Paul Lawless
Question:1102. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an appeal (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74544/25]
View answerSchool Transport
Questions (1102)
Written answers
The School Transport Appeals Board is independent in the performance of its functions but acts in accordance with (a) its Terms of Reference as determined by the Minister and (b) a set of Operating Procedures.
The types of decisions that may be appealed are as follows:
• Decisions made by or on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth under the terms of the Primary/Post Primary School Transport Scheme and the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs.
• Decisions made by or on behalf of the Department under the various grant schemes for school transport.
Having regard to the above, it is the role of the Board to ensure that the terms of the School Transport Scheme are applied correctly.
Where the Board considers it appropriate, it may make recommendations to the Department regarding any aspect of the School Transport Scheme.
The appeal that is referred to by the Deputy has been considered by the Board and a decision has issued to the appellant.
If the family is dissatisfied with the determination of the Board they have the right to make a complaint to the Ombudsman for Children.
Departmental Reviews
Questions (1103)
Paul Lawless
Question:1103. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if an existing route and capacity (details supplied) will be reviewed to determine whether adjustments can be made to accommodate additional families wishing to avail of the service. [74545/25]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
Under the terms of the School Transport Schemes children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kms from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the Department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Children who are eligible for school transport and who have completed the application and payment process on time will be accommodated on school transport services where such services are in operation.
Children who are not eligible for school transport, but who completed the application and payment process on time, will be considered for spare seats that may exist after eligible children have been facilitated; such seats are referred to as concessionary seats.
Due to the nature of concessionary transport for non-eligible children and the priority of providing places for eligible children, there may be an excess of demand over supply for concessionary places, in these cases Bus Éireann will allocate tickets for spare seats using an agreed selection process.
Bus Éireann has confirmed that there is a 16 seater vehicle in operation to this school catering for all eligible and a number of concessionary pupils for the 2025/26 school year. There are currently no plans to increase this service.
School Transport
Questions (1104)
Paul Lawless
Question:1104. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth to facilitate a meeting with the management of a school bus service (details supplied) [74546/25]
View answerWritten answers
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.
Where practicable, and subject to considerations of cost and logistics, routes are planned to avoid an eligible child having to travel more than 3.2 kms to or from a pick-up/set down point. Routes are planned on the basis of the locations of children who are eligible for school transport only.
Parents/guardians are responsible for ensuring that children are brought safely to and collected safely from Bus Éireann designated pick up and set down points. Home pick-up is not a feature of the School Transport Scheme.
Bus Éireann has advised that in relation to the first family in question, they currently do not have any record of this application on file, however the family can contact School Transport Section officials of my Department who will be happy to assist with their query. Information should be submitted for consideration through the Case Management System which can be accessed by following this link: cs.education.gov.ie
In relation to the second family in question they are being offered transport within the guidelines of the School Transport Scheme and Bus Éireann advise that the current pick-up point has been deemed safe by the inspector.
An extension of this service to re-instate a previous pick-up point is not warranted as all eligible pupils have been accommodated and are within guidelines to their current pick-up points.
School Transport
Questions (1105, 1106, 1107)
Paul Lawless
Question:1105. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the steps her Department will take to ensure timely and transparent responses to future school bus service enquiries from parents, schools, and public offices in County Mayo. [74547/25]
View answerPaul Lawless
Question:1106. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the average timeframe for responding to enquiries regarding school bus services for County Mayo; and the reason this exceeds standard expectations. [74548/25]
View answerPaul Lawless
Question:1107. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason her Department has failed to respond to official and public enquiries received over the past three months regarding the provision, scheduling, and safety of school bus services in County Mayo. [74549/25]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1105 to 1107, inclusive, together.
The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
At the outset, it's important to state that both the department and Bus Éireann acknowledge and appreciate the role of Oireachtas members in making representations on behalf of their constituents, and indeed recognise the role of the Oireachtas members in communicating ongoing developments regarding the provision of school transport across the country.
