Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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420. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with additional needs in County Wexford who are currently without a suitable school place for the upcoming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57210/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children with special educational needs.

Close to 4, 000 places were made available for the 2025/26 school year. This was made up of 2,700 new places and 1,200 places through the natural movement of students from primary to post-primary or out of education.

The NCSE has advised my department just under 3,300 valid notifications were received by mid-February via their new parent notify service. While parents were asked to notify the NCSE by mid-February the NCSE received further notifications after this date. The NCSE advise that just over 700 special vacancies remain at national level in schools at the start of this school year and there are a number of vacancies remaining in every county in the country.

I urge any parent still seeking placement to make contact with the NCSE who will provide guidance and support with securing a placement.

The NCSE and my Department continue to engage in relation to the forward planning of additional special class and special school provision for the next school year 2026/2027.