Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
195. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth her Department’s plans to increase the number of special education classes and expand ASD units in Cork north west, given the significant demand and rising waiting lists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69160/25]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now over 30,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. 2,700 new places were created for the 2025/26 school year and these, together with the over 1,200 existing places due to students moving on from primary schools and post-primary schools, has meant that close to 4,000 specialist places were made available for the 2025/26 school year.
407 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 54 are in County Cork, 37 at primary and 17 at post-primary level.
This brings to 617 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 16 special schools in County Cork with approximately 1,061 students enrolled. One of five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year has opened in North Cork.
In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE through the Parent Notify process that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child.
This year to facilitate earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, an earlier date of 1 October was set for parents to complete the process. It is envisioned that many of these special classes will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025.
This notification process will provide the NCSE with critical information on children who continue to need a special class as they progress to post-primary level as well as details on students who require a place for the first time.
The NCSE is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process to plot demand for special class places for the 2026/27 school year. The NCSE will also consider vacant places in existing special classes and places that will become available through the regular transition of children from primary for post-primary schools. Once this analysis is completed the NCSE will be equipped to engage with schools to open new special classes in relevant areas. It is expected that many of these special classes will be sanctioned by 31 December 2025.
This new timeline was publicised widely and communicated with schools and special education advocacy groups and parent representative bodies. The NCSE also undertook a lot of work at local level to ensure that families were aware of the timeline and process and consequently report a significant level of engagement from families ahead of the 1 October closing date.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the parents notify process are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
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 as to where new specialist provision is required.
