Written Answers Nos. 491-510
491. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special needs assistant posts in primary schools, expressed in full-time equivalent terms, allocated for the 2025-2026 school year, by county; and the number of schools in each county in receipt of SNA support, in tabular form. [3438/26]
View answerEnabling 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 advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Special needs assistants (SNA)s 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.
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.
If a school feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website (https://ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream).
My department has been steadily building the level of SNA support in our education system. This school year there will be over 23,000 SNAs allocated to schools, working in our education system committed to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. Budget 2026 provides for a further 1,717 SNA posts which will bring the total number of SNAs to close to 25,000 by the end of 2026.
It is important to remember that when the NCSE allocates a SNA post, the board of management as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy. The decision on whether to employ a full time SNA to fill a full-time post or to employ an equivalent number of part time SNAs rests with the employer.
The NCSE publishes the SNA allocations for each school year, for ease of reference these allocations are broken down by county and by school type and are available on the NCSE's website (www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations).
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.
492. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Education and Youth to ensure that construction for a new school building (details supplied) commences without delay in order that students may benefit from a safe and supportive learning environment. [3440/26]
View answerThe major building project for the school referred to by the Deputy is included in the Department of Education and Youth’s Construction Programme which will be delivered under the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 framework.
The brief for this project is to provide a new permanent school building for the school, and this project is designed to be delivered in 2 phases; Phase 1 will deliver accommodation for 425 students and Phase 2 will deliver the remaining accommodation to provide for a Long Term Projected Enrolment of 1,000 students, at the former Magee Barracks site in Kildare.
The Design Team lodged their initial application for planning permission for the preferred design option with the Local Authority in October 2023. The Design Team subsequently received a substantial Request for Further Information (RFI) from the Local Authority in respect of the planning application. Following the Design Teams RFI response to the Local Authority, the Design Team received the Local Authority’s initial decision to grant planning permission, with conditions, on 09 October 2024.
The initial grant of planning decision was appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP) (formally An Bord Pleanála) in October 2024 and the Design Team received ACP’s decision to grant planning permission in early February 2025.
The project is currently at Architectural Planning Stage 3 – Tender Action and Award. The tender report has recently been received for the department’s review and comments. Upon completion of the tender report review, Department officials will be in contact with the School's authorities regarding next steps.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this 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.
The department’s National Development Plan (NDP) Implementation Plan for the Education and Youth sector will be published shortly and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published in January. This NDP sectoral investment plan will optimise outputs from the Department’s 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.
493. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth when a school (details supplied) will hear the outcome of a report into the needs of the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3489/26]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department's pipeline for a project under the Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) scheme.
The project initially was approved to provide one science laboratory and preparation area, one technical graphics/DCG room, one technology preparation room, one construction studies room, one music room, one project store and ancillary. The school subsequently requested two additional mainstream classrooms to be added to the brief, which was approved by my Department.
The project was devolved for delivery to the school authority.
The Stage 2a (developed design) report outlining the proposed design and costings was submitted to the Department. This is currently under review from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Public Spending Code. Once the review is completed, the outcome will be communicated to the school authority to keep them fully informed of progress.
In July 2025, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this NDP allocation the 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.
The NDP Implementation Plan for the Education and Youth sector and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published by the Department shortly. This NDP Implementation 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.
494. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will consider a visit to a school (details supplied) that has a significant cohort of students with additional needs, to discuss the principal’s concerns in relation to support from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3508/26]
View answer495. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of the principal in a school (details supplied) in relation to the shortage of SNA support for children that qualify for this additional support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3509/26]
View answer496. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to an ongoing review of the SNA allocation for a school (details supplied); if she will engage with the NCSE to ensure that this school is supported and retains its allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3510/26]
View answer497. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the existing SNA allocation for a school (details supplied) to ensure that the students and staff in the school have the support they require; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3511/26]
View answer498. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth her views on the fairness of the system applied by the NCSE in relation to the provision of SNA support per school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3512/26]
View answer499. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the criteria whereby the NCSE allocates SNA support to schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3513/26]
View answer500. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding any change in policy regarding the allocation of SNA support to mainstream schools, regardless of whether the school has any SEN classrooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3514/26]
View answer501. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth if her attention has been drawn to the feedback from school principals in relation to the increasingly strict guidelines being applied to the allocation of SNA support to schools; if this reflects any change in policy or directive from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3515/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 494 to 501, inclusive, together.
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 is, in the first instance, the primary body responsible for the matter the Deputy has raised. I will arrange for your query to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply. Deputies are also welcome to raise such queries with the NCSE directly through their dedicated Oireachtas email address.
My Department has been steadily building the level of special need assistant (SNA) support in our education system. This school year there will be over 23,000 SNAs allocated to schools, working in our education system committed to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. Budget 2026 provides for a further 1,717 SNA posts which will bring the total number of SNAs to close to 25,000 by the end of 2026.
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.
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.
The NCSE has published the SNA allocations for the 2025/26 school year. For ease of reference these allocations are broken down by school type and are available on the NCSE's website (www.ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations).
