Michael Moynihan
Cork North-West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“I cannot emphasise enough the respect that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and I have for special needs assistants and the contribution they make to education. In March, we met the SNAs to have further engagement and consultation with them and to understand their roles.”
“We are very conscious of the issue. A huge number of groups that I have met over the past while, particularly on the dyslexia side, have all been discussing assistive technologies. That is also the case for children who are non-communicative and non-verbal. Assistive technologies are extremely important for them.”
“By way of background, 85% of the applications processed for assistive technology between January and June have been approved. We are always conscious of those who fall outside the scheme.”
“The approximate cost to the State per mainstream pupil is currently €1,400 annually, while the cost to the family is €100 per pupil. The total cost of the school transport system in 2025 was €537 million, equating to almost €3 million being spent on the provision of school transport per day.”
“I thank the Deputy. We are looking at ways to ensure that if there is a ticket issued, it will be used. Anecdotally, the Deputy and other colleagues tell us about school routes the length and breadth of the country that have spare capacity but, when we look at the system, all of the tickets on that particular school route are occupied and…”
“Under the current scheme, schools receive funding towards computers and specialised equipment required for educational purposes. To qualify, a student must have a diagnosis of a physical or commutative disability and a professional assessment confirming the equipment is essential to access the curriculum.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,291 lines we hold for Michael Moynihan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 18 of 26.
“Due diligence is an integral part of the Department of Education and Youth's process and when this review is complete and subject to no further issues arising, the Department will be in further contact with the school authority and the design team. Until such time as a contractor has been appointed, a timeline for completion cannot be provided. However, I assure the Senator that we will work on it. The application is under review at the moment and I will ask Department officials to look at it as soon as possible.”
“The project for Carrabane National School is part of the Department's traditional construction programme and the project brief provides for the construction of a replacement eight-classroom primary school and accommodation, including two classrooms for children with special educational needs. Planning permission for the project expired in 2024 and an extension of planning permission was required. This extension was granted by the local authority in late August 2025. The project is currently at architectural planning stage 3 - tender action and award. A tender report was received by the Department of Education and Youth and is currently under review by departmental officials.”
“In respect of the project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation schemes, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of the 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs. Carrabane National School is a co-educational primary school constructed in the 1940s. The school is under the patronage of the Bishop of Clonfert, with a current enrolment of some 208 pupils.”
“Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department of Education and Youth to €1.6 billion. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.55 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this NDP allocation a strong emphasis will be placed on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.”
“I thank the Senator for raising the issue in respect of Carrabane National School, County Galway. I know he raised it on the Order of Business on Tuesday. I thank him for his warm welcome to Galway recently and for the engagement we had with schools across east Galway. It was a lovely day and we certainly got a flavour of the issues across the county, Since 2020, the Department of Education and Youth has invested over €224 million, supporting the completion of 86 school building projects, with a further 31 currently in construction in Galway. Across the country, the Department of Education and Youth has invested over €6 billion in schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of over 1,400 school building projects.”
“I have had some experience of the scheme in recent weeks, in particular, and the nuances of it. Bus Éireann is basing its determination on the fact that the schools in Cavan town are full. That is probably the reason. I will look at any information the Senator has. I understand the terms and conditions of the scheme clearly at the moment. If you have ten or more eligible pupils, you can commence a service and consider concessionary tickets on that service. You need eligible pupils in the first instance to allow the scheme to take place. I would like to know from whom came the information about setting up the service in April because I would follow up on that. As I see it at the moment, these children seem to be outside the scheme. If any other information is available, I would be only too glad to see if we can resolve the issue.”
“A minimum number of ten eligible children residing in the district locally, as determined by Bus Éireann, are required before consideration may be given to the establishment or retention of the school transport system, provided this can be done within reasonable cost limits. Routes may be altered or extended depending on the number and location of eligible children who would be availing of school transport for the following school year. The Senator mentioned in her opening remarks that there was some indication that a school service would be running from Cavan town to Belturbet. Under the rules and terms and conditions of the scheme, transport would not normally be going from one town to another. If the Senator has details, I might follow up. That seems to be in conflict with the terms and conditions of the scheme.”
“Children who are not eligible for school transport but complete an application and pay, or enter their medical card details on time, may be considered for any spare seats available after eligible children have been accommodated. These spare seats are called concessionary seats and are subject to a number of conditions, including that there is an existing service in place with spare capacity. Bus Éireann has advised me that 11 children applied for the Cavan town transport to St. Bricin's College. All these pupils are concessionary because they are not attending their nearest post-primary school. It further advised that there is no school transport service from Cavan town to the college in Belturbet that children from this area can avail of.”
