Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
470. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Education and Youth the number of specifically SEBD schools across Ireland; the counties they are in; and the number of students enrolled in each, in tabular form. [45415/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs 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 students with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where students 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 advocates that students will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible.
Special schools support children and young people aged between 4 and 18 years of age with the most complex special educational needs and ensure positive links are established and fostered between the home, school and other agencies for these students.
The NCSE advise that there are seven schools with a designation of Schools for Emotionally Disturbed Children (SEBD). However, it is important to remember that a number of special schools have diversified since they were established to enrol students from their local area with varying degrees of complex needs. This diversification allows children and young people to attend their local special school without the need to travel long distances so as to receive the supports they need.
There continues to be an increasing need to provide additional special school places to support students with complex needs. To meet this need, sixteen new special schools have been established in recent years, and capacity has been expanded in a number of others. Five of these were established for the 2025/26 school year in counties, Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary.
I recently announced the establishment of four new special schools for the upcoming school year 2026/2027; a vital step in ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs have access to the specialist supports and environment they need to thrive and reach their full potential.
The four new special schools will be located in Balbriggan and Citywest in Co. Dublin, Bray in Co. Wicklow, and Monasterevin in Co. Kildare. Parents and families looking to apply for admission to the new special schools will be supported and guided by the NCSE at local level and kept updated on developments.
A list of all mainstream and special schools is available on my department's website on gov.ie. In addition, a list of schools with special classes; broken by location and class designation is available on the NCSE website https://ncse.ie/special-classes.
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 achieve their full potential.
Schools with a designation of Schools for Emotionally Disturbed Children (SEBD)
|
Roll Number |
Official Name |
County |
Total Enrolment 2024 |
|
18569J |
ST DECLAN'S SPECIAL SCH |
Dublin |
36 |
|
18863J |
BENINCASA SPECIAL SCHOOL |
Dublin |
42 |
|
18904U |
ST PETER'S SPECIAL SCH |
Dublin |
62 |
|
19316I |
ST PAUL'S HOSPITAL SPECIAL SCHOOL |
Dublin |
54 |
|
19409P |
CASA CATERINA S S |
Dublin |
29 |
|
19500B |
PHOENIX PARK SPECIALIST SCHOOL |
Dublin |
18 |
|
19523N |
School of the Holy Spirit Special School |
Kilkenny |
84 |
