I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 104 to 108, inclusive, together.
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.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. Almost 1,700 classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE in the last 5 years, 11 new special schools have been established and many more expanded. For this school year alone over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to over 3,330.
70 of these classes are in County Waterford, 12 are new for the 2024/25 school year, 7 at primary level and 5 at post-primary level. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.
At a local level the NCSE are examining which special schools have capacity to expand and are targeting medium and larger primary schools with no special class or just one special class to open a new special class.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENO's directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
The NCSE have recently recruited additional SENO's, advisors and team managers. 120 SENO's now operate nationwide, with three solely operating in County Waterford, SENO's play an important role in ensuring there is adequate special educational provision within local areas and are currently visiting schools nationwide to conduct planning meetings. Over 1,000 school planning visits have occurred in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided and it is expected that the NCSE will sanction a number of new special classes in the coming weeks.
The NCSE have advised my Department that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) continues to work closely with the families referred to by the Deputy regarding options for school placements and other special education supports for the coming academic year. The NCSE have also recently visited the school referred to by the Deputy.
The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in the local area and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. The NCSE expect to progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks in the local area and will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs. In relation to planning future special school capacity, my Department and the NCSE will continue to review the need for additional special school capacity in Co Waterford.
