Written Answers Nos. 357-377
357. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the business case made by postmasters that argued that post offices should have been categorised as retail outlets for the purposes of the power up grant; if this can be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32182/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you are aware, the second payment of the ICOB grant and the Power Up grant were specifically targeted at businesses in the retail, hospitality and beauty sectors only. In order to classify business sectors for the second ICOB payment and the Power Up grant, the Department uses NACE codes to provide a comprehensive sectoral breakdown of the Irish economy. The NACE Coder is a European classification system that classifies organisations according to their business activities.
Post Offices are not eligible for the second payment of ICOB or the Power Up grant as their primary business is not in the retail or hospitality or beauty sector, as per the NACE Codes used to define business categories.
There can be no changes to the eligibility requirements for these grants at this stage.
358. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will provide a detailed statement on the pre-launch testing and validation process for the new online work permit application system, specifically addressing whether the system was tested under real-world load conditions; and if a parallel run was considered to mitigate risks, given the widespread login and access failures reported since its launch on 28 April 2025. [32200/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra359. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the specific measures identified and implemented to resolve the root causes of the persistent login and access failures experienced by users of the new online work permit application system since its launch on 28 April 2025; and when a stable and fully functional system is expected to be operational for all users. [32201/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra360. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of individuals that have lost their legal status or experienced employment disruption as a direct result of the system failures with the new online work permit application system since its launch on 28 April 2025; and what immediate steps are being taken by the Department to support and provide remedies for those affected. [32202/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra361. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the current average response time for technical support queries related to the new online work permit application system; and what steps the Department is taking to ensure accountability and improve the timeliness of responses to user complaints and technical issues. [32203/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra362. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if he will publish up-to-date statistics regarding the application backlogs, new applications lodged, and the number of complaints received and resolved concerning the new online work permit application system since its launch on 28 April 2025. [32204/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra363. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the reason agents and users were not consulted prior to the roll out of the new online work permit application system; and the specific actions being taken to rebuild trust and improve stakeholder engagement in future digital transformations within the Department. [32205/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department launched its new employment permits system, Employment Permits Online, in April with the majority of users having been able to register successfully and prepare and submit permit applications for processing. As of mid-June, there have been over 15,000 successful portal registrations completed, and the rate of permit application submission has returned to pre-launch levels.
The Department is aware that some users have encountered difficulties in setting up or operating their accounts. The Department has acknowledged these issues, via our dedicated EPO webpage, and is working strenuously with our external specialist provider to address them.
In many cases, issues have arisen for users because the new system operates in a different way to the previous system, or because the user is attempting to register with data that is different from the data originally provided to the Department. For example, in some cases, the person attempting to register an agent/employer account was not previously the primary contact point for the company account. In other cases, users have encountered difficulties in registration where the same email address was used previously to administer more than one company account. It is no longer possible to do this under Employment Permits Online for security, privacy and data protection reasons.
The Department has provided a range of support documentation to guide users through the set up process (how to guides, videos and Q&A material are all available on the Department’s website) and has allocated additional resources to a dedicated support mailbox team to handle support requests.
A process of pre-launch testing was undertaken in the weeks and months prior to the launch of the system. This included extensive testing of functions and workflows with a large cohort of staff across the Department’s Employment Permits and ICT units involved. Several of our larger agent customers were provided with access to the system prior to launch as part of this testing, and a familiarisation webinar, attended by almost 850 participants was held in the week before the system launched. A parallel run was considered as part of the planning for the new system but was ultimately not considered feasible given the complexity of the data migration. Monitoring on the cloud infrastructure hosting the new Employment Permits system indicates that it has generally performed well and has not experienced any significant performance degradation.
The high number of successful portal registrations, coupled with the rate of permit applications returning to pre-launch levels demonstrate that the system is working as intended for most users. There have been 3778 employment permit applications received since the system launched and 3196 employment permits have issued in that time. The Employment Permits Unit is currently processing applications received on 20 May. The issues arising for certain users at the registration stage have largely been due to legacy data issues, as well as a small number of technical issues that have arisen. Additionally, some of these issues experienced by customers at the registration stage were due to the additional data validation and security controls which the new system introduced.
