Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, given the critical shortage of secondary school autism spectrum (AS) classes in Nenagh, where only one secondary school offers an AS class, which is currently full, she will outline the immediate actions that will be taken to ensure that children leaving 6th class this year can continue their secondary education within their local community (details supplied). [38007/24]

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.

Over 400 new special classes have been sanctioned by the NCSE for the 2024/25 school year bringing the total number of special classes nationwide to 3,335 - 2,338 at primary level and 997 at post-primary level.

Of these, 16 are in County Tipperary, 12 at primary and 4 at post-primary, bringing the total number of special classes in Tipperary to 138. The vast majority of these are autism classes which have a teacher/student ratio of 1:6.

The NCSE will be undertaking planning visits to schools during term 1 of this school year to assist with the forward planning of special class provision for the 2025/26 school year. In 2022, the Department wrote to all post-primary schools to ask them to begin planning to provide on average 4 special classes each over the coming years.

Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise parents and can provide details on schools with available special educational places. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

The provision of therapy supports for children with disabilities and the Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT) service is the responsibility of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) and any queries in this regard should be addressed directly to DCEDIY and the HSE.

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for this school year and future years.