Mark Wall
Question:675. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Education the status of a proposed school in south Kildare (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2131/25]
View answerWednesday, 22 January 2025
Questions (675)
Written answers
As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. Thanks to considerable investment in special education in recent years the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
Working groups to support the establishment of Craddockstown School in Kildare along with three others in counties Limerick, Meath and Wexford were established in early 2024. All schools commenced enrolment shortly thereafter and Craddockstown School opened for students in September 2024.
One of the first steps when establishing a new school is to identify suitable sites for its location, this involves amongst other things, ensuring the site is capable of meeting the envisioned long-term needs of the school and examining if these sites require reconfiguration or indeed major building works. While this work progresses, interim arrangements are put in place to meet the school's short-term needs. This allows schools to begin planning, and start to enrol students and recruit staff as quickly as possible. The initial start up location for Craddockstown School is Craddockstown Education Campus beside Naas Community National School.
My department continues to examine potential sites for the school's long-term location and this will be confirmed in due course. My department and the NCSE have also begun preparatory work in relation to planning for the provision of further new special class, special school places and the establishment of a further five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year.