Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will guarantee that every child will have access to an appropriate school place in their local community this September. [30979/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy it is an absolute priority that every child in the State has access to a school place and the Department of Education and Youth are continually planning for and investing in existing and new schools to ensure that this is the case.

Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country, involving the completion of over 1,375 school building projects. Between projects currently under construction and projects moving to construction in the coming months, investments by the Department are adding over 610,000 square metres of new and modernised capacity to our school estate.

At a national level, Ireland has been experiencing growth in overall post primary enrolments and this is projected to continue in many parts of the country for the next number of years before beginning to decline. However, first year enrolments nationally are expected to have peaked in the 2023/24 school year and are beginning to decline from next year. At primary level, there is generally good capacity across the country, although there are some areas under continuing demographic pressures.

Nonetheless, I am aware that there can be pressures where there is high demand in an area or for a particular school. In that context my Department has put in place a number of measures to support post-primary schools in managing and effectively coordinating their admissions processes including enhancements to the IT systems for registering enrolments and continuing the data-sharing arrangements with schools in areas of enrolment pressure.

The sharing of this data has been very effective in the identification of school place requirements. In the majority of areas, through the work of schools, patrons, management bodies and the department, there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of children in the area. The Department is working with schools to ensure there are sufficient places for all who require a place for 2025. Further additional provision will be made where a need is identified.

My department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) engage on a weekly basis in relation to the forward planning of special class and special school provision to meet the present, and future need, of children with special educational needs.

It is expected that a similar number of special class and special school places may need to be provided over each of the next few years, that was provided in recent years. As more and more special classes open in primary schools and as the overall level of enrolments at primary level reduce, it is expected that over time the normal annual progression of students from primary special classes to post-primary will provide a significant number of places each year for younger children seeking a special class placement. At post-primary level, my department has already written to all schools asking them to prepare to provide on average four special classes each.

In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department recently published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of new measures introduced to support forward planning going forward and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child. An earlier date of 1 October has been set in which parents must do so. This notification will provide the NCSE with valuable insights as to which children will continue to require a special class as they progress to post primary level and details on students who require a place for the first time. The earlier date will also allow for earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year and it is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special by 31 December 2025.

While some applicants may not yet have received an offer of a school place for 2025/2026, families can be assured that all children who require a school place will be provided with one.