Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 November 2025
414. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the plans of the NCSE for the 2026 academic year for the Dublin northwest area, including the number of new special education places needed. [64694/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra415. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of new special education places that will be provided in the Dublin northwest area, broken down by whether they will be in mainstream settings, special classes, or special schools; and to specify whether any new special schools or classes are due to open by September 2026. [64695/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra416. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Youth how far beyond 2026 the NCSE and the Department have planned regarding the provision of sufficient special education places at primary and post-primary level; and to provide details of any long-term forecasts or capital and workforce planning work currently underway. [64696/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 414, 415 and 416 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for children with special educational needs.
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 2026 has provide for 4,000 new specialist places for the 2026/27 school year.
The information held on the department's Geographical Information System (GIS), particularly in relation to student demographics, is a key component when forecasting the need for additional special class and special school places. My department and the NCSE have undertaken analysis of the trends in special class and special school provision over recent years by county and local school planning area. In total there are 314 local school planning areas.
My department and the NCSE identify the need for special educational provision with consideration to demographical and statistical data and in regard to an areas existing school provision and future capability. In addition, part of the forward planning process as to where new classes, schools or expansion is required looks at how far students are travelling to access an education appropriate to their needs. This is an important factor which has been incorporated into the decision-making process. Consideration is also given to the information the NCSE hold at local level on the number of children seeking a special school place in a region.
Due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years. My department and the NCSE has engaged with post-primary stakeholders regarding this required increase in provision. However, it is also important that provision continues to be provided in settings as local demand requires.
In order to support the NCSE and forward planning my department published Circular 0039/2025. This circular informs school management and patrons of measures introduced to support forward planning and reiterates the need for parents to inform the NCSE that they are seeking a special educational placement for their child. An earlier date of 1 October was set for parents to do so.
This notification process will provide the NCSE with valuable information as to which students will continue to require a special class as they progress to post-primary level and details on students who require a place for the first time.
The earlier date will allow for earlier sanctioning of classes for the 2026/27 school year, and it is the aim of the NCSE to sanction the majority of new special classes by 31 December 2025.
The NCSE will have a clear picture of the local demand for special class places for the 2026/27 school year after they review and assess all of the information which has been provided through the parents' notification process which closed on 1 October.
Once the NCSE has fully collated and assessed this information, the NCSE will be in a position to engage with schools across the country to open new special classes. The NCSE will also have due regard to any vacant places in existing special classes in an area and any places that will become available through the normal movement of children leaving primary or post-primary school.
I understand that this earlier date does not suit every family, however, it is important that an earlier date was introduced to ensure the NCSE can provide clarity and certainty for families much earlier than in previous years. It will also enable schools to plan more efficiently and will see classes needing significant building works open in time for September's intake of students.
I would like to stress that the NCSE will continue to support all children made known to them after the October deadline also, however, it is important for planning purposes that we set an earlier timeframe for which the NCSE has as much local knowledge and detail as possible in order to plan what new provision is required.
