Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 85 of 12 June 2025 regarding the more than 92% of children who have been allocated a place or are in the process of being allocated a place, the exact number of children this refers to, and for a breakdown of same, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33337/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Minister McEntee and I continue to meet the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and senior Department officials each week to track the progress being made in terms of new special class and special school places for the coming school year.

As you will know, the NCSE confirmed the sanctioning of 399 new special classes for the coming school year before Easter. This was several months ahead of last year and both Minister McEntee and have asked that this happens even earlier next year. My Department has recently issued a new Circular letter to all schools setting out an indicative timeline for the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes for the 2026/2027 school year by 31 December 2025.

Sanctioning the new special classes was a key milestone and reflects the core role of the NCSE and my Department to plan for sufficient capacity. The key requirement then is for schools to progress with any repurposing works, recruit staff and undertake an admissions process.

Under the new parent notification process, the NCSE had received just under 3,300 verified notifications from parents of children and young people seeking a special class or special school place by mid-February 2025. The NCSE advise that through the provision of 2,700 new special education places (400 new special classes and 300 additional special school places), along with an estimated 1,200 places being available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary, finishing school and vacant places, there should be sufficient capacity to meet the level of need known to them.

The NCSE in line with their statutory responsibility continue to work with schools to ensure that the remaining places available are offered as quickly as possible. The NCSE also continue to support parents to access those placements. In April, my Department wrote to all schools opening new special classes asking them to progress with admissions as soon as is possible. The position in relation to children and young people taking up special education places is changing day to day.

The NCSE advise that for the majority of counties outside of Dublin all of the children known to them have been offered a place or have a clear pathway to accessing a school placement. In relation to Cork, the new special school being established has recently opened for admissions and the remaining children known to the NCSE seeking a special school place are being supported to apply for those places. The NCSE report that there are sufficient primary and post-primary special class places available in Cork.

NCSE advise that the confirmation of special education placements is slightly behind the rest of the country in Dublin. Some of the new special classes were sanctioned just before Easter. The NCSE are working to confirm enrolments with some schools and are working intensely with other schools to confirm the children and young people to be offered places. Significant progress is being made day to day and week to week. The NCSE have recourse to using Section 67 to direct schools to enrol children if required. There has been a record level of 98 new special classes sanctioned in Dublin for the coming school year. In relation to special schools in Dublin, the 2 new special schools being established in Belmayne and Lucan have opened for admissions and will provide 60 places for children.

In relation to some of the challenges that arise in terms of matching children and young people to available places, the NCSE advise that there continues to be some children being offered special education places that are unknown to them. Some families who NCSE may have expected to accept an offer of a placement may decide not to accept a placement. Some children and young people may have a dual recommendation for a special class or special school place. Parents may opt for a special class if it is closer to them, even if they have a recommendation for special school which is why the individual casework by NCSE with parents is essential and this level of detail is known only at local level by the NCSE.

In terms of data on a county by county basis, there are children who may cross county boundaries to access a special class or special school as well. As you will be aware, county boundaries not rigid in terms of schools catchment areas so that in many communities your local school may be in another county. This is also very true of boundaries in Dublin which are post codes and not meant to be a limiting factor for school places.

Over 80% of all new special classes being provided are in repurposed existing school accommodation. In some cases, where significant repurposing works or modular accommodation is being provided, schools may need to put in place contingency arrangements for some students. The NCSE will support schools and families on this.

For the 2026/2027 school year, both Minister McEntee and I are anxious that this work happens earlier to allow greater certainty for families and more time for schools to plan and prepare for establishing new special classes.