Special Education School Places: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

The following motion was moved by Deputy Darren O’Rourke on Wednesday, 17 September 2025:

That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:

— the right to education is a fundamental right for every child, as enshrined in the Irish Constitution and international conventions;

— despite two Dáil motions in 2025 calling for the provision of appropriate school places for every child with additional needs in their locality, the Government has rejected these calls;

— the Minister for Education has, to date, repeatedly declined to provide the exact number of children with additional needs still awaiting a school place for the 2025/2026 academic year, disaggregated by county and educational setting (primary/post-primary, special class/special school), despite a commitment to do so before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth;

— as of mid-June 2025, there were an estimated 260 children without any offer of an appropriate school place;

— the "Equality in Education" campaign has identified a further 168 children who have received an offer of a place but cannot take it up due to delays in essential building works, a situation which effectively denies them their education;

— numerous families have been forced to initiate legal proceedings to secure a basic school place for their child, a stressful and unnecessary course of action;

— these figures represent a significant undercount of the total number of children with additional needs without an appropriate school place, as they do not include:

— children with additional needs being home-schooled while awaiting an appropriate place;

— children undertaking excessively long and burdensome daily journeys to access education; and

— children placed in inappropriate settings (e.g., in mainstream classes awaiting a special class placement, or in special classes awaiting a special school place);

— the failure to invest, plan, and deliver adequate school infrastructure and supports has left many hundreds of children with additional needs without appropriate education;

— the comprehensive Report on the Review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004 revealed profound dissatisfaction with support services, finding that 49 per cent of parents and 38 per cent of staff surveyed described their contact with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as "unhelpful" or "very unhelpful", while 41 per cent of parents and 46 per cent of staff reported similarly negative experiences with Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs);

— the widespread denial of essential Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, through the effective imposition of a cap on numbers or a narrow reinterpretation of SNA duties, is causing severe hardship; and

— delays in clarifying SNA allocations to schools are creating unnecessary stress and anxiety for school leaders, parents, and children alike, destabilising the start of the school year;

condemns the Government for:

— its abject failure to strategically invest, plan, and deliver appropriate school places and supports for children with additional needs;

— effectively denying children access to education based solely on their additional needs, thereby violating their fundamental rights; and

— creating an environment where parents are forced to resort to legal action to vindicate their children's basic right to education; and

calls on the Government to:

— immediately publish the exact number of children with additional needs still awaiting a school place for the 2025/2026 academic year, broken down by county and educational setting (primary/post-primary, special class/special school);

— immediately publish the exact number of children with additional needs who have a formal offer of a school place but are prevented from taking it up due to delays in building works, broken down by county and educational setting;

— establish a time-bound School Building Delivery Task Force with the mandate to ensure the expeditious and priority delivery of special schools and special classes, this task force must include relevant technical and departmental expertise and incorporate continuous engagement with local school communities and parents;

— initiate an independent review of the role, function, and resourcing of the NCSE and SENOs to improve efficiency, transparency, and performance;

— commit to a significant investment in the recruitment and retention of SNAs and Special Education Teachers (SETs) to meet current and projected demand;

— review and reform the SNA and SET allocation model to ensure it is needs-based, transparent, and timely, and to ensure the voice of the child, their parents/guardians, and school leaders is central in the decision-making process; and

— publish and implement a costed, medium-to-long-term strategic plan to guarantee that every child with additional needs has equal access to appropriate education within their own community, ending the crisis-driven approach of many long years.

Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following:

"notes that:

— a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and

— the Government is committed to ensuring that each child and young person with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their Constitutional right and Programme for Government commitments;

notes that the Government will:

— progress work on the development of a more inclusive education system for children with special education needs by supporting them to attend their local school;

— continue to expand the number of special school places, special classes and special education teaching hours as required across the State;

— improve communication and outreach to parents of children with special educational needs to streamline the process by which parents apply for specialist school places, reducing the burden on them and improving the timelines, including the introduction of a common application procedure;

— continue to increase investment into the area of special education to ensure that every child can reach their full potential;

— support additional schools and students to benefit from the Summer Programme 2025;

— ensure that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will continue to engage intensively with parents and all educational partners to continue to increase capacity;

— ensure that available capacity across schools is maximised to make provision for children with special education needs; and

— prioritise school building projects delivering additional capacity for special classes and at special schools; and

further notes:

— the continued significant State investment of €2.9 billion in supporting the provision of special education, a 48 per cent increase since 2020;

— 97 per cent of all children and young people enrolled in schools, including the majority of children and young people with special educational needs, are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers;

— the significant increases in the allocation of Special Education Teachers (SETs) and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to support children with special educational needs in our schools which facilitates them in prioritising the allocation of all of these resources to children with the greatest level of need, including the completion of all SNA reviews and appeals for September 2025, there are now over 23,000 SNAs in our schools, an increase of 43 per cent since 2020;

