Conor D. McGuinness
Ceist:95. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Education the number of special school spaces and special class spaces in the State, by county, in tabular form. [3829/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 6 February 2025
Ceisteanna (95)
Freagraí scríofa
As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government. Thanks to considerable investment in special education in recent years the vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
For the 2024/25 school year there are 3,336 special classes in mainstream schools and 134 special schools in operation. The 134 special schools include 124 special schools supported by the NCSE, 7 hospital schools and 3 schools attached to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) units.
The 3,336 special classes, 2,339 at primary level and 997 at post-primary level, provide capacity for over 20,000 students. Provisional data for the 2024/25 school year indicates that there are almost 19,000 children and young people enrolled in special classes in mainstream schools, 13,353 in special classes in primary schools and 5,587 in post-primary schools. There are over 9,000 students enrolled in the 134 special schools in the current 2024/25 school year.
The NCSE’s ‘Guidelines for Setting Up and Organising Special Classes’ provides information on ratios for each special class type. These guidelines are available on the NCSE's website. A full list of special classes broken down by county is also available.
The list at the link below provides a breakdown of all special classes and special schools currently in operation for the 2024/25 school year by county.
Budget 2025 has provided for up to an additional 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places nationwide. The NCSE will be sanctioning these new classes for the 2025/26 school year in the coming weeks. In addition, five new special schools will be established for the next school year, two in County Dublin and one each in counties Cork, Monaghan and Tipperary.
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.