The school transport scheme has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the numbers of children and young people using the service have grown from under 120,000 pupils in 2018 to over 180,000 pupils in 2025, which equates to an increase of 48%. A total of 1,549 routes were also tendered by Bus Éireann during summer 2025.
In line with such scaling of operations, there has understandably also been an increase in representations. Bus Éireann have advised that representations received by them this year have increased by 50% since last year.
Given the particular increase in representations to Bus Éireann in advance of the commencement of the new school year, combined with the routine administrative work in relation to school transport provision generally, regrettably, it has not been feasible to deal with the increased volume of representations in a more timely manner. It is acknowledged that improvements are required in the management of representations and this is something I, my Department and Bus Éireann are cognisant of and are working to resolve.
Bus Éireann also has a dedicated customer service operation in place to assist members of the public seeking updates on their school transport applications and the operation of services more generally
Department officials have contacted the Deputy directly to obtain more detail on the specific queries he has raised. Once a response is received from the Deputy, department officials can investigate the matter in more detail.
Question No. 1106 answered with Question No. 1105.
Question No. 1107 answered with Question No. 1105.
Departmental Correspondence
Questions (1108)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:1108. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she is aware of issues presenting for a school (details supplied); if her Department will urgently intervene to ensure the continued provision of education at the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74560/25]
View answerWritten answers
The Government is committed to increasing funding to support schools and the Programme for Government commits to increasing capitation funding to schools of all types to ensure that schools can meet the elevated day-to-day running costs.
The commitment in the Programme for Government builds on the progress which has been made in recent years. The Department has secured €39 million in Budget 2026 towards increased capitation funding for primary, post-primary and special schools to provide additional financial support towards their running costs. This will see an increase in the standard capitation rates paid to schools of €50 per pupil for primary schools from €224 to €274 and of €20 per student for post-primary schools from €386 to €406. This will also allow for an increase of €20 in capitation rates for Urban Band One DEIS primary schools, increasing the mainstream pupil rate in these schools to €294. The increased capitation rates will also see special schools now receive the same rates of mainstream capitation, for young people aged 12 and over, as for their peers in mainstream post-primary schools. These increases will take effect from September 2026. This funding will benefit schools around the country in managing their day-to-day running costs.
The increases announced in Budget 2026 are in addition to the 12% increases as part of Budget 2025. The last three Budgets have resulted in an increase in the level of capitation grant rates of 49.7% (€91) paid to primary schools and 28.5% (€90) paid to post-primary schools.
The Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, and the ancillary grant to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools have the flexibility to use capitation funding provided for general running costs and ancillary funding provided for caretaking and secretarial services as a common grant from which the Board of Management can allocate according to its own priorities, except for the employment of relevant secretaries as per Circular 0036/2022.
The current standard rate of capitation grant is €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per student in post-primary schools. Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the capitation and the ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
OGP frameworks are available to schools for a number of categories including facilities management, managed services, professional services, and utilities. Schools should ensure that they are availing of these available OGP procurement frameworks in order to get the best value for money for all school expenditure, in accordance with Circular 0060/2013. The benefits arising from these frameworks include cash savings, administrative savings from reduced duplication of tendering, greater purchasing expertise, improved consistency, enhanced service levels and legal certainty. Schools Procurement Unit (SPU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on procurement matters- www.spu.ie
Schools in financial difficulty are encouraged to contact my Department for advice and support. The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to schools, which may include an advance in capitation grant funding or other measures.
The Department is constantly engaging with a number of schools in this respect. Schools that have contacted the Department have been referred to the FSSU. In relation to the specified school on 03rd November 2025 officials from my Department requested that the FSSU carry out an evaluation of the financial position of this school.
The FSSU, on behalf of the Department, plays a crucial role in this process. In order for the Department to assess the current financial situation, the school needs to engage with the FSSU for this purpose.
Question No. 1109 answered with Question No. 1059.
Departmental Data
Questions (1110)
David Cullinane
Question:1110. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will confirm that an email address is the official communication channel for Oireachtas members for a body (details supplied); the extent to which this mailbox is monitored and the performance or response timeframes which are expected, given that no response has yet issued regarding matters raised through this channel, if she will advise on matters raised in correspondence. [74576/25]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
I can confirm that the email address provided is the official communication channel with the NCSE for Oireachtas members.