If a school feels like it has insufficient SNA support to meet the needs of its students an application can be submitted to the NCSE requesting a review of its allocation. Detailed information on the NCSE's SNA review process is published on the NCSE's website (https://ncse.ie/sna-review-mainstream). Each case is individually assessed and is based on the student profile of each school.
Some review requests can be concluded as an office-based exercise, whilst others require a school to be visited in order to observe the current deployment of SNA support in the school setting.
The timeframe for concluding a review can vary depending on the school context or the nature of the information provided.
I would like to assure you when a NCSE review is completed in a school and the review identifies that additional SNA resource(s) is required that these will be allocated by the NCSE to the relevant school.
Following the outcome of the review, the NCSE can make a local special educational needs organiser (SENO) available to the school to discuss their current deployment of SNA supports in the school and to put these supports to the best advantage of the students. The NCSE in-school support service is also available to schools to offer further guidance and support.
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.
502. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the provision of the B9200 school bus, operating from Roundwood to Wicklow town, in light of the previous contractors withdrawal at the end of 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1760/26]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
Under the current terms of the School Transport Schemes, children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 kilometres from and are attending their nearest national school, and at post primary level where they reside not less than 4.8 kilometres from and are attending their nearest post primary school/education centre as determined by the department/Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.
Bus Éireann manages the procurement tender process and contract management arrangements to include services provided by contractors under the School Transport Scheme. The school transport fleet is made up of both contractors and Bus Éireann vehicles.
Bus Éireann has advised that their bus supervisor was informed by the contractor in December 2025 that they were no longer able to operate route B9200 from Roundwood to Wicklow Town. Upon this notification Bus Eireann were able to source a replacement operator.
This service ceased on the 17.12.2025 and recommenced on the 5.01.2025. There was no disruption to the pupils on this service as this was during the Christmas holidays. Families were not contacted as Bus Éireann did not anticipate any disruption to service.
I am pleased to confirm that B9200 has operated as normal since schools' returned in 2026 and is being continually monitored.
503. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will examine a matter regarding school bus operators (details supplied). [3545/26]
View answerAn Article 60 licence is a special licence that allows a vehicle to carry children only on the school transport scheme where a need exists. These licences are issued by An Garda Síochána following confirmation from Bus Éireann that contractors have a contract to provide services under the scheme.
The Department of Transport led on a policy review of the current regulations. Queries relating to the review of Article 60 licences can be addressed to the Department of Transport as the regulations fall under the remit of that Department.
504. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of the long-planned extension project at a school (details supplied) including the construction of an additional classroom and an additional needs unit; when the school will be given approval to proceed to tender, given that planning permission and Department funding are already in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3556/26]
View answerThe school was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme for a project providing one mainstream classroom and one Special Education classroom. The project is devolved to the school authority for delivery.
I can confirm that the Stage 2b (post planning) report was submitted to my Department 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, are subjected to the required due diligence as specified in the Department's infrastructure guidelines.
In July 2025, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this 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.
The NDP Implementation Plan for the Education and Youth sector and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published by my Department shortly. This NDP Implementation 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 ongoing review of this school building project is being considered as part of the Department's NDP.
505. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new recruits in the teaching sector in each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3580/26]
View answerThis Government is fully committed to ensuring that every child has a positive school experience, with access to qualified and engaged teachers who are dedicated to supporting their learning.
There are more qualified teachers than ever working in schools with over 97% of allocated teaching posts filled according to an analysis of the teacher payroll in March 2025. This analysis found that there were over 79,000 teachers employed nationwide in our schools with over 43,000 at primary level including special schools and 36,000 in post-primary schools. Teacher attrition remains low, with fewer than 3% resigning or retiring annually, one of the lowest rates in the OECD.
As with other sectors of the economy, recruitment challenges exist. To address these, several targeted measures have been implemented that have led to an increase of 20% in Initial Teacher Education graduates between 2018 and 2023.
The Teaching Council publishes an annual report including data on registrations for newly qualified teachers. Annual reports are available for the years 2022 to 2024. The annual report for 2025 is not available yet. The following table provides data published to date for the years 2022 to 2024.
|
Year |
Number of Newly Qualified Teacher Registrations |
|
2022 |
3603 |
|
2023 |
3792 |
|
2024 |
3702 |
In addition, there has been
• an over 30% increase in the number of teachers registered with the Teaching Council between 2017 and 2025, and
• an increase in allocated teaching posts of 11,752 between 2018/19 and 2024/25. Additionally, Budget 2026 has seen an increase of 1,042 teacher posts, including 860 additional teachers working across various Special Educational Needs settings.
A range of teacher supply measures have been introduced to help encourage more teachers into the profession. It was announced in 2025 that newly appointed teachers will be able to gain permanency more quickly. Additionally, my Department has introduced a STEM bursary and expanded post-primary teacher upskilling programmes which are in addition to more flexible substitution measures, extended to the current school year. The Teaching Transforms campaign continues to promote the teaching profession and encourages students to follow a career in teaching. A campaign coinciding with the CAO closing date in February is currently under way.
