Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department will conduct an audit on the gap between the number of children in north Tipperary moving from autism units in primary schools to secondary schools, given there are only two secondary schools in north Tipperary serving the 16 autism units in national schools, given the impending serious shortfall; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27751/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.

My department and the NCSE work closely in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places, work which is close to finalisation for the 2024/25 school year.

For the 2024/25 school year 381 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE, 267 at primary and 114 at post primary level. Some small number of additional classes will be sanctioned shortly. Of the 381, 15 are in County Tipperary, 11 at primary level and 4 at post-primary. This brings the overall number of special classes in the county to 135. 55 are in post-primary settings and the vast majority are autism classes.

The NCSE is confident that through the provision of the new classes and vacancies in existing classes there is sufficient places to meet the needs of all children known to them for September 2024.

I have asked the NCSE to ensure any remaining classes are established as a matter of urgency and to keep all families seeking class places updated on an ongoing basis to ensure their children can access the provision to which they are entitled.

Looking forward, demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates.My department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary school management bodies in relation to the provision of special classes in these schools. In late 2022, my Department also wrote to all post-primary schools asking them to begin to prepare on average 4 special classes each over the next few years.