Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether she plans to reform admission criteria for entry into specific speech and language disorder special classes attached to primary schools given that the criteria for eligibility has proven to be discriminatory towards children with disabilities and therefore in contravention with equality clauses of numerous Bills legislating this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32929/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to thank the Deputy for raising this important issue.

In December 2024, my Department undertook a review of Circular 0038/2007. This review has been completed and an updated circular, Circular 0024/2025 was published on the 20 March 2025. This circular can be found at the following link: gov.ie - Criteria for Enrolment in Special Classes for Children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or Speech Sound Disorder (SSD)

The term SSLD will no longer apply in relation to entry to these classes and will be replaced instead with Developmental Language Disorder – Speech Sound Disorder (DLD/SSD) which will apply, in some cases, for the 2026/2027 school year, as the admission process is already underway for 2025/2026. The revised criteria will see, among other changes, the removal of reference to IQ as one of the entry criterion for these classes.

The updates to circular 0038/2007, were informed by robust engagement with the Speech and Language Therapy service in the National Council for Special Education, the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists (IASLT) and HSE Speech and Language Therapists. Department officials also engaged with education stakeholders, including representatives of schools who provide these classes, to consult on the draft of the circular. The feedback from the stakeholders has been incorporated into the revised circular.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to provide guidance on when a school should provide an SNA for children with ADHD and diabetes, and whether age and severity is taken into account. [32930/25]

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.

Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the children enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.

If a school feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website. Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school.

Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs officer (SENO) available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. NCSE in-school support is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.

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.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether the 1,600 additional special needs assistant posts announced in Budget 2025 have been awarded; if these 1,600 posts are all full-time posts and, if not, to provide a breakdown of the posts and their hours; the status of recruitment to fill these posts; when the SNA allocations for the 2025-2026 school year will be publicly announced by the National Council for Special Education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32931/25]

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.

I know the central role that our special needs assistants (SNAs) play in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

That is why the number of SNAs available for allocation has continued to increase annually resulting in more SNAs than ever now being employed in our schools.

Budget 2025 provided for 1,600 SNAs, the largest number ever allocated in a single year, meaning the total number of SNAs available in our schools in September will be 23,179. This is more than double the number of SNAs that were in our schools 10 years ago.

As the Deputy knows, it is the role of the NCSE to manage the allocations of SNAs across the country and to ensure that all of the additional SNAs provided for by this government are allocated to schools to support those children with the highest level of need so they get the highest level of support.

The NCSE also now has a full complement of staffing so has the resources and supports to ensure they can do their work effectively and in a timely manner. The NCSE advised all schools on the week of 6 June of their SNA allocation for the upcoming school year.

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.

Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will engage as a matter of urgency with a school (details supplied) in relation to the allocation of an extra special needs assistant, which is required for a student in an ASD class for the coming school year; if there is any cap or freeze on the recruitment of special needs assistants; if so to, the specific criteria being used to make these decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32932/25]

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 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 advised all schools on the week of 6 June of their SNA allocation for the upcoming school year. The NCSE is responsible for the allocation of SNAs to schools, my department does not have a role in the allocation process. I have therefore forwarded the school's details to them for their attention and direct reply.

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

Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will address matters raised in a correspondence (details supplied) from the family of a child at risk of losing out on an appropriate school place in the coming academic year; if she will provide a definitive timeline for the new classes in the school in question to be completed; if she will account for the apparent delays in the project; if she will advise as to the specific contingency plans, if any, that are in place to ensure the child and other children do not miss out on school places next term; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32937/25]

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 advised that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) continues to work closely with the student’s family regarding options for school placements for the coming academic year.

Reconfiguration works to provide two special education classrooms, and two mainstream classrooms is in delivery for the school referred to by the Deputy. The use of the parish hall is part of this brief.

A full statutory application for change of use was required to facilitate the use of the parish hall as part of the project. A decision to grant planning permission for change of use was received on 13 June. A four-week appeal period has now commenced, if no appeal is lodged works on the project can begin week commencing the 14 July 2025.

The department is working to ensure the expedited delivery of all required accommodation solutions for special classes, and it is expected that the required accommodation will be in place for the start of the school year in the vast majority of cases. Where this is not the case, the NCSE and department will support the school to put appropriate contingency arrangements in place to ensure that these classes can open while permanent accommodation is being provided.