Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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66. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps being taken to insure that mainstream schools will have the funding, resources and ability to effectively teach children with mild general learning disabilities in mainstream schools; if sufficient special education teachers will be available for one on one teaching; if sufficient special needs assistants will be available to cover personal care of each child’s need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26338/25]

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.

By the end of the year there will be over 20,800 special educational teachers and 23,400 special needs assistants (SNAs) in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. This will mean we will have over 44,000 teachers and SNAs working in our education system committed to supporting and nurturing children with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

For the 2025/26 school year close to 15,000 special education teachers have been allocated to schools to support children and young people in mainstream settings. These allocations have recently been provided to schools.

In addition, the NCSE are currently allocating over 12,500 SNAs to schools to support students in mainstream settings. These allocations will be confirmed by the NCSE to schools in the coming weeks. The NCSE publish SET and SNA allocations on their www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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67. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department is aware of the demand for mild learning classes; if this information is provided to her Department by the NCSE; if there is a plan to implement those records into a broader strategy of opening more mild learning classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26340/25]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department mandates the NCSE to record data on mild learning classes demand; if there is an awareness of the level of demand for mild learning classes nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26341/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 68 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.

It is my department’s policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that students with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.

The department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools and students with special educational needs in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.

My department has significantly increased the resources available to support children with special educational needs in mainstream provision. For the 2025/26 school year there will be 15,000 special education teachers and over 12,500 special needs assistants (SNAs) in schools supporting students in mainstream classes.

For children with more complex needs special class and special school places are provided. My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. My department and the NCSE identify the need for special educational provision with consideration to demographical and statistical data and in regard to an areas existing school provision and future capability.

In October 2024, my Department issued a new circular letter to all schools setting out a range of new measures to support the forward planning of special education provision. Amongst these measures was a request for parents of children seeking a special class or special school place to notify the NCSE. This measure, along with the increased number of staff working in the NCSE, is allowing the NCSE to have a clearer lens on the need for special class places.

In addition, part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in a region.

Where the NCSE identifies need for a moderate general learning disability class, these classes are sanctioned, and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.

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 beyond and are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.