Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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423. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to take into consideration the circumstances of a school in County Kerry (details supplied); to provide a third temporary autism class for the school for the academic year 2025-2026 only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34038/25]

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 advice that they are providing support and advice to the school regarding what supports are available to them to support the students already enrolled in the school's special classes.

This year the NCSE 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 will 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.