A comprehensive workforce plan for the education sector, a commitment under the Programme for Government is in development. Additionally, a project focused on strategic workforce planning for teachers in Ireland, led by UNESCO and supported by the EU Commission, is in the process of developing recommendations for addressing the main factors affecting teacher supply in Ireland. This two-year project has involved extensive consultations with key stakeholders to develop recommendations with a report due in 2026. The recommendations put forward in the context of the project will form the basis for the development by my Department of a strategic workforce plan for the teaching workforce in Ireland. Teaching is an attractive career choice with increases in CAO first preferences for both primary (9%) and post-primary (5%) teaching programmes in 2025. Salaries are competitive, starting at €44,879 (primary) and €46,448 (post-primary) and rising to €85,000 under the current pay deal. Around 6% of first-choice CAO applications from 2017–2024 were for teaching, showing steady demand.
My Department frequently consults and engages closely with stakeholders on issues such as teacher supply through industrial relations forums, sectoral meetings, and direct discussions with teacher unions. I am considering further measures to strengthen the teaching workforce and ensure that schools have the support needed to provide an excellent education for every student.
506. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of retirements in the teaching sector in each of the years 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3581/26]
View answerThe number of retirements in the teaching sector from 2022 to 2024 are readily available and published on my Departments website. Please see link: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/collections/teacher-retirement-statistics/.
The information requested by the Deputy for 2025 is currently unavailable in my Department.
My officials have commenced compiling the data and this will be published in June in line with previous years.
507. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the position regarding the rollout of pilot school bus schemes in particular in Ballyhale (Knockmoylan bus); her plans for expanding the schemes envisaged for the 2026-2027 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3584/26]
View answerThe School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth.
A phased implementation of the School Transport Review’s recommendations began at the start of the 2024/2025 school year where the Department began testing the feasibility of a number of approaches through a series of pilot programmes; these pilot programmes are held in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, the Department of Transport and Bus Éireann.
A total of fourteen pilot projects took place in the 2024/2025 school year and will continue for the current school year.
Following the closing date for payment for the 2025/2026 school year the Department, in collaboration with Bus Éireann, assessed where dedicated school transport/pilots may be successfully delivered, and a further eleven pilots were approved. The Department has asked Bus Éireann to review where additional capacity may be available for concessionary pupils who paid on time and would become eligible if the revised school transport scheme criteria was rolled out in full. Some of these pilots are operational and the remainder are going through procurement. Once this work is complete, I will be in a position to share the full details of the pilots.
Due to ongoing challenges in the wider transport sector, including availability of drivers and vehicles, any expansion of services must be carefully planned and phased. While pilot projects are being considered in select areas to test revised eligibility criteria, these pilots are limited in scope and capacity.
All pilots – including those which commenced in the 2024/2025 school year – are being monitored and a further evaluation will take place at the end of the 2025/2026 school year. Findings from these evaluations will guide the planning and implementation needed for a national rollout of a revised School Transport Scheme.
508. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update regarding a new school building (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3585/26]
View answerThe projects referenced by the Deputy, Kilkenny City Vocational School and Coláiste Pobail Osraí, have been devolved to the Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (KCETB) for delivery. These projects form part of a single campus development.
The approved project brief provides for the construction of two new multi-storey post-primary school buildings.
The project is currently at Stage 2b of the architectural process, which allows for detailed design/planning, obtaining the necessary statutory permissions and the preparation of tender documents.
As the project remains at an early stage, it is not yet possible to indicate a timeline for completion. KCETB will continue to liaise directly with the school authority to keep it updated on progress.
Since 2020, my department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the National Development Plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects. In addition, repurposing and optimisation of existing accommodation capacity across the school estate has been a key enabler of timely, local provision of special class capacity in a way that supports best practice in inclusion and integration. Circa 80% of new special classes in 2025/26 are being facilitated in repurposed classroom accommodation.
Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for my department to €1.6 billion.
In July the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan. As part of this 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.
The NDP Implementation Plan for the Education and Youth sector and the first tranche of projects to progress to construction will be published by my department shortly. This NDP Implementation 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.
509. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Kilkenny 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. [3588/26]
View answer511. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide data on the current capacity of special schools and special classes in County Kilkenny; the projected demand for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3590/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 509 and 511 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.
406 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 9 are in County Kilkenny, 7 at primary and 2 at post-primary level. This brings to 71 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 5 special schools in County Kilkenny with approximately 277 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 is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process which closed on 1 October 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 to post-primary schools.
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.
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.
510. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of children in County Carlow 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. [3589/26]
View answer512. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide data on the current capacity of special schools and special classes in County Carlow ; the projected demand for September 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3591/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 510 and 512 together.
This overnment 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.
406 new special classes were sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 8 are in County Carlow, 6 at primary and 2 at post-primary level.
This brings to 68 the number of special classes currently in operation in the county. There are also 2 special schools in County Carlow with approximately 172 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 is undertaking analysis of information provided through the Parents Notify process which closed on 1 October 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 to post-primary schools.
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.
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.
