Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether the temporary special school facility in Fermoy will be open in September. [18100/25]

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.

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 563 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. It is expected that this school will open for enrolment shortly. This school will initially enrol 24 students.

The site of the school is Carrignavar, but due to building works the school will be temporarily located in available school accommodation in Gaelscoil De Híde, Fermoy, which means the school can open as intended.

Work is also ongoing with school patron bodies, particularly Cork Education and Training Board (ETB), to expand capacity at other special schools, particularly two that opened in recent years – Rochestown Community Special School and East Cork Community Special School.

The additional special class provision and special school provision should ensure that all students known to the NCSE have a special education placement for the coming school year. My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.