Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister of State for being here. This saga has been going on for a number of years. As he knows, I am our party's spokesperson on special education and have an interest in this area. Ballincollig as a community has a fairly large population of about 26,000, if not more at this stage. In comparison with the large number of people living there, it has had very few ASD classes over the years. I think it is up to a total of 14 now between all the schools at primary and secondary levels. Some progress has been made in recent years, but ultimately we are way behind other parts of the city and county. Ballincollig, as I have pointed out in the House in the past, has a tradition of having its ASD needs met in surrounding rural villages such as Farran, Ovens, Berrings, Dripsey and places like that.

A number of TDs, including me, were asked to attend a meeting at the school nearly a year ago, where we were given an update on the school's dealing with the Department of Education. Since 2021, Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig has had an application in with the Department for additional ASD and special education units. Three years on, we are still none the wiser whether these will be sanctioned. There are undoubtedly difficulties in the school and the Department will no doubt state in the script provided to the Minister of State that it has maximised available space. A proposal has been submitted to knock the older part of the school and build a two storey, if needed. A decision was taken two years ago that more or less stated that was not the most cost-efficient way of delivering special educational needs provision in the wider Ballincollig area.

I understand they are now looking at other schools in the area that would have sufficient land to cater for the ASD needs of the wider area. For parents of the children in Scoil Eoin listening to that, it will not given much solace that children cannot get an ASD class in the school that many have attended for the past four, five or six years. The process started in 2021. We are three years on and many of the kids who required the ASD class have probably gone on to secondary level.

I do not expect there will be much progress indicated in the response provided to the Minister of State but I raise it to highlight the complete lack of efficiency in dealing with this case and, more widely, in forward planning in the Department. We all hear responses here stating statistical analysis and demographic projections are being done and, much of the time, many years are lost. I am interested in the Minister of State's response, although I have a fair idea what it will say.

If I were to ask the Minister of State to take one thing away this evening, it would be to deliver the message to the Department of Education and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, that a decision needs to be made on this school one way or the other to give parents finality in terms of how they plan for their child's future education.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I pay tribute to the Deputy's ongoing advocacy for the special education sector and special educational needs resources. He has been a strong advocate for that over the last term. I am taking this question on behalf of the Minister for Education. I will outline on behalf of the Minister how the Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, continue to support children with special educational needs.

I stress that enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government. It is a priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to cater for children with special educational needs.

In 2024, the Department will spend more than €2.7 billion on special education and further progress will be made in 2025 as an additional €159 million has been dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. That is almost a €3 billion budget overall for the coming year. In fact, over a quarter of the entire education budget has been dedicated to special education in recent years. The main supports this funding provides are special classes, SNAs and special education teachers. The NCSE has advised there are 3,336 special classes in operation nationwide for this school year. These classes can provide for in excess of 21,000 students. Four hundred and nine of these are new for the current school year: 289 at primary and 120 at post-primary level.

The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide. Over recent years, the Department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient mainstream, special class and special school places. These initiatives are now bearing fruit, with more than 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the past four years. The Department engages intensively with the NCSE on forward planning for new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well under way ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. The work involves a detailed review of statistical data relating to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data-sharing arrangements and a focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

Regarding the school referred to by the Deputy, I confirm that the Department received an application in 2021 under the additional schools accommodation scheme. The application was for funding for the provision of three special education classrooms. The Department’s school building technical team carried out an in-depth review of the school site in 2021. The review confirmed that the school and the site are at maximum capacity and that it would not be possible to provide the required accommodation on the site unless vast amounts of existing accommodation were to be demolished and replaced with two-storey accommodation. At that time, considering all the relevant impediments to delivering the brief of accommodation and the site constraints, the Department was not in a position to provide funding for the significant demolition of the school building. In light of this, officials in the Department contacted the NCSE to advise them of same and to establish the special classes in other schools in the area.

In January 2024, the NCSE confirmed the need for special classes in the area. The NCSE and Department are working to identify suitable locations for those classes to ensure the children who require access to this provision can avail of it as soon as possible. Separately, the board of management of the school subsequently submitted a new engineer's condition report to the Department in support of its proposal to knock and rebuild a portion of the school building. In view of the reconfirmed sanction by the NCSE, the cost of the modular for special education tuition and the engineer's condition report, the Department's technical team agreed to review the contents of the report. However, following consultation between the Department and NCSE on SEN provision in the school planning area, the NCSE is undertaking a review of the SEN provision requirements in the wider area, and this will be a key factor in the decision.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Minister of State. I was right that the script has not changed since July and, prior to that, April. The script is the same, unfortunately. The most galling thing about coming in here sometimes, particularly on a Thursday afternoon, is seeing the lack of progress. We are here seven months on and this is still with the building unit undergoing assessment. That is another year lost to kids in terms of preparing for ASD provision in September of next year. This is not an easy fix. The principal of the school will say that himself. I have been in the school a couple of times. There are severe issues with subsidence. The building is falling down. It can be seen quite plainly. The floors are collapsing.

Something to the tune of €1.3 million or €1.4 million is already allocated to remedial works in the existing school. If they were allowed to proceed with the demolition as proposed and build the new classrooms, the overall project would cost €3 to €4 million. That is not a small sum of money but we are throwing grants into a school building that is crumbling when we should take a longer term view and give them a building that is fit for use. I understand the NCSE is looking at other schools. That was stated to me in other correspondence. If you are a parent of a child in Scoil Eoin, it is clear that if your child is not in an ASD class, the only options are to wait, keep your fingers crossed and hope for an ASD class in a few years or take the child somewhere else. Unfortunately, that is the reality facing those parents. The Minister of State is only here to deliver the answer but it is very frustrating for those parents and children.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Can I get a word of clarification from the Deputy or Minister of State? Were these three classes established in the school by the Department and the NCSE?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There was a school population already there that was in receipt of ASD provision but did not-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

But they had approval to establish special classes?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Yes.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

After they were established, it was decided they needed special accommodation, which was not available, and then they decided to look elsewhere.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There are additional classes being sought.

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It does not say much for the planning process, does it?

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

No.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It is a complex matter, as I understand, and there have been a few twists in the tale already, which is probably unfortunate. I thank the Deputy for raising the question and for his continued advocacy for Ballincollig, Cork and the wider special educational needs sector over the past four and a half years. He has been a strong advocate for them.

The Department continues to engage intensely with the NCSE in forward planning for new special classes for the 2025-2026 school year and, indeed, for future years to ensure every child has a place in an educational setting best fitting their educational need.

Planning for special classes and special school places in Cork and nationwide is under way ahead of the 2025-2026 school year. The locations of new classes for 2025-2026 will be confirmed in the coming months. The Minister, Deputy Foley, announced plans earlier this year for the roll-out of the next phase of investment in the school capital building programme. This consists of an additional €800 million to support more than 90 building projects in 2024 and 2025, including 138 additional rooms for children with special educational needs. I assure the Deputy the Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment. I will engage with the Minister following this debate and make to her directly the points the Deputy made. I am sure she will engage with him further on the matter.