Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of expressions of interest that have sought to secure a place for a child in the interim special school in County Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17183/25]

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.

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 Monaghan which is under the patronage of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB). This new school will be located in Castleblaney, in a former school property which is being repurposed to facilitate the opening of the new school.

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 18 students and the application window for admissions closed on 31 March. A number of information events for parents were held jointly by the ETB and the NCSE in recent weeks.

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 believes that 23 applications were made to this school, 18 from families residing in Co Monaghan. The school will shortly make offers based on its admission policy. The NCSE will continue to provide support and advice to families as required. The NCSE has also sanctioned sic new special classes for the new school year, each class has the capacity for six students. These will be added to the 54 classes already in operation in the county.

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.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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177. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied) for sanction for a special class. [16380/25]

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.

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.

The NCSE actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest. However, it is not always possible to open a special class in every school that expresses an interest.

When assessing the needs in the local area, the NCSE identify schools in the neighbouring vicinity with available special class vacancies or capacity and assess their capability with consideration to demographical and statistical data.

The NCSE acknowledge that circumstances may change, and these schools will remain as potential options for future classes. Local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs.

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 17 are in Tipperary, 9 at primary and 8 at post primary level. This will add to the 138 special classes already sanctioned in Tipperary, 90 in primary and 48 at post-primary level.

In County Tipperary and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm remaining classes. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of the remaining special classes they will inform parents.

Schools not sanctioned this year will remain as a potential option for future classes. Local SENOs remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.