Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
226. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education the number of children in Dublin 1, 3, 7,9, that are on a waiting list for a school place in special schools, for 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14743/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra227. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education the number of school places available for enrolment in September in special schools in Dublin 1, 3, 7 ,9, for 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14744/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.
This government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to fulfil their full potential and the Programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs.
In October 2024, my Department issued a circular letter setting out a range of new measures to support the forward planning of special education provision. Among these new measures was a request for parents to notify the NCSE directly where a child required a special class or special school place. This measures aims to ensure that the NCSE have greater clarity on the level of need for special class and special school places. The NCSE are working at local level to support children access appropriate places in both special classes and special schools.
Information on individual school waiting lists are held by each school. The NCSE can request access to this information if necessary to support forward planning and placements of children. This information is not held by my Department.Through the accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places over recent years, there are now just over 28,000 students enrolled in special classes and special schools. Budget 2025 provides for an additional 2,700 specialist places, made up of 400 new special class and 300 additional special school places. On top of this, there will be over 1,000 places available through the normal annual movement of students progressing from primary to post-primary and students graduating from post-primary or special schools. There also remains special class vacancies in some areas of the country.
Of the 400 new special classes places provided for in Budget 2025, the NCSE has advised that 336 of these classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year. Of these 53 are in Dublin, 37 at primary and 16 at post primary level. This will add to the 602 special classes currently in operation in the county.
As you are aware 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. This will bring to 129 the number of NCSE supported special schools in the country. There are 40 special schools in Dublin with approximately 2,600 students enrolled. Two of the five new special schools for the 2025/26 school year will open in Lucan and Belmayne also. These schools will open for enrolment shortly. Dedicated working groups have been established by my department to work through the details in relation to the establishment of the new special schools.
In Dublin and indeed nationwide, the NCSE continue to engage intensely with schools and school patron bodies to confirm further classes and special school places. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of provision they will inform parents.
Where new special classes have been sanctioned, I would urge schools to progress the admission of students as soon as possible to ensure that the NCSE can continue to evaluate demand in local areas, sanction classes as required and assist parents in securing a school place.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local SENOs are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENO's directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.
