Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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185. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for details on the current provision of special school placements nationally at primary and secondary level, in particular, the name and location of the school, the number of class places and the population size served. [22436/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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186. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected provision of special school placements nationally at primary and secondary level for September 2025, in particular, the name and location of the school, the number of projected class places and the population size served. [22437/25]

Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
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187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the projected number of children nationally requiring primary and secondary special education placements in September 2025. [22438/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 185, 186 and 187 together.

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.

As the Deputy may be aware parents were asked to contact the NCSE directly this year if seeking an educational placement. The NCSE were notified of just over 3,200 children requiring a special school or class place for the 2025/26 school year. 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. Budget 2025 provides for an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special class and 300 additional special school places. On top of this, there will be over 1,000 places available through the normal annual movement of students progressing from primary to post-primary and students graduating from post-primary or special schools. There also remains special class vacancies in some areas of the country.

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. 287 at primary and 112 at post primary level. This will add to the 3,335 special classes currently in operation nationwide.

The list of new special classes is published on the NCSE website. There are 124 special schools operating across the country, with another 5 due to open for the coming school year. These are listed on the NCSE website also.

Eleven new special schools have been established in recent years and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five more special schools will be established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary. These new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork.

When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.

Where new special classes have been sanctioned, I would urge schools to progress the admission of students as soon as possible to ensure that the NCSE can continue to evaluate demand in local areas and assist parents in securing a special school place.

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