“I thank the Senator for raising the matter. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education and Youth. The Senator may be aware that under the terms of the scheme children are eligible for transport at primary level where they reside not less than 3.2 km from attending the nearest school, and at post-primary level not less than 4.8 km from attending the nearest post-primary school or education centre, as determined by the Department and Bus Éireann, and having regard to the ethos and the language. Bus Éireann has advised that pupils residing in Cavan town are not eligible for school transport to St. Bricin's post-primary school, which is part of the Belturbet post-primary centre as they are nearer to Cavan town post-primary school centre.”
“My team in the Department and I and the team in Bus Éireann will work extremely hard to try to find solutions to the challenges Members have raised. I look forward to working with every one of them. If Deputies across the House have specific information, please share it with me or the team and we will follow up on it to see whether it can benefit not just the transport system but, more importantly, the families who rely on, believe in and appreciate the school transport system, both in mainstream education and special education. I thank all Members for their contributions. We look forward to further discussion on this matter.”
“We will follow up on any leads that we have regarding contractors or individuals who may be able to help in the context of the challenges we face. It must be reiterated that, in the context of the school transport system and what we are endeavouring to do, the challenges are only in 1% of it. Members mentioned issues regarding developing a new transport system for different schools. There is a criterion in that regard, but we are looking at where we can help in it. We are mindful that we will deal with the many legitimate challenges put on the record today in a meaningful way. I assure Members that the Minister and I fully understand the value of the school transport system. We want to expand it in the way outlined in the report in order to facilitate maybe another 100,000 in the system over the coming years. We will do that.”
“I pay tribute to the taxi companies that provide services for these children for the work they do and for the commitment they give. The Government is very much committed to the review that was carried out. I understand the issues relating to taking cars off the roads, climate change and everything else, but we have to ensure that we expand the scheme as best we can across the country because it is highly valued, both at primary and post-primary level. We will reflect very carefully on the issues that were raised. One or two Deputies referred to contractors they knew who would be willing to go into the system. I am only too happy to take any information in that regard, because it is vitally important. The more information we have, the better.”
“I will not refer to some individual instances that were raised because I do not want those involved to be identifiable. Some of the contractors, for very legitimate reasons, had to bow out, sometimes owing to extremely challenging health issues. We have to respect those who had to bow out. We wish them well, particularly as they had given long service to the Department of education and Bus Éireann over the years. We have to try to find alternatives. A number of routes have been funded and put in place. We are working very closely with local people to try to find operators that can take up the routes. There are many issues in relation to that. On the taxi system that has been developed in the context of special education, some children need individual transport. We have to be mindful of that.”
“We hope that will have a meaningful role in having a properly planned out system but we need to look at it as well. I understand the frustration. At my first meeting with departmental officials in Tullamore, I said that the period from 15 August to 1 October is the prime school transport period, but this year it happened earlier. A greater number of tickets were issued in July this year. We did an awful lot of extra work on it. We did a huge amount of planning and work. We also did a huge amount on the pilot schemes, some of which still have to be bedded in. We have given commitments on pilot schemes. The Department and Bus Éireann are working extremely hard to make sure we have those in place. Another issue relates to drivers and operators.”
“I am always amazed when I go back to either the departmental or Bus Éireann officials and mention a route, a road or an issue, and without even having to go through their system, I discover that they have the necessary knowledge themselves. I pay tribute to the work they have done. They set up the call centres during the summer to try to make sure that adequate information is given to parents. I take on board the concerns and criticisms as well, and I certainly will be reflecting on them. The other issue that came across was timing. We are looking at that very seriously. We had a number of meetings during the summer months to improve matters in that regard. We were very successful, and I thank the NCSE and others who brought back the date relating to special needs education to 1 October from 1 February.”
“Many people understand that a huge volume of work has been done to increase the capacity of the school bus services across the country. A number of issues relating to special education were raised. I am quite aware of the challenges with special education in Dublin, Cork and right across the country. The Department and Bus Éireann are working closely to try to find resolutions in this regard. We all came in for criticism in the debate, but we all - me, as Minister of State, the team in the Department of education and the team in Bus Éireann - take our role very seriously. Realistically, we are rolling out a massive service. The support staff are working extremely hard to find solutions.”
