Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Government will address the shortage of early intervention classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40139/25]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to invest in and expand early intervention classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40114/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 141 and 166 together.

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 advised that just over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. This includes a number of new early intervention classes bringing the total number of these classes to 160 for the 2025/26 school year.

The Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) under the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, enables the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities/additional needs in the Early Childhood Care & Education Scheme (ECCE) programme. Its goal is to create a more inclusive environment in preschools, so all children availing of preschool, regardless of ability, can benefit from quality early learning and care. There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme over recent years.

It is important to note that a diagnosis is not required in order to access AIM supports and that while some children require additional supports at preschool level, many will transition into mainstream classes thereafter. This trend has also been noted as students’ progress from primary level to post-primary.

Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned, and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.

The NCSE continue to monitor and review the need for early intervention classes across the country on a year to year basis. My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.

Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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142. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, before issuing 0039/2025, she has considered the unique and complex situation of the cohort of students that currently benefit from the specialised education provided at MGLD special schools across the country; if her Department is aware of the potential negative impacts of a forced redesignation on these students, as expressed by parents, teachers, principals and the students themselves; if she will consider revising her decision in light of recent testimonies; and if she plans on engaging with stakeholders on the matter. [40065/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The government is committed to the provision of additional special school places for children with more complex educational needs. Over 300 new special school places are being provided for the coming 2025/26 school year. Five new special schools are being established in addition to the eleven new special schools opened over the last few years. Special school capacity is also being expanded across a number of existing special schools.

It’s important to note that it is not the intention to exclude children who require a special school place from accessing certain special school settings, but rather allow children with complex educational needs apply to their local special school. Currently, there are instances whereby children with complex needs cannot apply for admission to their local special school simply because they don’t meet the narrow designation of that special school. In that regard, along with providing additional special school capacity, my department and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) consider that it is necessary to look at the profile of our existing special schools. This will be initiated during the next school year.

This is not a new departure. The NCSE report that over half of mild general learning disability (MGLD) special schools have diversified to allow children with more complex needs in their communities who require a special school setting enrol in their local special school. I wish to thank schools who have worked with us to broaden their designation and my department will continue to support schools including the school referred to in this endeavour. This will ensure that more special schools can better support children with complex needs in their local community.

In developing circular letter 0039/2025, my department engaged with school management bodies, patron representatives, unions and special education advocacy groups. My department and the NCSE has also had some engagement including site visits with some MLGD schools in recent years and further engagement, particularly with school patron bodies and school management bodies is also planned.

There are approximately 30 of our 129 special schools that were originally designated as schools for children with a MGLD. The establishment of these special schools predated the significant expansion in the range of supports offered in mainstream schools through additional special education teaching and special needs assistant resources and through the rapid expansion in special class provision.

It is noted that many of the children enrolling in MGLD special schools do so around the transition point from primary to post-primary. The new senior cycle level 1 and level 2 programmes offers a new curriculum pathway for students with special educational needs at post-primary level now also.

In relation to the school referred to by the Deputy, I wish to advise that the designation of the school has not changed. Rather, the circular letter issued recently by my department is asking these special schools to broaden their designation to reflect the needs of children and young people in their local area seeking special school places.

It’s also important to state that there is no strict timeline on re-designation being pursued. As indicated in the circular, the department and the NCSE intend to commence work in this area in the forthcoming 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.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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143. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware of children who, according to their autism reports, require one-on-one SNA support, being denied this by the NCSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38437/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs, including the allocation of special needs assistants (SNAs). The NCSE has advised my department that all schools have been informed of their SNA allocation for the 2025/26 school year.

SNAs play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential.

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.?

It is open to any school which feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students to submit to the NCSE a request seeking a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website: .

Schools who are enrolling students with care needs this September may submit a request for a review at the end of August. The NCSE wishes to assure these schools that a swift and detailed analysis of their needs is a priority of the NCSE who will respond to these applications in the short term, schools can make these cases known to their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) on an ongoing basis.

I know the central role that our 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 you know the Programme for Government commits to recruitment of more SNAs to provide greater support to students and schools. We will continue to engage through the estimates process to ensure that we can meet the needs of all children in our schools.