Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
492. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of reading school places in Dublin south-west; and number of applications for places received for the academic year 2025-2026. [14257/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra502. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she will provide an update on plans to increase the number of dedicated reading schools and reading classes in north Dublin in view of the shortage of places for children with dyslexia; the rationale for requiring families to hold a National Council for Special Education eligibility letter from the previous year before applying; whether she will review this requirement to allow earlier access to appropriate supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14331/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra585. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the work her Department is doing to establish more reading schools and reading classes in the North Dublin area to cater for children with dyslexia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15070/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 492, 502 and 585 together.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
At present, there are four special schools, and fourteen special classes attached to mainstream schools to support students with a specific learning disability such as severe dyslexia. I want to acknowledge the excellent work they do. It is important to note they were established at a time when there were much fewer additional supports in schools.
In pursuit of a more inclusive education system it is important, as far as possible to support students to attend their local mainstream schools. This means that children and young people can be educated with their peers and are not required to travel long distances to attend special schools or classes.
15,000 special education teachers have been provided to enable schools to achieve this objective. In practical terms this means schools get a substantial additional teaching allocation to support students with special education needs who are in mainstream classes.
The additional resources are intended to support students with the greatest level of need, including those with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or dysgraphia.
Of course, I recognise the importance of building the capacity of teachers in mainstream schools to meet the needs of all students. To support this, 338 places are funded each year for teachers to attend post-graduate special education needs programmes. The NCSE offers dedicated professional learning opportunities for teachers supporting students with additional needs. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) also provides professional learning opportunities that are available to all primary and post-primary school teachers on supporting children and young people with special educational needs.
Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment to assist students. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.
The need for any additional provision or resources for schools to support students with dyslexia is kept under constant review by the NCSE.
When a parent notifies the NCSE that they are seeking placement the NCSE validates the submission and provides the parent with a letter of eligibility for the required specialist placement. This letter is then required to be submitted with the enrolment form. The letter's purpose is to inform schools that the NCSE is aware of the student’s needs and that the student has been factored into the planning process for provision at a local level.
Parents may apply to enrol their child in a school of their choosing. Enrolments to schools are a matter for each board of management and parents apply directly to schools, therefore, the information requested by the Deputy is held at a local level.
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.
