Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
117. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will meet with the principal of a school (details supplied) to discuss the urgent need for additional autism class provision within their school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11072/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to the continued accelerated provision of additional special class and special school places for 2026/27.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body tasked with sanctioning new special education provision in our schools.
The NCSE has now sanctioned 301 special classes for the next school year 2026/2027 with more expected to be sanctioned in the coming weeks. This is a number of months ahead of last year and provides for greater certainty for families and more time for schools to plan for the establishment of new special classes.
I expect schools to move forward now with the admissions processes for these new special classes.
The NCSE advise that the majority of children and young people coming through the Parents Notify process and seeking a special class or special school place for the 2026/2027 school year are already enrolled in school and are being supported by existing special education teachers and special needs assistants.
Schools seeking to establish new special classes should continue to engage with the NCSE at local level. In sanctioning new special classes, the NCSE has due regard to the level of need in an area and the existing provision, including how many places are expected to be available through the normal movement of students from primary to post-primary or finishing school.
It is critical that the NCSE has as much local information as possible as early as possible to effectively plan new provision.
I commend every school, including the school referred to by the Deputy, who express an interest in opening a new special class.As the Deputy knows, I visited the school last year and met the principal and her team, and indeed appreciate the work they do in supporting children with additional needs.
This school is already supporting three special classes and the focus for my department and the NCSE is working to provide new special classes in medium and larger primary schools with none or just 1 special class. There are resources available to support schools who have children who have needs beyond those catered for within the special classes and I would ask the school to continue to engage with the NCSE on accessing those supports.
My department and the NCSE will continue to keep the matter under review.