— there are almost 21,000 SETs working in our schools whose sole role is to support children and young people with special educational needs, this is a 23 per cent increase since 2020, approximately 15,000 of these SETs support children and young people in mainstream classes, supplementing the work of mainstream teachers;

— the strategic initiatives introduced to provide for the continued, accelerated delivery of special class places in mainstream schools and special school places, the number of special classes has doubled over the last 5 years to over 3,700 and 16 new special schools have been established;

— 407 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year and over 300 new special school places are being provided, including over 100 places in five new special schools opening presently;

— over 3,700 special classes have been made available across the country for the 2025/26 school year, ensuring that children can continue to access a special class in their local area avoiding the need for long distance travel;

— the commitment to prioritise investment in special education and school places as part of €7.55 billion in National Development Plan (NDP) capital funding for 2026-2030;

— the Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion and the NCSE have used statutory powers to compel one primary school in County Kildare to open two new special classes and the NCSE initiated S67 proceedings against a number of schools to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs were enrolled;

— confirmation from the NCSE that all, bar a very small handful of children in Dublin, known to them by the mid-February cut-off point, have been placed for this school year and that there are available special class places for these children and young people;

— the progress being made by the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE in introducing new measures to support improved forward planning for the 2026/27 school year which brings forward the date of notification and will see the majority of new special classes sanctioned by 31st December, 2025;

— the streamlining of funding to ensure schools can access funding for repurposing accommodation;

— the significant investment in the expansion of staffing at the NCSE to assist families of children with special educational needs in all aspects of their educational journey, including accessing a placement appropriate to their needs;

— a new Education Therapy Service is being established which will commence initially in special schools and subsequently extend to schools with special classes and mainstream provision, it is intended that the service will be rolled out on a phased basis in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year, with a wider roll-out for the 2026/27 school year, it is expected that recruitment of therapists for this service will be initiated in Q4 2025;

— the continued expansion of the Summer Programme, which has seen a 52 per cent increase in school participation since 2022, with over 1,900 schools taking part in 2025, and the introduction of the hot schools meals programme this year to support schools;

— the extensive review by the Department of Education and Youth of the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, which was published during the summer and the work underway to implement recommendations;

— ongoing work on the first SNA Workforce Development Plan by the Department of Education and Youth, which recognises the essential role played by SNAs in our school, which is engaging with SNAs, schools, unions and other stakeholders, and which is underpinned by a new national training programme for SNAs delivered by Atlantic Technological University costing €1.9 million;

— the work underway on the SNA Redeployment scheme which for the first time, will allow SNAs in posts which may no longer be required for reasons such as falling enrolments, reduced care needs or changing demographics, to be redeployed to a school which has a vacant/new post;

— the significant level of funding and supports being provided to schools to deliver accommodation for special classes, including school building projects, the repurposing of available rooms, and the provision of modular accommodation;

— the new pilot single application system for admission to post-primary schools, including admission to post-primary special classes, being rolled out by the Department of Education and Youth this year across five areas; and

— the renewed focus of the Government on the area of disability services, with a particular focus on improving the delivery of services for children with disabilities.".

- (Minister of State at the Department of Education and Youth)

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion on special education school places. On Wednesday, 17 September 2025, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.

Amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 72; Níl, 61; Staon, 0.

Tá

Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Peter.
Butler, Mary.
Butterly, Paula.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Byrne, Thomas.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
Chambers, Jack.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Clendennen, John.
Collins, Niall.
Connolly, John.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Cummins, John.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dolan, Albert.
Donohoe, Paschal.
Dooley, Timmy.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Seán.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Geoghegan, James.
Grealish, Noel.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heydon, Martin.
Keogh, Keira.
Lahart, John.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McCormack, Tony.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moran, Kevin Boxer.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Troy, Robert.
Ward, Barry.

Níl

Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Devine, Máire.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrelly, Aidan.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Healy, Seamus.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Richard.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sherlock, Marie.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Ward, Charles.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.

Amendment declared carried.

Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 76; Níl, 63; Staon, 0.

Tá

Aird, William.
Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Colm.
Burke, Peter.
Butler, Mary.
Butterly, Paula.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Michael.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
Chambers, Jack.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Clendennen, John.
Collins, Niall.
Connolly, John.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Cummins, John.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dolan, Albert.
Donohoe, Paschal.
Dooley, Timmy.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Seán.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Geoghegan, James.
Grealish, Noel.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heydon, Martin.
Keogh, Keira.
Lahart, John.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McCormack, Tony.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moran, Kevin Boxer.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Connor, James.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Toole, Gillian.
Troy, Robert.
Ward, Barry.

Níl

Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Devine, Máire.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Ellis, Dessie.
Farrelly, Aidan.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Healy, Seamus.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Richard.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sherlock, Marie.
Smith, Duncan.
Stanley, Brian.
Wall, Mark.
Ward, Charles.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.

Question declared carried.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 24 Sep 2025