The NCSE report that this email inbox is monitored on a daily basis. The NCSE further indicate that they aim to respond promptly to all queries and at the latest within 15 working days. While some queries are straightforward and can be answered immediately some others require consultation with colleagues such as the Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) or Team Managers which impacts on the response time.
I understand the NCSE has contacted the Deputy directly to discuss the matter raised.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Departmental Data
Questions (1111)
Paul Lawless
Question:1111. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo currently registered to start school in September 2026 that are seeking a special school place; seeking a special class/unit place; or expected to attend a mainstream school with SNA support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74579/25]
View answerWritten answers
This 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.
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, 3 are in County Mayo at primary level. This brings to 76 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 4 special schools in County Mayo with approximately 161 students enrolled.
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.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the Parent’s Notify process are already enrolled in school supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
I am happy to advise that the NCSE have this week formally sanctioned 168 (105 primary and 63 post-primary) new special classes in 159 schools across the country for the next school year 2026/2027. This is the first tranche of new special classes being sanctioned and is a number of months ahead of last year. The NCSE expect to continue to sanction further new special classes over the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of these classes will provide clarity for parents and allow schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
Parents are free to apply for enrolment for their child in a school of their choice. Enrolments to schools are a matter for each board of management and parents apply directly to schools, therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held at a local level.
Special needs allocation (SNA) posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the students enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. Details of SNA allocations to schools are available on the NCSE website.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (1112)
Paul Lawless
Question:1112. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the statutory role and duties of a Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), including how decision making and accountability operate in practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74580/25]
View answerWritten answers
The Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) employed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) plays a crucial function within the framework of special education. SENOs are charged with a variety of responsibilities to ensure that students with special educational needs (SEN) receive suitable individualised support and services.
SENOs assess and identify students with SEN at primary, post primary and special school levels. The role involves significant interaction with parents, children, teachers, school leaders, health care professionals, school authorities, the HSE, Tusla and other relevant government agencies. SENOs collaborate with schools, parents, and external agencies to provide suitable services and interventions for students.
SENOs work with schools to support best outcomes for students in the context of school developed student support plans that outline the specialised assistance necessary for each student. They provide advice to schools, as appropriate, in line with the model of allocation of additional teaching and SNA support to schools. They also facilitate the allocation of essential resources, such as assistive technology.
The SENO role is a multi-faceted and responsive role aimed at supporting the inclusion of the student with special needs in their appropriate educational setting. SENOs ensure schools adhere to national policies governing special education and work to ensure that children with SEN receive the best educational support.
Each SENO works in a regional team reporting to a Team Manager who in turn reports to one of two National Coordinators within the NCSE. Each team is comprised of a number of professionals, including advisors, visiting teachers, therapists and behaviour practitioners. The teams operate under quality assurance standards in decision making on relevant processes which are aligned with total quality management principles of standardisation, ownership and continuous improvement.
Departmental Data
Questions (1113)
Paul Lawless
Question:1113. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide data on the current capacity of special schools and special classes in County Mayo; and the projected demand for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74581/25]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
406 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 3 are in County Mayo at primary level. This brings to 76 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 4 special schools in Mayo with approximately 161 students enrolled.
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 notification process provides 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.
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. The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming to them through the Parent’s Notify process are already enrolled in school supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
I am happy to advise that the NCSE have this week formally sanctioned 168 (105 primary and 63 post-primary) new special classes in 159 schools across the country for the next school year 2026/2027. This is the first tranche of new special classes being sanctioned and is a number of months ahead of last year. The NCSE expect to continue to sanction further new special classes over the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of these classes will provide clarity for parents and allow schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
For the 2025/26 school year the NCSE advise that a small number of special class places remain in many counties in the country for those still seeking placement. While these places may not be in a preferred school, vacancies do exist.
