Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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210. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the development of a new stand-alone building at a school (details supplied); to outline how she plans to address the current shortage of places in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67296/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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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 is important to remember that the majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream schools with their peers. For children with more complex educational needs special classes can be provided and for children with the most complex educational needs a special school place can be provided.

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.

This notification process will provide the NCSE with valuable information as to which children will continue to require a special class as they progress to post-primary level and details on students who require a place for the first time.

The earlier date will allow for earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, and it is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes by 31 December 2025.

The NCSE will have a clear picture of the local demand for special class places for the 2026/2027 school year after they review and assess all of the information which has been provided through the parents' notification process which closed on 1 October.

Once the NCSE has fully collated and assessed this information, the NCSE will be in a position to engage with schools across the country to open new special classes. The NCSE will also have due regard to any vacant places in existing special classes in an area and any places that will become available through the normal movement of children leaving primary or post-primary school.

I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children made known to them after the October deadline also, however, it is important for planning purposes that we set an earlier timeframe for which the NCSE has as much local knowledge and detail as possible in order to plan what new provision is required.

My department and the NCSE continue to forward plan to provide further new special schools and expand existing special schools where there is a need for additional capacity.

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.