Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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1001. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has engaged with the patron for a school (details supplied) in relation to the delivery of the autism classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20601/25]

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.

My department's Planning and Building Unit are engaging directly with the patron of the school referred to by the Deputy regarding the school’s accommodation needs. My department is working to ensure that special classes can be accommodated at the school as a priority. The NCSE has advised my department that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) has been in contact with a number of parents in the Skerries area and its surrounds and remains available to assist and provide advice to both the school and parents as required.

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 Dublin, 98 new special classes have been sanctioned for the new academic year 79 at primary and 19 at post-primary.

These classes will be added to the 602 special classes already sanctioned in Dublin. There are also 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,600 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in Lucan and Belmayne also. These schools will open for enrolment shortly.

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.