Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special classes at secondary school level, per county, in tabular form. [6562/25]

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special classes at primary school level, per county, in tabular form. [6563/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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As you are aware enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for government.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs. They advise that the local special educational needs organiser (SENO) is working closely with the student’s family regarding options for school placements and other special education supports for the coming academic year.

There are 3,336 special classes nationwide, 408 of these are new for the 2024/25 school year, 289 at primary level and 119 at post-primary level. The attached table provides a breakdown of these classes by county. The tables shows the overall total number of special classes, the number of primary special classes, the number of post-primary special classes and the number of new classes provided for this school year 2024/2025. Budget 2025 provides funding for another 400 special classes and 300 special school places nationwide.

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 SENO's directly using the contact details available on the NCSE website.

The NCSE have completed over 1,000 school planning visits in recent months. These planning visits have been key to the NCSE in determining what new provision can be provided. The NCSE continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate required provision. As the NCSE progress the sanctioning of new special classes over the coming weeks they will advise parents in turn on the location of new special classes for the 2025/26 school year

My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements remain available for children with special educational needs.