

Both I as Minister for Special Education and Inclusion and the Minister for Education, Helen McEntee met with some of these parents last month. There was positive engagement on the issues parents face when seeking a suitable special educational placement and the broader systemic issues impacting the provision of school places for children with special educational needs. I have asked to meet the group again to discuss their concerns further. Of course, I also meet many parents on an ongoing basis.

I have reassured the parents that an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special class and 300 additional special school places will be provided for the next school year. On top of this, there will be over 1,200 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 also remains special class vacancies in some areas of the country.

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, 264 at primary and 111 at post primary level. This will add to the 3,335 special classes currently in operation in the country. There is now also 129 special schools across the county. Five are new for the 2025/26 school year and many others are expanding. A complete list of special classes; broken by location and class designation is available on the NCSE website.

Currently 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 also intends to write 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 ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.