The Employment Permit and ICT units of the Department continue to work to resolve these issues and to assist customers with difficulties encountered in the initial registration and permit application. While initial response times to support request exceeded customer service targets, the response time has now improved and support requests are being handled in line with the Department’s customer charter. There have been six formal complaints submitted to the Department in relation to the new system since it launched. The majority of user issues arising are now being quickly resolved by the dedicated team assigned to support user registration.
Where the delay that some companies, agents or individuals have experienced in registration has impacted on new permit and renewal applications, the Employment Permits Unit will offer maximum flexibility in terms of processing those applications. The Department is not aware of any cases where individuals have lost their legal status as a result of delays or technical issues with the system.
This project represents the first phase of the planned digital transformation of the employment permit system, and it will be an iterative process. To that end we welcome all feedback from service users and will continue to consult with stakeholders as we progress through subsequent phases.
It is also worth noting that the backend system for internal processing of employment permits has worked very well and early indications are that the new system will deliver efficiencies in the processing of employment permits, provide additional security and privacy controls to protect customer data as well as providing a modern and scalable platform which can deliver further enhancements to the customer experience and the efficiency of the employment permits application and processing system.
Further information on some of the key aspects of the new system, and details of some of the technical issues identified and resolved, is presented in the attached annex.
364. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the process and timeline for the development of the National Life Science Strategy as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32366/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Life-Sciences sector - which includes pharma, biopharma and medtech – remains a cornerstone of Ireland’s industrial success, driving significant exports, and attracting foreign and indigenous investments in R&D, capital expenditure and employment. It currently accounts for over 100,000 jobs and over €130billion in exports.
Over recent decades Ireland has developed a cohesive and integrated Life-Sciences ecosystem consisting of highly innovative indigenous companies, large well-established FDI multinationals, a continually developing world-class research base and a strong industry-focused clinical community.
Continued support for the Life-Sciences sector is critical to fostering innovation, sustaining economic growth, enhancing EU and global competitiveness in healthcare, and improving public health outcomes. Recognising this, the Programme for Government – Securing Ireland’s Future 2025 — sets out our commitment to publish a National Life Sciences Strategy that will guide the sector’s continued success and long-term impact.
To ensure that this Strategy is evidence-based , ambitious and responsive to emerging opportunities, it will be developed through extensive engagement with key stakeholders across the Life-Sciences ecosystem. It will also take into account developments at EU level, including relevant EU legislation that is currently being proposed as well as the new EU Life-Sciences Strategy which is expected to be published shortly.
The development of this Strategy is a critical undertaking - one that warrants careful planning and sufficient time to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. The Strategy must deliver a well-informed and forward-looking set of actions that not only consolidates Ireland’s position as a global leader in the sector, but also creates new pathways for innovation, drives sustainable economic growth, strengthens the workforce, and improves health outcomes for all. In light of this, my Department is currently considering the timeline for the development of this Strategy having identified and committed to the dedicated resources required.
365. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32479/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to thank the Deputy for bringing this correspondence to my attention.
As you will be aware, AI has the potential to bring about numerous positive changes in our economy and society, including increased competitiveness of Irish enterprise, improved healthcare, and enhanced delivery of public services. At the same time, I recognise that this rapidly evolving technology can also present substantial challenges for our society in relation to safety, privacy, and fundamental rights.
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act, which came into force in August 2024, provides a comprehensive legal framework for ensuring that the AI sector in Ireland develops in a responsible and ethical manner. Ireland played an active and constructive role in the development of the AI Act to ensure it aligns with the Government’s commitment to human rights and ethical considerations in technological advancements.
The AI Act is designed to provide a high level of protection to people’s health, safety, and fundamental rights and to simultaneously promote the adoption of human-centric, trustworthy AI. Its risk-based approach, which prohibits unacceptable AI practices and establishes requirements for high-risk systems, will be instrumental in protecting our citizens from potential harms from AI systems. By adhering to its principles, I believe that Ireland can harness the power of AI for societal benefit, while mitigating the risks.
