Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 May 2024
157. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Education whether she will meet with parents and staff of a school (details supplied) regarding their sanctioned ASD classes and her Department's refusal to sanction an extension to allow for these classes to be established. [19765/24]
View answerEnabling 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.
For 2024, €2.7 billion is being spent on special education, an increase of €113 million, and this is dedicated to providing supports for children with special educational needs. This will allow for, amongst other things, the opening of up to 400 new special classes in mainstream schools and 300 additional special school places.
In 2024, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 744 teachers and 1,216 SNAs added to deliver up to 2,700 new places for children with special educational needs. This will mean we will have over 41,500 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting these children.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.
Over the last number of years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with almost 1,300 new special classes sanctioned and seven new special schools established over the last four years.
My department engage intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This forward planning work is well underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, an analysis of available school accommodation, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
As a result of this forward planning, two new special schools have been established for this current school year in Cork and Dublin, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools.
In December 2023, I was also very happy to announce the establishment of a further four new special schools for the 2024/25 school year in Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. This will bring to 11 the number of new special schools established in recent years.
Along with the two new special schools opening this school year, 391 new special classes – 255 at primary and 136 at post-primary level – have been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening this current school year.
Of these 76 are in Cork, 52 at primary level and 24 at post-primary level. This brings to 351 the number of special classes in County Cork, 145 at primary level and 496 at post-primary level. The vast majority of these class are autism classes and have a teacher/pupil ratio of 1:6.
Planning for special classes and special school places in County Cork and nationwide is currently underway ahead of the 2024/25 school year. The locations of new classes for 2024/25 will be confirmed by the NCSE shortly.
As you may be aware the department’s technical team carried out an in-depth review of the site of the school referred to by the Deputy 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 site unless vast amounts of existing single storey accommodation was to be demolished and replaced with two storey accommodation.
At that time, considering all the relevant impediments to deliver 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 my 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 that 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 their proposal to knock and rebuild a portion of the school building.
I can assure the Deputy, in light of receipt of the engineer's condition report from the school in question, my department's technical team will review the contents thereof and officials from my department will consult with the school authority on completion of the review.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available on the NCSE's website at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list
My department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.
