Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2025
189. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Education and Youth the details of the current special schools, by location; whether these schools are in permanent or interim/temporary buildings; the current number of children attending each school; the number waiting on a place in each school, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [70499/25]
View answerThis government is fully committed to supporting students with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective.
There continues to be increasing demand for additional special school places to support students with complex needs. In response, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary. A list of special schools is available on the department website via the following link Special Schools (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/organisation-information/special-schools/). Enrolment data for the 2025/2026 school year is being collated and not available at present.
The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork. As you are aware five new special schools were established for the 2025/26 school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country. Details on special school enrolments are attached. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required each year for the coming years.
The department and NCSE have already begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026/27 school year, examining available data on the growing need for special school places across the country. This involves a detailed analysis of enrolment trends and the potential for existing special schools in a region to expand. The distance that students are travelling to access an education that meets their needs is also considered in the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children and young people seeking a special school place in a region.
The department’s preference is to increase provision in existing special schools where possible. Where this is not possible, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.
The NCSE is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process which closed on 1 October to plot demand for specialist places for the 2026/27 school year. Once the analysis is complete, the NCSE will be equipped to engage with schools to open new special classes in relevant areas.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for students with special educational needs and will continue to review and monitor the situation nationwide as to where new special schools are required.
