Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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788. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will urgently review Circular 80/2024 which prioritises medium to large schools for the opening of new special classes at primary level (details supplied); if small rural schools should be reconsidered as an ideal setting for special classes as they generally have space and provide a suitable environment for children with autism; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18786/25]

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 in 2025 and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places which will become available due to children and young people moving on from primary schools and post primary schools, will mean that there is close to 4,000 places available for the coming school year. The NCSE has engaged in a process with parents and schools to identify children requiring a place for the 2025/26 school year and the 3,900 places available should meet the need that exists.

Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that 399 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 287 are at primary and 112 are at post primary level. There are also 129 special schools five of these are new special schools for the 2025/26 school year. New special classes have been sanctioned in large, medium and smaller schools for the coming school year.

A particular focus this year was placed on medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation and no existing special class to open a new special class. This not only ensures that classes can open quickly as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner, but also that provision is established in as many schools as possible as we expand provision nationally. This provides parents more options when deciding which schools to apply to and ensures that provision continues to grow in a diverse number of schools across regions. This focus will remain to the fore when planning for the 2026/27 school year.

The NCSE also actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, this proactiveness is appreciate and is to be commended. However, it is not always possible to open a special class in every school that expresses an interest. In some areas schools in the neighbouring vicinity may have available special class vacancies or capacity and this is considered alongside demographical and statistical data when accessing if another special class is required in a locality.

However as done previously, where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, the NCSE will sanction classes in the most appropriate school and my department will provide additional classroom accommodation to ensure these classes can open as quickly as possible.