Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistant posts funded in the State; the number of vacancies at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67294/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Enabling students 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 students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students 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 students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

My department has been steadily building the level of SNA support in our education system. This school year there will be over 23,000 SNAs allocated to schools, working in our education system committed to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. Budget 2026 provides for a further 1,717 SNA posts which will bring the total number of SNAs to close to 25,000 by the end of 2026.

The NCSE has responsibility for the allocation of special need assistant (SNA) nationwide therefore I have asked the NCSE to reply directly to your request for statistical data. It is important to remember that when the NCSE allocates a SNA post, the board of management as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy. The decision on whether to employ a full time SNA to fill a full-time post or to employ an equivalent number of part time SNAs rests with the employer.

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.

Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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209. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the potential development of a special school at Bunclody, County Wexford. [67295/25]

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.

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.

There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support students with complex needs. To meet this need, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary.

The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork. The department and NCSE have already begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026/27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years.

When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.

In planning for increased special school places, my department and the NCSE review all of the available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand.

Part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children and young people seeking a special school place in a region.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for students with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation in County Wexford and indeed nationwide as to where new special schools are required.