Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of mild general learning classes in north Tipperary; the number of classes she anticipates there will be in September 2025; if there are plans to open any other mild general learning classes in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29312/25]

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.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided.

This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

Of the 3,335 special classes nationwide, 50 are designated by the NCSE for students with a mild general learning disability, 36 at primary level and 14 are at post primary level. Two of these classes are in County Tipperary. These classes can accommodate up to 11 students each.

Where the NCSE identify demand for a special classes for children with a Mild General Learning Disability classes will be sanctioned in line with the overall policy on an inclusive education.

In addition to these special classes there are 30 special schools that were originally designated as schools for children with a mild general learning disability. One of these schools is in County Tipperary. Many of these schools have diversified over time to allow children with more complex needs in their communities who require a special school setting enrol in their local special school. There are approximately 3,400 children enrolled in these special schools.

The establishment of these special schools and special classes for children with mild general learning disability often predate the significant expansion of special education teachers provided to schools over recent years. The significant growth in the allocation of special education teachers to mainstream schools along with special needs assistants is supporting more children with special educational needs to attend mainstream classes in their local school with their peers.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that no matter where a child is enrolled they have access to the required supports to enable them to achieve their educational goals.

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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513. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if plans are in place to open another ASD early intervention preschool class in Dungarvan, County Waterford, given the demand in the area and the fact that there is only one such class in the area (details supplied), which is full for the coming year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29090/25]

Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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514. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are plans to increase the number of ASD early intervention preschool classes in Dungarvan County Waterford, given the fact that access and inclusion model support in mainstream preschool may not be appropriate for every child with additional needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29091/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 513 and 514 together.

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 is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I have forwarded this issue to them for their attention and direct reply.

Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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515. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason the NCSE has now withdrawn a new ASD class at a school (details supplied) which was sanctioned back in March and announced by her office and regarding which parents were offered classes; if she will urgently reverse this decision and work with the school to ensure this class proceeds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29121/25]

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.

It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

With its increased numbers of staff the NCSE completed over 1,700 school planning visits earlier this year in order to identify which schools had existing capacity to expand and confirm demand in local areas. It has focused on medium and larger primary schools with available accommodation and no existing special class to open a new special class for the 2025/26 school year. This is to ensure that classes can open quickly as existing accommodation can be reconfigured in a more streamlined and efficient manner but also that new provision is established in as many schools as possible. This provides parents more options when deciding which schools to apply to and ensures that provision continues to grow in a diverse number of schools across regions. This should also help in reducing the distances that some children are travelling to access a special class place.

However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, my department will continue to provide additional classroom accommodation to provide necessary places.

In the case of the school referred to, this school received notification from the NCSE based on potential local demand for special class places and based on the information that the school had available accommodation to host a special class. However, this was not the case, the school did not have available accommodation and the class could only be supported in an external location in property which required to be rented.

The NCSE re-evaluated the situation including the continued needs of children in the area for specialist placements. In reconfirming the need only one child still required and was eligible for a placement. In line with policy on an inclusive education, children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

The NCSE has offered advice to this family in securing a special class placement in another local school where there are other children enrolled. Alternatively, the NCSE will ensure the right supports are available to enable the child to enrol in a mainstream class in their preferred school.

Decisions in relation to the establishment or otherwise discontinuance of special classes, based on local need, is a matter for the NCSE who are best placed to make these decisions, in consultation with families, in the best interests of the children concerned.

Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)
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516. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to list the schools that are providing summer education programmes in Dublin south central, in tabular form. [29136/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Details of this year’s School-based Summer Programme were published on the 13th of February 2025. Funding of €62 million was secured in Budget 2025 to ensure the continuance of the €40 million annual investment that has been provided for since 2021. As in previous years, all of the funding will be utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most so that these children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

The main priority again in 2025 is that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme. Where their school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable, the Home-based programme is also available for pupils with complex special educational needs.

The Online Registration Portal for the 2025 School-based Summer Programme closed on the 11th of April 2025. Currently, over 1,800 schools have registered for more than 2,000 schemes in the 2025 Summer Programme.

A list of the schools who have registered to run the 2025 School-based Summer Programme in the Dublin South region are given in the appendix attached.

A breakdown per school type is below: