Special Educational Needs
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-22
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Marian Harkin (IND), Sligo-Leitrim

I thank Deputy Hearne. Again, I do hear what he is saying and I will bring his very strong concerns to the Minister of State. I will see that they are on his desk by tomorrow and we will see where we go from there.
Deputy Hearne mentioned Finglas Parochial National School. To be fair, given that planning permission was granted on 26 March 2026, the fact that the Department and the project manager have been doing everything to complete all of the works, and that they will be delivered as quickly as possible, is reasonable progress to say the least. I cannot give Deputy Hearne a date as I do not have one but it does state the project will be completed soon. "Soon" has a meaning and I hope this is the case.
In regard to the overall perspective, by the end of 2026-2027 there will be more than 15,200 special education teachers, with more than 26,000 special needs assistants, in our mainstream classes, special classes and special schools. This will mean that we will have over 46,000 teachers and SNAs working in our education system, committed to supporting and nurturing students with special educational needs, enabling them to achieve their best outcomes and reach their full potential. For children with more complex needs, special classes or special school places are provided and this is in keeping with the policy of an inclusive education which promotes that children will be supported to receive an education in the most inclusive setting possible. The NCSE remains available to provide advice and support to all families seeking specialist placement and will continue to examine where provision is required in the 2026-2027 school year. As I said at the beginning, I will ensure this request is on the Minister of State's desk tomorrow.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-22