Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a special school place will be provided for a child (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [67749/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. Deputies are welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas query line at oireachtasqueries@ncse.ie.

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.

The 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 NCSE will have a clear picture of the local demand for special class places for the 2026/27 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 students leaving primary or post-primary school.

The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the parents notify process are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.

With any date for applications for supports, it is important that those who come forward after that date are assured that they are not forgotten or excluded from the system. I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children and young people made known to them after 1 October in their existing placement with appropriate supports, however, it is important for planning purposes that an earlier timeframe is worked to in which the NCSE has as much local knowledge and detail as possible in order to plan what new provision is required.

For the 2025/26 school year the NCSE advise that a small number of special class places remain in every county in the country for those still seeking placement. While these places may not be in a preferred school, vacancies do exist.

The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.