My Department is leading the national implementation of the AI Act, with collaborative efforts across the whole-of-government, due to its complexity, breadth of scope, and cross-cutting nature. In the summer 2024, the department conducted a six-week public consultation to inform Government’s approach on the national implementation and received 62 submissions from wide range of stakeholders including private individuals, enterprise, and civil society organisations. This inclusive approach underscores the Government’s absolute commitment to effective and comprehensive implementation of the AI Act in Ireland.
The AI Act will help Ireland build on the building blocks it has already put in place to strengthen AI governance in Ireland.
Ireland's first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, 'AI – Here for Good' was launched in July 2021, and The Refresh of the Strategy was published in November 2024. The strategy serves as a roadmap for how Ireland can leverage the potential of AI for unlocking productivity, for addressing societal challenges, and for delivering public services. It envisions a future for Ireland as an international leader in using AI to the benefit of business, public services, and - most importantly - for people, through a people-centred, ethical approach to AI development, adoption and use.
The AI Advisory Council was established in January 2024 to provide independent expert advice to government on artificial intelligence policy. Its members represent a spectrum of experience and expertise from academia, business, law, security, social sciences, economics and civil society. The Council released its latest report, “Ireland’s AI Advisory Council Recommendations – Helping to Shape Ireland’s AI Future” in February of this year. This comprehensive report outlines key opportunities and strategic policy recommendations aimed at accelerating AI adoption in Ireland while safeguarding the nation’s economy, competitiveness, workforce, and society.
Again, I reaffirm our Government’s firm commitment to effective and comprehensive implementation of the AI Act in Ireland, one which balances human rights and ethical considerations with current and future technological advancements.
366. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment if his Department’s website employs analytics tools (details supplied) that track website traffic using UTM parameters (for example, utm_source); if so, whether any visits have been recorded with a specific parameter or similar identifiers indicating traffic from ChatGPT; and to provide the monthly number of such visits, if recorded, for each of the past 12 months, in tabular form. [32498/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe ICT Unit in my Department has informed me that they do not use UTM parameters to specifically track sources. However, the website analytics tool used by the Department does have some inbuilt Campaign Source tracking. Reports generated by the analytics tool do not indicate any visits from ChatGPT prior to November 2024. From November 2024 onwards the monthly visits reported were:
|
Month |
Visits |
|
November 2024 |
70 |
|
December 2024 |
342 |
|
January 2025 |
793 |
|
February 2025 |
1164 |
|
March 2025 |
1036 |
|
April 2025 |
1274 |
|
May 2025 |
1048 |
|
Total |
5727 |
367. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of vacant WTE staff currently at the Health and Safety Authority, by job title; the expected timeframe for filling each of those vacancies, in tabular form. [32600/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn January 2025, approval was given to increase the Health and Safety Authority’s sanctioned staff numbers to 330. As of 31 May 2025, there are 287 staff in place in the Authority. Recruitment is ongoing, with 22 new hires already this year and 23 open competitions underway.
The table below details each of the current vacancies in the HSA, by division, title, grade and anticipated start date:
|
Ref |
Division |
Title |
Grade |
Anticipated Start Date |
|
1 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Clerical Officer |
Clerical Officer |
Q4 2025 |
|
2 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Higher Executive Officer |
Higher Executive Officer |
Q3 2025 |
|
3 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
4 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
5 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
6 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
7 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
8 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
9 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q1 2026 |
|
10 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q1 2026 |
|
11 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
12 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
13 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
14 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
15 |
Chemicals & Industrial Products |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
16 |
Corporate Services |
Assistant Principal |
Assistant Principal |
Q3 2025 |
|
17 |
Corporate Services |
Clerical Officer |
Clerical Officer |
Q3 2025 |
|
18 |
Corporate Services |
Clerical Officer |
Clerical Officer |
Q3 2025 |
|
19 |
Corporate Services |
Executive Officer |
Executive Officer |
Q3 2025 |
|
20 |
Corporate Services |
Executive Officer |
Executive Officer |
Q3 2025 |
|
21 |
INAB |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
22 |
INAB |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
23 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
24 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
25 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
26 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
27 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
28 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
29 |
Occupational Health |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
30 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
31 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
32 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
33 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q2 2025 |
|
34 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
35 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade II |
Q3 2025 |
|
36 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q3 2025 |
|
37 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
38 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
39 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
40 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
41 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
42 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
|
43 |
Occupational Safety |
Inspector |
Grade III |
Q1 2026 |
368. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment to outline all capital investment made by the IDA in County Clare since 2022, in tabular form. [32601/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegional development is a key element of Government's enterprise policy, as set out in the Programme for Government and the White Paper on Enterprise, and is a key focus of the work of my Department and IDA Ireland.
