Jen Cummins
Question:77. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of special classes that are being built from the sanction lists from 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [22507/26]
View answerWednesday, 25 March 2026
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Written 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 promotes that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
My department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year. 387 have been sanctioned to date and many more new special classes will be confirmed in the coming weeks. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. The vast majority of new special classes being announced are being provided in available school accommodation which is being reconfigured as a special class. 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. Details of the new special classes are available on the NCSE website.
Schools seeking to establish new special classes should continue to engage with the NCSE at local level. In sanctioning new special classes, the NCSE have due regard to the level of need in an area and the existing provision, including how many places are expected to be available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary or finishing school. Budget 2026 provides funding for over 400 new special classes.
Approximately 80% of all new special classes are being provided in schools with existing accommodation and the Department is supporting those schools with additional grant funding to facilitate any necessary re-purposing works.
Where schools require additional accommodation, usually in the form of modular accommodation, this is being fast-tracked by the Department to be delivered as quickly as possible.
In the meantime the schools concerned, who have been sanctioned teachers, SNAs and have availed of the necessary training to support the opening of the classes, will be supported by the NCSE in any contingency arrangements which may be required pending the delivery of the accommodation.
In many cases these schools have spaces which can be used to support the contingency arrangements including general purpose rooms so it can be expected that they will be able to support children during this period.