Special Educational Needs
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29
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Thomas Byrne (FF), Meath East

Enabling students with special educational needs to receive an education that meets their needs is a priority for the Government. It is also a key priority for the Minister, the Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The NCSE is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.
Special schools funded by the Department are classified as primary national schools. They are intended, in accordance with the provisions of rule 64(1) of the rules for national schools, to provide an education to children and young people with special educational needs aged from four years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year. Special schools may, however, seek approval from the Department for an exemption from the rule in respect of students over 18 who are pursuing learning programmes leading to accreditation that align with the national qualifications framework, NQF. These programmes include, for example, junior cycle level 3 subjects, level 1 and level 2 learning programmes, the leaving certificate applied and senior cycle level 1 and level 2 learning programmes.
A request for an exemption can only be made by a school where, in addition to the above, the student requires one additional year to complete a programme leading to accreditation on the NQF, and where retaining the student in the school for another school year will not prevent a younger student being enrolled there - that is a consideration - and plans are in place to transition the student to a post-school setting at the end of the school year. Special schools are invited each year to make applications to the Department for exemptions from rule 64(1) in respect of students who meet those criteria. Where the criteria are met, the Department will approve the exemptions.
I am aware that this issue has been raised in the context of the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act 2004. The Department is progressing the development of an implementation plan arising from this review. Furthermore, under the First Programme Plan of Actions 2025-2026 arising from the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, the Department has joint responsibility for a number of priority actions, including a commitment to develop a national transitions policy to support students from early learning and childcare through school and into adult life. A cross-departmental steering group, co-chaired by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Department of Education and Youth, has been established to oversee the implementation of this priority action. A key action under this commitment is to support earlier transition planning for school-leavers and their families, so that enhanced guidance and information can be provided to young people and their families on all post-school options, such as apprenticeships, employment and further and higher education.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-29