Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
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241. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she is aware that there are children due to attend the east Cork special school still awaiting a start date.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49497/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided.

This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

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.

407 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 54 are in County Cork, 37 at primary and 17 at post primary level.

This brings to the 617 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 16 special schools in Cork with approximately 1,060 students enrolled. One of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in the North City area of Cork also. This school will initially enrol 24 students and will grow and expand over time.

The NCSE advise that there is sufficient special class provision to meet the level of need made known to them by the mid February deadline, across County Cork for the coming school year.

The NCSE also advise that between the new special school places and the significant expansion of both East Cork Community Special School and Rochestown Community Special School and additional places in some other special schools will provide sufficient special school places across Cork to meet the level of need known to the NCSE for the coming school year.

The NCSE and my department have worked very closely with the Cork Education Training Board (ETB) to provide these additional places for the coming school year and are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.

My Department understands that the new special school, to be located initially in interim accommodation in Fermoy, will open this week and that the expanded capacity for the East Cork Community Special School will open for students very shortly.