IDA Ireland’s five-year strategy ‘Adapt Intelligently: A Strategy for Sustainable Growth and Innovation 2025–29’, seeks to support continued long-term investment through the transformation of the existing client-base across Ireland and leveraging new opportunities and sectors. A key component of the Strategy is the continued and ambitious focus on maximising regional investment opportunities for all regions in the years ahead and the IDA is pursuing 550 from a total target of 1,000 investments over the lifetime of the strategy to regional locations.
Clare is in the IDA Mid-West Region which also includes counties Limerick and Tipperary. There are 153 IDA client companies in this region, employing 27,968 people, with 62 IDA client companies employing 6,041 people in Clare.
The FDI performance in the region has been strong over the past five years with employment among IDA clients increasing by 16%. The Mid-West has a significant ecosystem of well-established companies across Technology, Life Sciences, International Financial Services and Engineering & Industrial Technologies. Counties in the Mid-West also benefit hugely from the direct and indirect employment generated by IDA client companies located in Cork and Galway as well as Dublin and Waterford.
In relation to capital investment, IDA does not have any lands or buildings in Clare. However, I am advised that the IDA works closely with the regional stakeholders and the private sector in the Mid-West region in the marketing of appropriate and cost-effective property solutions that meet the needs of their client companies. Moreover, Shannon Airport Group have property solutions in Shannon & Ennis, due to the historical presence of Shannon Development, who serviced the county’s commercial and industrial property needs. In this regard, IDA Ireland's Mid-West Regional/Property Department has a strong relationship and works closely with Shannon Airport Group when property solutions are requested as evidenced by the number of IDA clients that have been supported with property solutions in this location.
369. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the costs incurred by his Department and bodies under its aegis from contracts awarded to communications and PR firms in 2024; the name of the contractor and a description of the work undertaken in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32638/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department did not engage any communications or PR firms in 2024 and therefore no costs were incurred for these services.
Please note that any contracts awarded for these services in respect of the bodies under my Department’s remit is an operational matter for those bodies, and I do not have any direct function in these matters.
370. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his views on the merits of providing grants for public facing businesses, including restaurants & cafés, to provide baby changing facilities in both men’s and women’s bathrooms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32663/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraGovernment provides exchequer funding to Fáilte Ireland which is used to support tourism product development such as developing and upgrading visitor experiences. There are no schemes which provide grants for baby changing facilities in tourism businesses.
However, Fáilte Ireland does consider the inclusion of accessible facilities when it is investing in tourism product development. An example of this is its Water Sports Facilities Centres, which are currently at various stages of construction, development or planning at 19 sites around the country. These best in class facilities will help extend the outdoor tourism season by providing year-round hot showers, changing rooms, toilets, secure storage, induction spaces, and equipment washdown areas. Accessibility and sustainability is a key focus point for the project, ensuring full wheelchair access and the installation of solar heating panels. Each site also features a Changing Places facility, which includes a baby changing facility along with an accessible toilet.
371. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the number of judicial review cases his Department has defended in each of the past ten years; the number in relation to which proceedings are pending or continuing; the number of cases which were lost and won, respectively, in the same period; the number of cases that settled in the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32840/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested is currently being collated by my Department and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy as soon as it is finalised.
372. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated full year cost of increasing the capitation grant at primary and secondary level by 5%; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31785/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 €200 per pupil in primary schools and €345 per student in post-primary schools.
Primary schools with fewer than 60 pupils are paid the capitation and the ancillary grants on the basis of having 60 pupils.
As part of the capitation package in Budget 2025 the Department is pleased to have secured over €30 million as a permanent increase in capitation funding to assist schools now and longer term with increased day-to-day running costs. This represents an increase of circa 12% on current standard rates and enhanced rates. This increase is on top of the circa 9.2% increase from last year’s budget. This will bring the standard rate of capitation grant to the level of €224 per pupil in primary schools and €386 per student in post-primary schools from September 2025. Enhanced rates will also be paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils. Schools should also ensure that they are availing of the available OGP procurement frameworks and getting best value for money for all school expenditure.
In addition to these grants, €45 million in cost-of-living supports issued in November 2024 to support all recognised primary and post-primary schools in the Free Education Scheme. This additional funding announced in Budget 2025 is designed to assist schools with increased day-to-day running costs such as heating and electricity. This funding was paid at a rate of €36 per pupil in primary schools and €55 per student in post-primary schools. Enhanced rates were also paid in respect of pupils with special educational needs and Traveller pupils.
The Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU), funded by the Department, is an important source of advice and support to schools on financial matters, including budgeting and cashflow management. Contact details for FSSU can be found on www.fssu.ie.
The estimated cost of increasing capitation grant funding by 5% to all schools in the Free Education Scheme effective from September 2026 would be approximately €4.8 million first year cost and €14.3 million full year cost.
373. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of reducing the pupil teacher ratio by 1 point at primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31786/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra374. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the estimated cost of reducing the pupil teacher ratio by 1 point at second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31787/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 374 together.
At primary level, teachers are allocated to schools at an average of 1 classroom teacher for every 23 pupils, the lowest level ever seen at primary level. DEIS Urban Band 1 schools receive an average allocation of 17:1, 21:1 and 19:1 for junior, senior and vertical schools respectively. The current pupil teacher ratio at post-primary level is 19:1 for schools in the free education system, and 23:1 for schools in the fee-paying schools.
Each one point reduction in the staffing schedule at primary level for DEIS and non-DEIS schools requires over 400 additional teaching posts, at a cost of approximately €22.5 million per annum. At post primary level a one point reduction would create circa. 1,200 additional teaching posts at a cost of approximately €66 million per annum. The salary costings will rise in line with the Public Sector Pay Agreement 2024-2026.
The estimated one-off capital cost of reducing the pupil teacher ratio by one point at primary level is circa €25 to €35 million, while at post-primary level it is circa €60 to €75 million. This estimated cost is based on certain assumptions regarding the number of new teaching posts generated and available accommodation capacity.
375. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected demand for school places in mainstream primary schools for pupils with special educational needs for the school year commencing September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31788/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra376. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected demand for school places in mainstream secondary schools for pupils with special educational needs for the school year commencing September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31789/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra377. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the projected demand for school places in special schools for pupils with special educational needs for the school year commencing September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31790/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 375, 376 and 377 together.
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education 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 children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children 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 children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
My department works closely with the NCSE on the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. Building on successive budgets, Budget 2025 secured funding for up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools, and an additional 300 special school places for the 2025/26 school year. This will deliver 2,700 new places for children.
The NCSE has advised that just under 3,300 valid notifications were received by mid-February via their new parent notify service. Some of these notifications were children already known to the NCSE however, many others were new. Also, while parents were asked to notify the NCSE by mid-February the NCSE continues to receive notifications and continues to review reports and recommendations for specialist placement as appropriate.
Through the creation of 2,700 new special class and special school places and the approximate 1,200 places available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary and finishing post-primary, the NCSE is satisfied that there is sufficient provision to meet the level of need known to them.
My department and the NCSE engage on a weekly basis in relation to the forward planning of special class and special school provision to meet the present, and future need, of children with special educational needs and are are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for these children.
