On the seriousness with which the NCSE and the Department are taking the numbers, we have worked throughout - right up to almost Christmas, to 23 December - to make sure we had sight of what figures were and how we are going to work on it. At the end of this discussion, there are children and there are families and it is hugely important we give certainty to them. As the Deputy quite rightly acknowledged, we brought back the date to 1 October. There is huge investment in special education to ensure the needs of chi…

I thank the Deputy for providing me with the opportunity to respond. As he knows, this Government is fully committed to supporting children with special educational needs to achieve their full potential. The primary responsibility for the education of all pupils, including those with special educational needs, is the class teacher or subject teacher. The special education teaching allocation provides schools with additional teaching hours to support the learning needs of students in mainstream classes based on thei…

We must accept that we have put a huge amount of resources into special education, particularly for SNAs and SETs. In this year's budget, it was one of the sectors that got the greatest increase. We are deeply committed. Whether in mainstream, special classes or special schools, the strength of our special educational system is based upon SNAs. They do amazing work in school communities. They enable children to flourish and benefit from the education system. On the backs of SNAs and SETs, we have built special educ…

I take the point. If I may be a little flippant, I might contest that Bweeng is in the Cork North-West constituency, rather than Cork North-Central. That is only a flippant point.

I appreciate that. I understand. I am fully aware of the work that is going on in Bweeng. I do not want to single out any specific school. I take the point. If I am realistic, I am heartened each time there is a debate on special education by the commitment across the House and Deputies' fundamental understanding of the challenges that are there in respect of special educational needs and special classes. We are putting in resources. There are almost 25,000 SNAs across the system. We are putting in further supports…

I thank the Deputy. The Government is fully committed to supporting special education needs to achieve their full potential and the programme for Government makes a number of commitments to deliver on this objective. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special education needs. I assure the Deputy the 860 special education teachers and 1,700 special needs assistants will be allocated well in advance of the commencement of the 2026-2027 school year t…

I thank the Deputy. Last year 1 February was the deadline. That was extended by a week due to Storm Éowyn. We looked at trying to plan in February, March and April last year and saw the challenges families and people were meeting. A decision was made by the then Minister, Deputy McEntee, and me to bring the dates back to 1 October. One of the first discussions I had with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, upon her appointment was to look at the whole concept so we can bring better planning into the system and greater c…

I accept the point they are travelling across the county. Transport and trying to ensure the provision of special education is as close as possible to families is one of the things we have discussed. A lot of children with additional needs are travelling long distances to get to their school places and it is something we need to be very mindful of. Regarding 1 October, for anyone after that date we are issuing the letters of eligibility. Those letters have started over the past day or so and they will continue. We …

My understanding is the issue is 1 October. That is my information on that specific case. We are aware of it and will follow up and report back to both the Deputy and his colleague. In regard to Drogheda and County Louth, in particular, the Government is committed to continuing acceleration of provision of additional special classes and special school places across the country. The National Council for Special Education is the statutory body responsible for that and the Department and the NCSE are working very clos…

I welcome the students from Listowel to Leinster House. It is not a million miles from me over the border. I hope they enjoy the day. It is always a great day to experience Leinster House where our democratic process is best performed. I wish them a great day. Over the past 25 years in particular, there has been huge investment in special education in terms of looking at the issues that pertain to individuals to try to best support them. There has been a lot of talk about the success of reading classes. The Senator…

I do not want to go into the specifics of one person but I will take the matter privately and we will see if we can advise as best we can. The inspectorate has evaluated the provision for special classes and young people with dyslexia. That report feeds in internally into how we in the Department of education and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, are going to look at supporting people with dyslexia into the future. A lot of information has come from families and schools about how best practice has w…

I wish the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach a happy St. Gobnait's day. This is a hugely important day in his home territory, and it is important to recognise that. I thank Deputy Hearne for raising the matter of the Gaelscoil in Finglas. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Naughton. The purpose of the Department's emergency works scheme is to provide funding specifically for unforeseen emergencies or to facilitate inclusion and access for pupils with additional needs. It does so by ensuring the availab…

I thank the Deputy for the points he has made. Record investment is going into the Department of education's capital programme for developments right across the country. Over the past number of years, record investment has been made in the building stock across the system. We recently announced over €7.5 billion in school investment through the national development plan. Thousands of schools across the country have seen investment in upgrading their facilities. I will make the point that we are acutely aware that i…

I welcome the pupils and teachers from Listowel. I am from a few miles across the border on the important Cork side. The River Feale divides us.

Yes. They are very welcome to Leinster House. I thank Senator Fiona O'Loughlin for her engagement on the Patrician Catholic Secondary School in Newbridge, County Kildare. I also thank the Senator for the amount of work she does and has done on education. She used to chair the Oireachtas committee on education and had a huge input into it. Indeed, on many committees I have chaired, she has a huge input into special education. That was important. To speak to the issue of SNAs specifically, we have almost 25,000 SNAs …

Yes, the vision is very clear. It is about the best outcomes for the students. We must keep that in mind. We have additional SNAs put into the system. We got additional SNAs in this year's budget and that number has continued to grow over the last number of years. We have 25,000 SNAs in the system. The review looked at all the information we had to try to make the best possible decisions for the students and the best possible decisions to maximise the care where there is a need within school communities. For a vari…

I thank the Senator for her question. Bus escorts who travel on school buses do amazing work and have huge responsibility, but they love their job. I meet them on a number of mornings during the week and see the work they are doing. The Senator asked about pay for those working in special schools. I know full well the extraordinary work being done in special schools the length and breadth of the country by school leadership, teachers and SNAs. Of course, we have the discussion about the co-ordination of the buses. …

It is great to be here with the students from UCC as well. I welcome them. It is great to be with Cork people when we are in the Chambers in Dublin - a little bit of support from them. I take the Senator's point on the co-ordinator. I would be reluctant to have some external body co-ordinating a number of schools but I take the point in relation to specific co-ordinators within schools because in special schools and special classes, that often falls to the deputy principal. It is something that has been raised cont…

I understand fully the need for specialised provision of education across Galway. The Deputy is quite right. I did visit St. Oliver's and Esker National School recently. I know the points he made in relation to St. Vincent's and the work being done by Ability West. The Deputy also raised an issue here, even though I did not directly respond to it, in relation to equine therapy and the equine centre. I understand that and welcome his interest in it. I will give a small bit of context and then deal with a number of t…

I reassure the Deputy that the NCSE, the Department and ourselves meet on a weekly basis. We have 300 extra classes - 301 to be specific - sanctioned this year for the 2026-27 school year. That is four months earlier than it was previously because, as I outlined, we want to ensure that we have certainty and give information earlier to families. That is very welcome but we also have to work through a number of tranches of special classes to be announced over the next number of weeks. I assure the Deputy we are looki…