The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Departmental Data
Questions (1114)
Paul Lawless
Question:1114. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Mayo with a formal autism diagnosis currently supported in mainstream schools with SNA provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74582/25]
View answerWritten answers
Enabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for this Government. It is also a key priority for me, my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which promotes that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
The department does not hold centralised comparative data on the level of individual student needs. Such data is maintained at individual school level and detailed within the individual student support file held by the school.
Special needs assistants (SNAs) play a central role in the successful inclusion of students with additional and significant care needs in schools. They help ensure that these students can access an education to enable them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. It is important to note that many students with a diagnosis of autism do not have additional care needs and can attend school without SNA support.
SNA posts are allocated to schools as a school-based resource. Principals/board of managements deploy SNAs within schools to meet the care support requirements of the students enrolled whom SNA support has been allocated. This provides schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (1115)
Naoise Ó Muirí
Question:1115. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Education and Youth the payroll cost of her Department and of each organisation or agency under its remit individually, in 2015 to 2025, by year, in tabular form. [74624/25]
View answerWritten answers
Details in respect of payroll costs for employees of my department and staff contracted to my Department are provided in the table below.
|
Year |
Payroll Costs €000 |
Contractors €000 |
|
2015 |
71,789 |
353 |
|
2016 |
71,628 |
489 |
|
2017 |
74,597 |
644 |
|
2018 |
79,643 |
882 |
|
2019 |
84,478 |
3,091 |
|
2020 |
85,832 |
6,557 |
|
2021 |
89,323 |
10,491 |
|
2022 |
100,607 |
9,162 |
|
2023 |
112,611 |
11,596 |
|
2024 |
130,725 |
10,315 |
The payroll costs for 2025 have not yet been finalised, and will be available upon publication of the 2025 appropriation accounts.
I also wish to advise the Deputy that the that the payroll cost for former staff of my department is Nil. All former staff who are paid a public service pension are paid from vote 12 from National Shared Services Office. This is the vote that covers retired Civil Servants.
The information in respect of state bodies under the aegis of my department, within the scope of the Deputy’s question, is not held by my department. State bodies have been provided with the question and have been requested to respond directly to the Deputy.
Youth Work Projects
Questions (1116)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Question:1116. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether a youth project (details supplied) that provides targeted youth work for 14–18 year olds, and which has experienced a funding gap arising from the national childcare scheme age ceiling, can access funding under UBU – Your Place Your Space (or other youth services funding streams); and the application process, assessment criteria, and any scope to extend coverage to a distinct cohort not currently funded under UBU in the area. [74639/25]
View answerWritten answers
The department is dedicated to enhancing the delivery and development of youth work services and opportunities for young people across the country.
Funding for the provision of targeted youth services is administered on behalf of the department of by education and training boards (ETBs), which allocate funding via applications to the UBU Your Place Your Space (UBU) scheme. This scheme is aimed at young people between the ages of 10 and 24 who are, or are at risk of becoming disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable.
In 2025, over €50 million was allocated to the UBU scheme. The scheme provides funding to 258 targeted youth services across 16 education and training boards (ETBs) which coordinate delivery of funding to the services in their local ETB areas.
Key to achieving the aims of the scheme is the development of the Area Profile and Needs Assessment Tool. The purpose of this tool is to allow each ETB to avail of quantitative and qualitative information to objectively identify the needs of young people within their functional area. This analysis leads to the development of a Service Requirement which is then used as the basis for discussion between ETBs and service providers in terms of service delivery to meet the needs of young people in the area. The approach ensures that we can target funding and supports to the young people most in need of intervention and that funding is allocated based on evidence-informed need.
I advise that any proposed service in the Dublin 9 area wishing to apply for funding should liaise with the City of Dublin ETB in the first instance.
Departmental Data
Questions (1117)
Cathal Crowe
Question:1117. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide an overview of the total provision of autism classes in secondary schools in County Clare at this time; her plans to address the current acute deficiency of autism classes in secondary schools in West Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74640/25]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
406 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 7 classes are in County Clare, 3 at primary and 4 at post primary level. This brings to 83 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county, 58 at primary level and 25 at post primary level. There are also 2 special schools in County Clare with approximately 247 students enrolled.
