Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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327. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are delays in the emergency works scheme affecting small rural schools; the average decision timeline; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67146/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the purpose of the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies, or to provide funding to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with special needs. It does so by ensuring the availability of funding for urgent works to those schools that are in need of resources as a result of an emergency situation.

An emergency is deemed to be a situation which poses an immediate risk to health, life, property or the environment, which is sudden, unforeseen and requires immediate action, and in the case of a school, if not corrected would prevent the school or part thereof from opening.

The EWS operates on the devolved basis of a minimal scope works only to address the emergency situation. The EWS is intended to remedy an emergency situation and usually provides only an interim measure until a permanent solution can be delivered under the Summer Works Scheme (SWS) which deals with upgrade works to the school.

The EWS is open to primary and post primary schools with permanent recognition and in non-rented accommodation.

To make an application schools must complete the online Emergency Works Application Form available through the Esinet system.

With regards to delays in the emergency works scheme affecting small rural schools, there are currently no delays as each application is assessed on its own merits. The EWS team endeavour to provide a decision as soon as possible upon receipt of the application and all relevant information and reports. However in certain circumstances applications may need to be reviewed by technical colleagues to aid in the decision making.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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328. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in Dublin Bay North awaiting a special school place for the school year beginning in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67165/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in Dublin Bay North awaiting an autism school place for the school year beginning in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67166/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 328 and 329 together.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.

Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year. 407 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 103 are in County Dublin, 81 at primary and 22 at post-primary level.

This brings to 705 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,643 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year have opened in Lucan and Belmayne also.

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 a number of vacancies remain in every county in the country.

It is expected that a similar number of special class and special school places may need to be provided over each of the next few years, that was provided in recent years. As more and more special classes open in primary schools and as the overall level of enrolments at primary level reduce, it is expected that over time the normal annual progression of students from primary special classes to post-primary will provide a significant number of places each year for younger students seeking a special class placement. At post-primary level, my department has already written to all schools asking them to prepare to provide on average four special classes each.

The NCSE is currently collating the data and information received by 1 October through the parents notify process and are engaging with schools regarding where specialist provision is best placed for the 2026/27 school year. It is envisioned that the majority of these special classes will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025.

This new timeline was publicised widely and communicated with schools and special education advocacy groups and parent representative bodies. The NCSE also undertook a lot of work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process.

The NCSE report a very significant level of engagement and contact from families before 1 October.

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.

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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330. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of sanctioned autism classes in Dublin Bay North that are scheduled to open for the start of the school term in September 2025, with comparative figures for September 2021, September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67167/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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This government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

Almost 1,900 classes have been sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) in the last five years, sixteen new special schools have been established and many more expanded. For the 2025/26 school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to over 3,700. Five new special schools were established and capacity is being expanded in a number of other special schools.

Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.

In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning 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 was set for parents to do so.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation as to where new specialist provision is required.

The details requested of the number of new special classes in Dublin Bay North are listed in the following table.