Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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505. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any more special classes will be sanctioned for the academic year 2025-2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26045/25]

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.

The NCSE has sanctioned 399 of the 400 new special classes for the 2025/26 school year. The NCSE is confident that this new provision when added to the existing provision will meet the known demand for the 2025/26 school year. I implore any parent who has not contacted the NCSE and is seeking a special educational placement to contact the NCSE as soon as possible.

Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

My department and the NCSE have begun preparatory work in relation to planning for the provision of further new special class and special school places for the 2026/27 school year and are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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506. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills is considering sanctioning any additional special classes for September 2025, specifically in cases where no renovations are required, in order to meet the demand in communities for school places. [26046/25]

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.

The NCSE has sanctioned 399 of the 400 new special classes for the 2025/26 school year. The NCSE is confident that this new provision when added to the existing provision through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary and finishing post-primary will meet the known demand for the 2025/26 school year. I implore any parent who has not contacted the NCSE and is seeking a special educational placement to contact the NCSE as soon as possible.

Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website. The NCSE will continue to support families secure available places.

My department and the NCSE have begun preparatory work in relation to planning for the provision of further new special class and special school places for the 2026/27 school year and are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.