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 notification process provides 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. 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.
I am happy to advise that the NCSE have this week formally sanctioned 168 (105 primary and 63 post-primary) new special classes in 159 schools across the country for the next school year 2026/2027. This is the first tranche of new special classes being sanctioned and is a number of months ahead of last year. The NCSE expect to continue to sanction further new special classes over the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of these classes will provide clarity for parents and allow schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
For the 2025/26 school year the NCSE advise that a small number of special class places remain in many counties in the country for those still seeking placement. While these places may not be in a preferred school, vacancies do exist.
The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (1118)
Thomas Gould
Question:1118. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding an application for an extension for a school (details supplied). [74685/25]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department's pipeline for a project under the Additional School Accommodation scheme. The project will provide one science lab and prep area, one construction studies room and prep area, one multimedia room, one music room, two class Special Educational Needs (SEN) base and project store.
The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
The Stage 2b Report for the project was received by my Department in November 2025 and is currently being reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the public Infrastructure Guidelines.
Furthermore, as part of the NDP allocation my Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs. In relation to project rollout for Large-Scale projects and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project rollout over the course of 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.
My Department is now preparing an NDP implementation plan which is due for publication shortly. This plan will optimise outputs from the NDP allocations, with a strong focus on maximising existing school capacity, progressing priority projects where local capacity across schools in the area is insufficient, and ensuring delivery that is affordable, offers value for money, and meets functional needs.
The NDP implementation plan will be considered as part of the ongoing review of this school building project. Once the NDP implementation plan is finalised my Department will be in a position to inform the school with the outcome for the progression of this project.
Departmental Correspondence
Questions (1119)
Thomas Gould
Question:1119. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the NCSE assessment of local need to sanction an ASD class in a school (details supplied). [74686/25]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
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 notification process provides 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. 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.
I am happy to advise that the NCSE have this week formally sanctioned 168 (105 primary and 63 post-primary) new special classes in 159 schools across the country for the next school year 2026/2027. This is the first tranche of new special classes being sanctioned and is a number of months ahead of last year. The NCSE expect to continue to sanction further new special classes over the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of these classes will provide clarity for parents and allow schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children and young people made known to them after 1 October in their existing placement with appropriate supports. However, it is critical that the NCSE has as much local information as possible, as early as possible, to effectively plan new provision. The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026/27 school year.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
Departmental Data
Questions (1120)
Thomas Gould
Question:1120. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a new second-level special school is proposed for Cork; and the timeline for same. [74687/25]
View answerWritten answers
The 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. The vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students with more complex needs require additional supports, special class and special school places are provided. This is in keeping with policy on an inclusive education, which advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
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 places generated 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.
406 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 in the county. There are 16 special schools in County Cork with approximately 1,061 students enrolled.
There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support students with complex needs. To meet this need, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. One of five new special schools opened across the country for 2025/26 is located in Cork.
The new special schools established over recent years have focused on providing additional places in our largest urban areas – Dublin and Cork. The department and NCSE have already begun planning in relation to further expanding special school capacity for the 2026/27 school year. It is estimated that a further 300 new special school places may be required annually for the coming years.
When looking to provide additional capacity the department’s preferred option is to increase provision in existing special schools if possible. Where this is not possible in a region, the department and NCSE will consider the need to establish a new special school.
In planning for increased special school places, my department and the NCSE review all of the 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.
Part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education that meets their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into 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.
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 in County Cork and indeed nationwide as to where new special schools are required.
Departmental Funding
Questions (1121)
Thomas Gould
Question:1121. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding funding to a school (details supplied) under emergency works; and the reason a funding application was refused given the immediate nature of the risk posed. [74688/25]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers submitted an application for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS). The school's EWS application was refused on the basis that works being sought did not qualify for funding under the EWS remit. The application in question is currently being reviewed by the Department of Education’s EWS team under the appeals process.
Once this review process is complete the EWS team will engage further with the school as appropriate. The EWS team is aware of the urgent nature of the works required and will keep the school informed throughout the process.