Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
517. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Education the additional capital and current spending required in 2023/24 and then 2024/25 to meet projected demand for special classes and special schools; to provide, in tabular form, the additional number of places required at each level; the provision currently in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37025/23]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, 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 2023, the spend by my department on special education has been substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs in our schools.
For the first time ever there will be over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.
In 2022, my department and the NCSE undertook a specific project to review its forecasting of special education provision.
Following this review, it was determined that if the recent growth in the need for special classes continues, it is expected that, for primary level, the anticipated level of need over the next three years will be relatively similar to the last three years, where a total of over 600 new special classes have been sanctioned.
At post-primary level, the anticipated need is for over 600 new special classes over the next three years, which is over twice the number of new special classes sanctioned in total over the last 3 years. These special classes will be required to make sufficient provision for students transitioning from primary special classes, as well as contingency for students who may transition from primary or post-primary mainstream provision.
In addition to the special class requirements outlined above, approximately 300 special school places will be needed each year over the next 3 years. This is a very significant requirement necessitating immediate and multi-annual capital planning and funding.
In April, Minister Foley and l announced the establishment of two new special schools for the 2023/24 school year, with further capacity being expanded in 11 other special schools. This will bring the number of special schools to 130 nationwide.
Along with the two new special schools, 385 new special classes – 252 at primary and 133 at post-primary level – have already been sanctioned by the NCSE for opening in the 2023/24 school year. This will bring the overall number of special classes for the 2023/24 school year to 2,917 – 2,047 at primary level and 870 at post-primary level.
Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €4.4 billion over the period 2021 to 2025, to add capacity and develop and upgrade school facilities across the country for the almost one million students and over 100,000 staff that learn and work in our schools every day. The Department has a proven track record of delivery, with over 180 projects completed last year within a challenging construction sector environment of high inflation, labour shortages and supply chain issues.
Key priorities for the Department are supporting the operation of the school system and adding necessary capacity to cater for special education needs provision, mainstream demographics and catering for students from Ukraine and other countries under the international protection system.
Over the last decade, the number of special classes in the State has increased almost 5 fold. Continuing to add capacity in schools to support special educational provision is a key priority in the roll-out of the National Development Plan (NDP) with a particular emphasis at post-primary level. During the NDP period 2018 to 2022 over 450 classrooms in mainstream schools for children with special education needs, and in excess of 120 classrooms in 28 special schools under the Large Scale and Additional Accommodation Scheme, including accelerated delivery using modern methods of construction were delivered. This year alone, in excess of 300 school building projects are currently under construction, including 40 new school buildings and 260 projects at existing schools across the country and an additional 1,000 school building projects are progressing through the pipeline. Taken together, this is ensuring new, additional or modernised accommodation in over 50% of our special schools; and 60% of our post-primary schools will either have an existing special class or have a project on the School Building Programme which will provide special educational accommodation.
The department’s capital allocation has always been under significant pressure and it has a strong track record of fully utilising it, and in many years requiring supplementary capital funding, to deliver urgently required school building projects. The Department’s published capital allocation in 2023 is €860 million. However, an agreement was secured with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in April to provide additional funds to guarantee and support the roll-out and continuation of the Department’s school building programme in 2023. This agreement is facilitating the continued roll-out of urgently required school building projects in both mainstream and special education settings, including projects that were temporarily paused due to capital funding pressures.
The Department’s published allocation for 2024 is €940 million. However, my officials continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform regarding capital funding pressures in 2024 and future years. I am anxious to ensure that the capital allocations for my department are sufficient to ensure a smooth as possible delivery of urgently required school building projects.
The current status of all school building projects from 2010 to date is listed on a county by county basis at www.gov.ie and is updated on a regular basis to reflect their progress through the various stages of capital appraisal, site acquisition, design, tender and construction.
I want to reassure you that 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.
