Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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422. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 407 of 1 July 2025, if her attention has been drawn to the particular shortage of special classes for children with a general learning disability, not related to ASD, within mainstream schools in the wider Stillorgan and Blackrock areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37602/25]

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.

My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. Building on successive budgets, Budget 2025 secured funding for up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools, and an additional 300 special school places for the 2025/26 school year. This will deliver 2,700 new places for children.

Just over 400 new special classes are being provided for the coming school year. Of these 98 are in County Dublin, 79 at primary and 19 at post primary level. This will add to the 602 special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,600 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in Lucan and Belmayne also.

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 classes by 31 December 2025.

This new parents notify process, which was introduced for the first time this year ensures that the NCSE have a clearer lens on the level of need for special class and special school places and the particular needs of children and young people. This is a key element when NCSE approach schools to establish a particular type of special class. The vast majority of children and young people being notified to the NCSE continue to require an autism special class.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.