Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 April 2025
139. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education for an update on the provision of two modular units for additional classroom accommodation at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17219/25]
View answerThe expansion of capacity at special schools is an important priority for my Department including for the special school referred to by the Deputy. I can confirm that in 2022 approval was granted by the Department for a traditional build project to provide four additional special education classrooms and the project is currently at design stage.The school subsequently submitted an Additional School Accommodation (ASA) application for rental of interim Modular accommodation for 2x Special Education Classrooms pending the delivery of the project for 4 additional permanent classrooms. The Department recently approved the provision for two special education classrooms and the project has been progressed to the Department’s Project Manager Framework. The project managers have carried out a site visit to the school and a viability report has been submitted to the Department officials. This is currently being reviewed by technical officers and the modular assessment team and the school authority will be contacted directly when the viability report is reviewed in full.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
At primary level, this situation generally arises to cater for a school’s accommodation requirements where an additional teaching post has been sanctioned by Teacher Allocation Section and retained by the school, or a new SEN class has been sanctioned by the NCSE. The NCSE is continuing to review the SEN provision requirements in the wider area and the outcome of the NCSE review of SEN provision needs in the school planning area is awaited to determine next steps.
The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide. The department and the NCSE work closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special education placements ahead of each new school year. The Department continues to work with the NCSE in relation to the short-term requirements for special class and special school places and the more strategic and longer-term requirements. School property matters are the domain of the school patron and the Department is aware that the NCSE is currently engaging with the patron of the school in question in this regard.
I want to assure you that the 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 appropriate to their needs.
Of the 124 special schools nationwide, four special schools are new for this school year and further capacity has been expanded in eleven others. Five more have been established for the 2025/26 school year in counties Cork, Dublin (2), Monaghan and Tipperary. This will bring to 16 the number of new special schools opened in recent years.
