Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will expedite the expansion of the provision of special classes in mainstream post-primary schools for students with mild intellectual disabilities, including those with Down syndrome; if she is aware of the difficulties families are facing in securing appropriate placements for their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42414/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will develop a dedicated strategy to ensure that children with Down syndrome who require a place in a special class in a mainstream school are appropriately accommodated; if she acknowledges that the current system is not meeting the needs of this group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42415/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1117 and 1118 together.

The department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools and students with special educational needs in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education. This includes special classes and special schools designated for children with mild, moderate, and severe or profound learning disabilities.

In order to access these classes the student must have a professional report or recommendation stating a need for this level of support. A diagnosis such as Down Syndrome is not required.

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 have been created in 2025 and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places which have become available due to children and young people moving on from primary schools and post primary schools, will mean that close to 4,000 places are available for the coming school year.

407 new special classes are being provided for the coming school year. Of these 292 are at primary and 115 at post primary level. This will add to the 3,335 special classes currently in operation in the country. There are also 129 special schools nationwide with five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year.

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

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 information 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 NCSE will be actively communicating this requirement nationally also.

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.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1119. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the impact of the special schools redesignation on a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42428/25]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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1120. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the impact of the special schools redesignation on a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42429/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1119 and 1120 together.

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 2025/2026 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 special schools.

It is 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 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 in this endeavour so that more special schools can better support children with complex needs in their local community.

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 school 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.

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.