“In the months since coming into this role, not only have I got to know the towns and villages, I have also got to know the crossroads where the challenges lie. A number of issues were raised in respect of specific schools. We will reflect on them and try to get back to Members. In excess of ten Members raised the issue of bus drivers aged over 70. As I said at the outset, a report was compiled in August 2024. The programme for Government contains a commitment to having an interdepartmental review of this. That is being done by the Department of Transport. A report is due in the next number of weeks. We are looking forward to that. When the report is submitted, we will certainly bring it to the attention of Members and will reflect on it accordingly.”
“I thank all those who contributed to the debate. Somebody said to me anecdotally that the school bus service was quiet this year and that there were not so many issues with it. After the past three and a half hours, I can see the issues quite clearly. The genuine commitment shown by Members on all sides in respect of school transport issues this afternoon is heartening. Everybody, whether in opposition or in government, including non-party Members, has a huge commitment to school buses. That reflects on the value that parents and children throughout the country place on school buses. I know that very personally myself. It is heartening that this House has spent over three and a half hours debating it today and Deputies have brought issues from the length and breadth of the country.”
“We are also looking at the dates and at bringing it back in order that we will have clarity earlier on, rather than in the last week of August or the first week of September, and find resolutions. We need to bring back those dates. The Department and Bus Éireann are both looking at how that can be done to ensure we can have a better system into the future.”
“Many students I know who require special education, whether it is special classes or special schools, simply would not be able to attend except for the school transport system. I compliment the departmental officials and those from Bus Éireann who have been available day and night over the past number of weeks to try to find resolutions to issues that have arisen across the country. They have been able to find some resolutions. There are some issues we are still dealing with, but the fundamental point is this is a highly respected and integral part of our education system. We must continue to make sure of that. The Minister and I are very committed to a new system being developed over the coming years.”
“In its inception, it was for people who did not have transport. Now it is very important for working families. We have met throughout the summer. There were closing dates in April and again in June. The Department and Bus Éireann worked continuously throughout the summer to ensure we had the best possible service in place through mapping out where the demands were and what we needed to do. A number of schemes were very successfully piloted last year and again this year. A number of challenges remain right across the system, but we are very committed to working towards it because we fundamentally believe the school transport system is a fundamental piece of the infrastructure of the State, particularly in special education.”
“My Department provides grant funding directly to schools for the employment of school bus escorts and sets the rate of pay. The boards of management of ETBs are responsible for the employment of school bus escorts. In recognition of the fact that these escorts play a vital role in supporting children with additional needs to ensure they can get to and from school and as a recommended action arising from the recent school transport review, the commitment to review pay rates for school bus escorts has been completed and an information pack has been issued to schools. The rate of pay for escorts has increased from €13.40 an hour to €15.60 per hour as of 1 August 2025. I travelled to primary and post-primary school on the school bus scheme. That scheme has been a major lifeline for people.”
“These include: a dedicated Bus Éireann call centre for school transport queries; a dedicated email address for Oireachtas Members; and a new case management system within the Department. On the school transport appeals board, the Department ensures that all parents and children have access to an efficient and effective appeals process if their applications for eligibility for school transport are refused. This board is independent in the performance of its functions and works in accordance with the terms of its operating procedures. Parents and guardians of children or children who have reached the age of 18 may submit appeals. I will touch on the important role of school bus escorts who can be hired in cases where there are care and safety needs for a child while on school transport, such as to require the support of a school bus escort.”
“As outlined by the Minister, the school transport 2030 review has led to a welcome expansion of the scheme, which is growing year on year. The roll-out of the recommended changes to the scheme will provide 260,000 children and young people with transport to and from school daily. The expansion will have a very positive impact on working families and rural communities and will provide young people with self-confidence and independence. It will also reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion. The recommendations are all to be pursued on a phased basis through pilots around the country. I hope to advance these further in the years ahead. Improvements have also been made to enhancing the customer experience, particularly during peak summer months.”
“The Department of Education and Bus Éireann continue to engage with the National Transport Authority, NTA, to identify transport solutions available on public transport. Bus Éireann advertises for contractors in the NTA bulletin, specifically targeting contractors of smaller vehicles. On the matter of the driver age limit, the current retirement age, 70, remains in place across Bus Éireann services. A review commissioned by the Road Safety Authority on this issue was completed in August 2024. This review spoke to why the limit should remain. However, the Department of education continues to engage on the commitment in the programme for Government to assess the feasibility of removing the inclusion of drivers over 70. This is a work in progress and a matter on which I will be happy to update the House once further work has been advanced.”
“Where a service cannot be provided immediately, my Department will provide interim grants to eligible pupils who travel on mainstream services and services for children with additional needs towards the cost of private transportation until we have a service in place. In an effort to meet these challenges, a wider task force has been established in the Department of Transport to action possible solutions to increase the availability of contractors and drivers. The Department of education has been working extensively with Bus Éireann to streamline the procurement process for contractors. A national and local media campaign was launched earlier this year to attract new contractors and drivers to the scheme. Bus Éireann engaged with local operators to secure cover for services affected.”
