Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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507. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review the decision to refuse retrospective payment of set up grants for the autism special classes opened in 2021 and 2022 at a school (details supplied), in view of the contribution the school has made in opening three autism classes in succession and the very high needs of the students concerned; the circulars, guidance or policies on which this refusal was based, including any time limits for applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61363/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Supporting special educational needs (SEN) provision in schools is a priority for my Department. The furniture and equipment needs of children with special educational needs is highly sensitive and individualised and as a result applications for funding are generally dealt with on a case-by-case basis as opposed to a general level of grant funding.

Prior to 2025 when a school authority opens a new SEN classroom through the repurposing of existing accommodation in the school it was entitled to apply individually for the following funding.

• Start-Up Grant (€6,500)
• Loose F&E Grant (€2,500)
• ICT Grant (€6,700)
• Sensory Room Grant (€7,000)

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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508. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the circulars and scheme rules governing set up grants for autism and other special classes at primary and post primary level; the formal time limits for submitting grant applications; the way in which these time limits are communicated to schools; if discretion is available to approve retrospective claims where classes are already established and operating; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61364/25]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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509. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools that have received autism or special class set up grants retrospectively in each year from 2018 to date, the total amount paid in retrospective grants in each year, disaggregated by county and school type; the criteria used by her Department when deciding whether to approve retrospective applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61365/25]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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510. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of new autism and other special classes opened at post primary level for each year from 2020 to date; the number of these classes that received the full set up grants available; the number of applications refused or not processed on the basis that they were submitted outside the relevant timeframe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61366/25]

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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511. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will outline the internal guidance issued to Department officials on the processing of applications and late applications for autism and special class set up grants, including any instructions on the use of discretion in cases where schools have responded positively to requests to open special classes in their area; how consistency of decision making is monitored across different sections of her Department; if she will consider revising this guidance to ensure that students with complex needs are not disadvantaged by administrative oversights; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61367/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 to 511, inclusive, together.

Supporting special educational needs (SEN) provision in schools is a priority for my Department.

Since 2020 more than 85 school building projects have been completed across approximately 60 special schools delivering over 340 new classrooms and extensive facility upgrades. Additionally, more than 1,050 new classrooms and modernised accommodation to enhance special education provision were delivered within mainstream schools

The furniture and equipment needs of children with special educational needs is highly sensitive and individualised and as a result applications for funding are generally dealt with on a case-by-case basis as opposed to a general level of grant funding.

I should explain that there are two different processes in the Deputy’s various questions, prior to 2025 and post 2025.

Prior to 2025 when a school authority opened a new SEN classroom through the repurposing of existing accommodation in the school it was entitled to apply individually for the following funding.

Start-Up Grant (€6,500)

Loose F&E Grant (€2,500)

ICT Grant (€6,700)

Sensory Room Grant (€7,000)

All schools regardless of class type were eligible to apply for Loose F&E and ICT, while the start-up grant and Sensory room grant were more specific and pertained to the setting up of new SEN classes. When opening a new SEN class the school required the approval of the NCSE and a full suite of guidance documents on how to open a new class and what funding was available through my Department was made available to schools on the NCSE website. The document "Guidelines for Setting Up and Organising Special Classes" (link below) , is on the NSCE website and this document also provided a link to my Department website which outlined the various supports available when opening a new SEN class and how to apply for same, .

Schools also have the support of the Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) in this process who can provide advice in relation to the funding available and how to apply. (www.).

Prior to 2025 a school would have to apply for funding following the sanction of the new class by the NCSE. In order for the Department to effectively manage budgets it needs to have a level of certainty around applications for funding. It would be expected that where a school required funding to enable the setting up of a new class it would make an application for funding without delay and in the same calendar year . For budgetary reasons it is not feasible to apply retrospective funding for classes opens a number of years ago.

In 2024, my Department under the Planning and Building unit streamlined the process, putting new arrangements in place to support the re-purposing of existing accommodation to facilitate opening new special classes for September 2025 onwards under circular 0080/2024 (Available ). Under this circular, when a school authority opens a new SEN classroom through the repurposing of existing accommodation in the school it is entitled to the start-up grant of €30,000 for each new SEN classroom sanctioned and opened for the 2025/26 school year this replaces the need for a school to apply for the individual grants as outlined above.

This grant payment relates to each new special class and does not require an application from the relevant schools - it will be paid by the Department's Planning and Building Unit based on notification to it from the NCSE on lists of schools that are opening new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.

This grant provides good flexibility to schools to facilitate the opening of a new special class and encompasses the existing start-up grant, sensory room fit out grant/creation of a quiet space and also Furniture & Equipment grant and ICT grant.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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512. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date including a timeline, for the new ASD classes for a school (details supplied). [61373/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The school has been granted capital funding for the provision of 2 Special Educational Needs (SEN) modular classrooms under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme.

This programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided as quickly as possible and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects.

Rogerson Reddan (RR) has been appointed, from the Department’s Framework to design and tender the project and oversee all elements of construction.

The contractor has commenced on site and the project is expected to be completed in Q1 2026.