Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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666. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will review correspondence regarding the allocation of special education resources and staffing supports in a school (details supplied); if he will ensure that appropriate measures are taken to address the concerns raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58028/25]

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. It has advised that the school referred to by the Deputy recently received a review of their special needs assistant (SNA) allocation. The school were notified that a change in allocation was not warranted at this time.

As you are aware 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.

The NCSE's local special educational needs organiser (SENO) remains available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports and offer advice as to how to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.

The NCSE actively encourage expressions of interest from schools to open special classes, and I appreciate and commend the efforts taken by boards of management in expressing their interest.

Budget 2026 has provided funding for 3,000 new special educational places within our education system and the NCSE is examining where this provision is best placed for the 2026/27 school year. In order to ensure new special classes can open as quickly as possible the NCSE prioritise working with medium and larger primary schools who do not already have a special class and have available accommodation to accommodate new special class.

This approach maximises the use of existing space which can be reconfigured efficiently while also ensuring that new provision continues to be established. It also increases the number of schools with special classes providing parents with greater choice and reducing the distances that some children are travelling to access a special class placement.

However, as in other years where schools have no available accommodation, particularly at post-primary level and there is known demand in a local area, additional classroom accommodation will be provided.

Over the summer work was completed to identify such schools with available accommodation. The NCSE is currently collating the information received via the parents notify process. Parents were asked to notify the NCSE by the 1 October if seeking a special educational placement in the 2026/27 school year.

Once this data and information has been verified the NCSE will then be in a position to engage with schools and match which schools are best placed to open new classes to meet known demand in local areas. The NCSE is working towards sanctioning the majority of new special classes for the 2026/27 school year by 31 December 2025.

Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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667. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the review of the allocation of special needs assistants for a school (details supplied); the reason the school was not successful in getting a higher SNA allocation; the options open to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58029/25]

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.

Special needs assistants (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.

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.

It is open to any school who feels it has insufficient SNA resources to request a review by the NCSE. Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school. The NCSE has advised that this school recently received the outcome of their review which did not warrant an increase at this time.

Schools can appeal this decision to the Appeals Advisory Committee (ACC) if they feel the review process was not followed correctly or a substantial error was made. This committee comprises of an independent chairperson, a representative of school management bodies and a parent representative. The decision of the AAC is final, however, it is important to note that a school may request a further review at any stage should care needs of the students enrolled change.

The NCSE can also make a local special educational needs organiser (SENO) available to the school to discuss their deployment of SNA supports in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.