Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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219. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any of the 399 new special education classes that were sanctioned for the coming school year have had their sanctioning withdrawn; and if so, the number. [36754/25]

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.

Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now just over 28,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places are being created in 2025 and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places which will become available due to children and young people moving on from primary schools and post primary schools, will mean that there is close to 4,000 places available for the coming school year. The NCSE has engaged in a process with parents and schools to identify children requiring a place for the 2025/26 school year and the 3,900 places available should meet the need that exists.

The NCSE has sanctioned 399 of the 400 new special classes for the 2025/26 school year. As Minister, I have also directed a school in Kildare to open 2 new special classes under Section 37A. The NCSE is confident that this new provision when added to the existing provision will meet the known demand for the 2025/26 school year.

The NCSE advise that a very small number of these new special classes sanctioned may not now proceed, particularly where the expected level of need has not materialised. The NCSE have moved to sanction additional special classes in other schools where there is happening to ensure that there will continue to be 400 new special classes available nationwide. The NCSE are working through the final details on these arrangements at present.

Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

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.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)
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220. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the NCSE has any role in the admission of children into a school or if the admission of a child into a school is exclusively a matter for the school in accordance with its admissions policy. [36755/25]

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.

It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

Under the provisions of this act, all schools are required to have admissions policies which have been approved by the patron following consultation with staff and parents of children who are attending the school. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some students not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

Placements in special education settings should be reviewed by schools, in consultation with parents, on an ongoing basis. My department is completing work on revised guidelines for schools on the review of special education placements.

Where a child or young person is moving from one special education setting to another, or from a special education setting to a mainstream setting and vice versa the NCSE at a local level is available to support this transition. Regard would need to be given to the relevant admission policies, admission process and waiting lists for the schools involved.

The enrolment of a student in a special class should be kept under continual review by the school, this is in recognition that a student’s learning needs may change over time. At a minimum, a review should take place once a year and include a careful examination of the student’s progress in achieving their learning targets. This ensures a student is continually being supported to meet their full potential in a setting that best meets their learning needs. At any stage where a student requires placement in a special educational setting the NCSE is available to support and advise on this transition.

Under Section 67 of the Education Act, the NCSE have the statutory power to direct a school to enrol a particular child or young person with special educational needs. A number of factors have to be considered, as set out in the legislation, before the NCSE can use this statutory. The NCSE must also engage with the school. The power has been used by the NCSE in instances where a school have capacity but are refusing to enrol a particular child or young person or where a school is not progressing with admissions processes for new special classes.

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.