Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of recommendations made by the NCSE for special classes for the 2025-2026 school year, broken down according to type (autism spectrum disorder, general learning disability, and so on); the number of the recommendations that were not sanctioned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29689/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

My Department and the NCSE are working on the basis of a projected need for an additional 400 new special classes and 300 additional special school places for each year over the coming years. This is in line with the level of new provision being provided for the coming 2025/2026 school year and over recent years.

In October 2022, my department wrote to all post-primary schools requesting that each school begin planning to provide for up to four special classes to meet the needs of children progressing from primary school. Last year my department issued a circular to all schools setting out new measures to support the forward planning of special education provision. Included in this circular was a reminder of the need for post-primary schools to continue planning for this level of provision.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has begun planning for the 2026/27 school year and to support this work my department recently issued circular letter 0039/2025 setting out an aim for the earlier sanction of special classes for the 2026/27 school year. With the support and collaboration of all stakeholders, it is the aim of the NCSE and my Department that the majority of new special classes for the 2026/2027 school year will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025. Critical to establishing the level of need nationally and in specific locations are parents notifying the NCSE where a child or young person requires a special class or special school place. This has been reiterated to schools and must be done by 1 October 2025, four months early than last year. The NCSE will be reaching out to parents in relation to the earlier parents notify timeline.

Sanctioning new special classes earlier will ensure that parents and schools are provided with clarity and certainty around where provision will be located much earlier than in previous years. This will allow schools more time to complete any repurposing works, recruit staff, run admissions processes and access training as part of planning and preparing for a new special class.

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