Catherine Callaghan
Question:128. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on a school building project (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13067/26]
View answerSchools Building Projects
Questions (128)
Written answers
I can confirm that an application under my department’s Additional Schools Accommodation (ASA) Scheme has been received from the school referred to by the Deputy.
My department is currently reviewing options to provide additional accommodation to the school and will continue to liaise with the school authorities regarding how the requirements of the school community are best addressed.
Schools Building Projects
Questions (129)
Sean Fleming
Question:129. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Youth the up-to-date position regarding a school project (details supplied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13069/26]
View answerWritten answers
The school to which the Deputy refers was approved to enter my Department’s pipeline of school buildings for a project to a four classroom special educational needs (SEN) base under the Additional School Accommodation (ASA) Scheme. This project was devolved to the school authority for delivery.
This project is currently at Stage 2b (developed design). My Department currently awaits the submission of the stage 2b report by the school authority. Once received the report will be reviewed from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. All projects, including this one, will undergo the necessary due diligence outlined in the Infrastructure Guidelines. Managing timing, scope, and cost is crucial to staying within budgetary limits for the overall program.
More recently the provision of 2 Special Education Needs classrooms (SEN) under the Department’s Devolved SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme was delivered in this school.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have recently published the €7.55 billion NDP Sectoral Investment Plan for the Education and Youth Sectors for the period 2026 to 2030. This NDP Sectoral Plan involves a very strong emphasis on maximising existing capacity and prioritisation of school building projects to meet the most urgent needs. In this regard there will be a strong special education dimension to project rollout.
Of the total €7.55 billion investment it is envisaged that circa. €5 billion will be used for project rollout to support the delivery and modernisation of school buildings across the Large Scale, Additional Accommodation, Modular, and Annual September Accommodation Needs programmes. Over the course of 2026 and 2027 there will be construction work at circa. 10% of the school estate. These projects will, when completed, provide circa 57,000 additional and modernised school places with a strong SEN focus in all projects.
My department will continue to build on the progress made over recent years with the continued rollout of projects on a prioritised basis to meet the most urgent needs in terms of provision of additional capacity and modernisation of existing facilities. In this regard, I have also published a list of the 105 school building projects in the first tranche to proceed to construction or tender over 2026 and 2027.
The first tranche of 105 school building projects includes 80 large scale and Additional School Accommodation scheme projects. These projects were prioritised with a strong focus on maximising existing capacity and prioritising project rollout to meet the most urgent needs particularly to support special education needs provision.
Firstly, to facilitate the 45 projects that are currently already at tender stage (Stage 3) so that they can progress to construction as smoothly as possible over the course of 2026 and 2027. Secondly, to facilitate 35 projects that currently have planning permission and are at pre-tender stage (Stage 2b) and have been prioritised to meet urgent requirements from a special needs perspective or to provide additional capacity to cater for demographics or to address very significant condition issues at the schools.
I recognise that there are schools with important building projects that are not included in the first tranche of prioritised projects.
As part of planning ahead for the next tranche of projects to progress to tender, the department-led prioritisation process will continue over the course of 2026 and 2027 to assess and evaluate the progression of individual projects through the design pipeline having regard to the continual need to maximise existing capacity and determine the prioritised needs going forward. This process will involve engagement with key stakeholders and individual schools and will ultimately inform the next tranches of programme rollout to tender. The department-led Energy and Condition Survey of the school estate, which will be finalised later in 2026, will provide an additional evidence base for assessing priorities.
Based on this ongoing prioritisation process some projects may be added to the list over the course of 2026 and 2027 having regard to their prioritisation and urgency of need and taking account also of the ongoing ability to progress them to tender and construction within the parameters of overall funding. Where appropriate, the department will also assess opportunities to undertake advance enabling works for the most urgent and complex projects to facilitate a smooth progression to construction in 2028 and beyond.
Any interim accommodation requirements will continue to be assessed and considered by the department on a case-by-case basis to determine the prioritised needs and approach for addressing same.
The accommodation needs at this school will be considered as part of the ongoing overall department-led prioritisation process, in consultation with the school’s patron and school authorities.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (130, 131)
John Paul O'Shea
Question:130. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth the rationale for the reduction of special needs assistant, SNA, posts in a primary school (details supplied) following a recent SNA review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13070/26]
View answerJohn Paul O'Shea
Question:131. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the increase of special needs assistants working in schools across Cork city and county for each of the years 2023 to 2025; the allocation for 2026, if available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13071/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision and care support for children and young people with special educational needs in our schools, including the allocation of special needs assistant (SNA) support to schools.
