Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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837. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps taken in Meath to ensure all children that require a school place have the possibility of securing a place in an ASD class or ASD unit in a school for the next academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19079/25]

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 399 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. In terms of Meath, 22 new special classes have been sanctioned for the new academic year 17 at primary and 5 at post-primary.

This will add to the 156 special classes already sanctioned in Meath, 116 in primary and 40 at post-primary level. There are also three special schools in Meath with approximately 222 students enrolled.

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 has also written 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.