Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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457. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of school places required for special schools for September 2025, and the projected number of places that will be available, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25577/25]

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 co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.

My Department and the NCSE are committed to providing 2,700 new special education places across special classes and special schools for the coming school year. The NCSE advise that this level of new provision in addition to the number of places available through the normal movement of children from primary to post-primary and from post-primary is sufficient to meet the needs of children known to them.

At least 300 new special school places will be provided through the establishment of 5 new special schools, the growth of the 11 recently opened new special schools and the expansion of other existing special schools. The NCSE continue to work to support families at local level to secure special class and special school places.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of times section 37A of the Education Act 1998 was used; the reasoning for its use, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25578/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Section 37A of the Education Act, 1998 gives powers to the Minister to compel a school to provide additional provision. Under urgent legislation enacted in 2022 – the Education (Provision in respect of children with special educational needs) Act 2022 - this can happen within a period of 6 to 8 weeks of receiving a detailed report from the NCSE advising of a lack of provision in a certain area. It also provides for a more streamlined Section 37A process. This provision, as provided for in the amended Section 37A has only been invoked once since the 2022 legislation was introduced, and this a direct result of collaboration at a local level between my Department, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and schools.

Prior to the introduction of new legislation in 2022, the Section 37A process had been used to secure additional special class provision on two occasions in Dublin.

The provision has also been enacted in regard to one school in Kildare this year in order to ensure that children with special educational needs in the local area have an appropriate 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.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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459. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide details, by reference to building works, of autism units and special schools scheduled for completion between April and September 2025, if these works are on schedule to be completed by September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25579/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department is providing significant additional capacity at special schools across the country, with 80 building projects at special schools at various stages of planning and delivery. This represents capital investment at over 50% of all special schools. These projects will provide almost 750 additional and modernised classrooms for children with special education needs. Construction is currently underway at 15 schools, with a total project value in excess of €155m. This includes new buildings for existing special schools in areas such as Mullingar, Stillorgan, Galway City, Portlaoise, Newbridge, Letterkenny and Loughlinstown. My Department will continue to prioritise the delivery of building projects at special schools as part of the rollout of its school building programme.

My Department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) reviewed the forward planning for special education needs (SEN) and highlighted the urgent need for additional SEN special classes. In order to respond to this need at pace, my Department is progressing urgent building projects that involve the repurposing of existing space in schools for SEN purposes. These projects will ensure that existing school capacity is optimised and that teaching spaces are adaptable and flexible to facilitate a student-centred approach to learning. Potential repurposing options will be school and site specific, presenting different opportunities and challenges. To support the delivery of these classes in good time for the 2025/26 school year a new streamlined approach to funding is available to repurpose accommodation for SEN. A SEN Start Up grant of €30,000 for each new SEN classroom sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year has been paid to these schools directly, following receipt of NCSE notification of sanctioned classes. Additional funding for small scale repurposing works up to a maximum of €70,000 per class is also available to schools on an application basis. Further information on SEN repurposing supports can be accessed on www.gov.ie.

In reference to building works at special schools and for special classes to provide additional capacity for the 2025/26 school year, my Department will continue to prioritise the delivery of these projects as part of the rollout of the school building programme. My Department is working closely with the NCSE and schools to ensure that the required provision is in place, and to contingency plan in mitigation of any risks of delay.

The current status of all projects is listed on a county-by-county basis at www.gov.ie., and this is updated on a regular basis to reflect project progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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460. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills regarding the 399 new special classes sanctioned for the 2025-2026 school year, how many will be fully operational on the first day of the school year in August-September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25580/25]

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.

My Department has requested the NCSE to work closely with schools and families to ensure that children can access these places in September. My Department has also written to all schools opening new special classes asking them to commence their admission processes as soon as possible.

The vast majority of new special classes are being established within existing school accommodation.

The repurposing of existing accommodation is an efficient and effective way of facilitating special classes within a short timeframe. It is expected that classes being facilitated by way of repurposing works will be ready for the start of the school year.

However, given the longer lead in periods involved in modular accommodation projects, it is envisaged that contingency arrangements may need to be put in place at local school level in consultation with the NCSE to facilitate the opening of some of the new special classes in this accommodation. My Department is prioritising the delivery of these modular accommodation projects.

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