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.
There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) programme over recent years.
It is important to note that a diagnosis is not required in order to access AIM supports and that while some children require additional support at preschool level, the timeliness of this support ensures many transition into mainstream classes thereafter.
To further supplement the provision of services for these children my department provides a number of early intervention classes in mainstream and special school settings for children aged 3-5 years old with a diagnosis of autism. There are also a small number dedicated to children who are deaf/hard of hearing. There are 159 early intervention classes nationwide, 3 of these were newly sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year.
These classes are intended to provide early support to children with the most complex of needs before they start school and aid their transition to junior infants. The vast majority of young children with additional needs are therefore supported to attend their local Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) setting and do not need to attend a primary school or special school to access early years support. A professional recommendation for placement in such a class is also a requirement.
Where the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.
Many of the early intervention classes sanctioned to date have been reclassified as the children enrolled reach primary level age. This allows the children to remain in the class at the school they attended for early intervention. The approach taken depends on the prevailing circumstances and some classes continue to enrol a new cohort of children yearly.
Budget 2026 has secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places and the NCSE is currently examining where these places are best located for the 2026/27 school year. Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by my department to ensure the school can accommodate the class.
