Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
465. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether there is additional support for special schools for sanitary/cleaning products for special schools who cater for children aged 4-18 plus (details provided); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16687/26]
View answerThe 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. Enhanced rates are also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
The majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers, through the provision of resources such as Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants. This is an estimated 25% of the total student population, or 240,000 children and young people with special educational needs, that are supported in mainstream classes.
Over 30,500 students with more complex needs are enrolled in special classes and special schools this school year – an increase of 67% since 2020.
The Department of Education and Youth provides funding and resources to support the opening of the new special classes, which includes teachers, special needs assistants, capitation grants, furniture and equipment grants and professional development training from the NCSE. In addition, funding for the repurposing of existing accommodation or the provision of modular accommodation for new special classes is also provided. The vast majority of new special classes are being provided in repurposed available school accommodation. New streamlined arrangements were introduced in Circular Letter 0080/2024 to provide grant funding for schools repurposing accommodation for special classes. Further information on these arrangements is available in Circular Letter 0039/0025 and also here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/publications/sen-repurposing-information/.
Each special class at primary level is allocated 1 teacher and 2 SNAs and at post-primary level, schools receive 1.5 teachers and 2 SNAs.
Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise schools on available supports. SENOs may be contacted using the contact details available on the NCSE website here: https://ncse.ie/special-educational-needs-organiser-seno
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.
