Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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121. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special classes added to the Dublin 9 and 11 area since 2023 to date; and to list the classes and schools, in tabular form. [17310/26]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Enabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs 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 advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.

My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year. 351 have been sanctioned to date and many more new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. The vast majority of new special classes being announced are being provided in available school accommodation which is being reconfigured as a special class. Each special class at primary level is allocated 1 teacher and 2 SNAs and at post-primary level, schools receive 1.5 teachers and 2 SNAs.

Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.

Of the 351 new special classes, 237 are being established in primary schools and 114 in post-primary schools. New special classes are being established in every county with 78 new special classes confirmed for Dublin so far. Further details on additional new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

A list of all mainstream and special schools is available on my department's website on gov.ie. In addition, a list of schools with special classes; broken by location and class designation is available on the NCSE website.

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.