Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
476. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if further details will be provided regarding an announcement for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3389/26]
View answer477. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth if further details will be provided regarding an announcement for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3390/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together.
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.
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 NCSE have 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.
Where an additional special class or classes are to be established at a school and the school does not have accommodation for that class(es) it is open to the school to apply for capital funding under my department’s Additional School Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
The required accommodation can be provided by means of reconfiguration of existing accommodation, the provision of modular accommodation, or a traditional construction building project. Schools are provided with appropriate classrooms and with ancillary facilities appropriate to the needs of the school and the available space. These facilities typically include a quiet space associated with each classroom, a multi-activity room, a central activity space, and external soft play area.
The department and the NCSE continue to make a range of supports available for schools opening special classes which include the provision of teacher and special needs assistant (SNA) resources, enhanced capitation grants, assistive technology grants, the school transport scheme, dedicated training and guidance and resource documents. The earlier a school agrees to establish a new special class the more time that is available to access training, complete any refurbishment works, recruit new staff and complete admissions processes.
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.
