Special Educational Needs

Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Questions (235)

Thomas Gould

Question:

235. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware that children in a school (details supplied) still have no start date. [53943/25]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth

This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.

Substantial investment has been provided to increase the number of places available in special schools. Sixteen new schools have opened in the last five years and many more have been expanded and developed to grow for the students in its community. As you are aware five new special schools were established for this school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This has brought to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country. These schools educate over 9,500 students with the most complex of special educational need.

Significant additional capacity in existing special schools in Cork is also being provided in for this school year with over 40 additional places being provided in East Cork Community Special School and Rochestown Community Special School. Significant building and repurposing works have been undertaken over recent months to provide this additional capacity.

In relation to special class capacity, the NCSE completed a recent exercise with schools and confirm that a number of special class places remain available for students in existing special classes at both primary and post-primary level across some schools in Cork at the start of this school year.

My Department understands that repurposing and associated works to provide the additional 24 places at the school referred to by the Deputy is nearing completion and it is expected that students will begin attending these new classes later this month.

The school have recruited the additional teaching and SNA resources to support these students and these staff are working closely with families to support the students transitioning to school.