Special Educational Needs
Dail Éireann — 2025-12-16
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Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

The Deputy did not just raise an important question, he did it so passionately as an advocate for the school he spoke of. I can fully understand his passion in this regard. All I can do is thank him for raising the matter and for giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children can access an education that meets their needs. I heard what the Deputy said about local provision, which is hugely important. The Department continues to engage intensively with the NCSE regarding forward planning for new special provision to ensure every child has a place in an educational setting best fitting their educational need. It is important to remember that the vast majority of students with special educational needs are supported to attend school in mainstream classes with their peers. Central to this are the 15,000 special education teachers and 12,500 SNAs allocated to mainstream settings. For children with more complex needs, special classes or special school places are provided. This is in keeping with the policy on inclusive education, which advocates that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible. The NCSE advises that a small number of special places remain in many counties for those seeking placement this year. While those places may not always be in a preferred school, vacancies do exist. The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required for the 2026-27 school year.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-12-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:28+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-12-16