SNAs are very important in supporting students with additional and significant care needs take part in school life. Because of this, the department has been increasing SNA numbers for many years. There are now over 23,000 SNAs working in schools. By the end of the 2026/27 school year, this number will be close to 25,000 across mainstream classes, special classes, and special schools.
Since 2020/21, the number of SNAs in schools has grown by 45%. Every county has seen an increase in SNA support over this period.
SNAs work as part of a whole-school team to support students with special educational needs. This team also includes nearly 22,000 special education teachers nationwide.
The number of SNAs a school needs can change for different reasons, such as changes in student numbers, changes in individual care needs, or students moving from primary to post-primary school. When the NCSE reviews SNA allocations, it looks closely at the care needs of students in each school. This helps make sure that SNA support goes where it is most needed. The role of the SNA is set out in DEY Circular 30/2014 and the NCSE process for SNA reviews is consistent with its provisions.
Every SNA review undertaken by the NCSE is a detailed and specific review of the care needs profile in that individual school. Where the NCSE identify during the review that the care needs have increased in an individual schools the necessary SNA resources to support those needs schools are provided.
Minister Naughton and I have listened carefully to all of the issues raised by parents and school communities in recent days. In light of concerns raised, we have paused the review of the SNA allocations.
Minister Naughton and I, as well as the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach, are engaging intensively to ensure that all of the concerns raised are really understood and children with special educational needs are fully supported.
No further letters on SNA review outcomes will issue until these engagements have concluded in the coming weeks.
The 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.
Question No. 131 answered with Question No. 130.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (132)
John Paul O'Shea
Question:132. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the increase in special educational teachers working in schools across Cork city and county for each of the years 2023 to 2025; the allocation for 2026, if available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13072/26]
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 advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Special education teachers (SETs) provide additional teaching to students with special educational needs attending mainstream classes using a wide variety of teaching approaches.
For the 2025/26 school year close to 15,000 SETs have been allocated to schools to support these children and young people.
The Special Education Teaching Allocation Model is a standardised allocation model that provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the teaching needs of students in mainstream classes.
When the model was introduced, it replaced a diagnosis led model with one based on need. This ensures the allocation supports all students that require a level of additional teaching support as identified through the Continuum of Support framework.
Since 2020/21, the number of SETs in schools in County Cork has increased from 2,217 in the 2020/21 school year to 2,743 at present, this is a growth of 23.75%.
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 Funding
Questions (133)
Sean Fleming
Question:133. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Youth the funding allocated to NGOs by her Department in 2025; the funding allocated to NGOs by agencies and bodies under the remit of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13083/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department, and the bodies under its aegis, fund a wide range of non-profit organisations in the education area.
In the absence of an agreed definition of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) it is not possible to say if any of these non-profit groups consider themselves to be NGOs. It is not a category of funding recipient that is distinguished within the programmes which my Department operates.
I have, however, enclosed funding to non profit organisations as per my Department's Financial Management System for 2025. Please note these figures are provisional and will not be finalised until the completion of the 2025 Appropriation Accounts.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (134)
Thomas Gould
Question:134. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the new special school in Carraig na bFhearr will open. [13140/26]
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 school referred to by the Deputy is one of the five new special schools that have opened for the 2025/26 school year. This school serves the North City area of Cork City and opened in surplus accommodation in the Department owned school building, Gaelscoil de hÍde, Fermoy.
A former primary school property in Carraig na bFhearr is currently being repurposed to provide permanent accommodation for the school.
The repurposing project is being delivered under the Department’s SEN Reconfiguration and Modular Accommodation programme which facilitates the progression of the project as quickly as possible. The programme involves the use of Project Management supports which is designed to enable the accommodation to be provided in a timely manner and help ease the administrative workload for school authorities in relation to the management and delivery of projects. This is a collaborative process between the Project Manager, School Authority and the Department.
The repurposing project is progressing well and every effort is being made to ensure that the remaining works are completed as quickly as possible.
Special Educational Needs
Questions (135)
Shane Moynihan
Question:135. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans in place to expand access to special reading schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13141/26]
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.
At present, there are four special schools, and fourteen special classes attached to mainstream schools to support students with a specific learning disability such as severe dyslexia. I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do. It is important to note they were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in schools.
In pursuit of a more inclusive education system it is important, as far as possible to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children and young people can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes.
15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this objective. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support students with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.
The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
Of course, I recognise the importance of building the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools to meet the needs of all students. To support this, 338 places are funded each year for teachers to attend post-graduate special education needs programmes. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) offers dedicated professional learning opportunities for teachers supporting students with additional needs. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post-primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.
Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist students. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.
The need for any additional provision or resources for schools to support students with dyslexia is subject to continual review by the NCSE.
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.