Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
549. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will provide a breakdown of special class numbers by county, and in the case of Dublin by area code, in each of the years 2020 to 2025 respectively. [6267/26]
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.
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. A list of all mainstream and special schools is available on my department's website on www.gov.ie. In addition, a list of schools with special classes broken by year, location and class designation is available on the NCSE website.