“Difficulties have also arisen in some cases due to the lack of driver or contractor availability or where zero bids were received for a particular service despite repeated efforts by both the Department and Bus Éireann to procure a contractor. I assure the House, however, that Bus Éireann’s school transport team is working extensively to ensure transport arrangements are put in place as soon as possible. While the situation is dynamic, with solutions being found daily, those without transport currently represent a very small number of pupils by comparison with the number using school transport services nationally. Approximately 1% are affected.”
“There can sometimes be accusations that the lack or late withdrawal of a service is due to poor planning. We all know that services should be sorted out on time before a school year starts. While I understand the frustration, it is important to highlight that the issues which arise are sometimes out of anyone's control. These can include contractors informing Bus Éireann they are withdrawing their services just days before the school term begins. This happens every year, with no clear reasons given. I have seen this year a couple of instances where major contractors withdrew their services well into August on health grounds. These are obviously very unfortunate circumstances, for both the contractors and the impacted families. They mean Bus Éireann has only limited time in which to secure new services.”
“Between 2018 and 2024, investment in the scheme more than doubled, from €200 million to €512 million. This investment is extremely welcome as the scheme and associated costs continue to grow. This growth is driven by increased pupil numbers, the expansion of the scheme for children with additional needs and increased transport costs. As already mentioned, there have been some challenges with the service. I wholeheartedly acknowledge the shortcomings and challenges we have. In our weekly meetings with senior officials from the Department and Bus Éireann, difficulties in sourcing contractors or vehicles in a small number of locations have also been highlighted. It is important to note that the services in question have not been cancelled and that the affected families have been contacted directly in relation to the challenges.”
“The scheme, which Bus Éireann operates on behalf of the Department, has expanded significantly over the past six years. In that time, the number of children and young people using the services has grown from 120,000 to 178,000, which is an increase of almost 50%. The services facilitate over 100,000 mainstream pupils who are eligible for transport as well as 49,000 with concessionary tickets. In addition, over 23,000 pupils travel on dedicated school transport services for children with additional needs. The growth has been exceptionally marked in the area of special education needing transport, which now represent almost 60% of the scheme's total cost, while serving around 13% of the pupils. This reflects the Department’s and Government's continued commitment to inclusive access and tailored supports.”
“It is about ensuring no child is left behind simply because they live beyond the reach of public transport. In many parts of the country, especially rural and under-serviced areas, the school transport scheme is the only bridge between home and the classroom. The scale of what we are talking about here today is immense. Every single school day, over 178,000 children climb on board approximately 8,200 vehicles, which travel along 10,600 routes to primary and post-primary schools across the country. The service supports parents and guardians in accessing employment by easing one extra stress and their worry about how their children will get to school. It continues to support pupils living in rural and remote areas and children and young people with additional needs, as well as the national sustainability and climate goals.”
“The engagement we have had, particularly with families, has shown school transport to be a vital service to provide children and young people with access to education. I am pleased to see how much the scheme has grown over recent years and note there have been some reported challenges. We are not blind to these. We understand them and are committed to ensuring they are addressed. The school transport scheme was established in 1967, when post-primary education was made free to all, to support children and young people in accessing education. This remains a core belief of the service. It is not just a logistical service involving buses and routes but also a lifeline for families across the island of Ireland. For decades, the scheme has helped to create opportunities and equality.”
“I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to address the House and provide an update on the provision of school transport. This is a hugely important issue, particularly for children and young people with additional needs and their families, many of whom require school transport provision to support children in attending school. I pay tribute to my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and thank her for her great support and co-operation, not just on this issue but also on others that arise right throughout the Department of Education. Since taking up my position in January, I have met many families and visited many schools, which have shared their experiences in relation to school transport.”
“-----and that we will have a place for everyone. The most important thing is that we have sufficient capacity in schools. We must work to ensure we meet the needs of every student and every family and that is the commitment I give to the House this evening.”
“The Government is committed to opening additional special schools to ensure there is capacity. I have put everything I have into this job since I was appointed in January this year and I assure the House and the parents who are here that I know the struggle they are facing. I understand it 100%. The Department and the NCSE will work day and night to make sure the challenges being faced by children with additional needs are met forthwith. We have an awful lot of work to do. We have achieved an awful lot in recent months. We have it down to single digits at the moment. We have an awful lot of work to do and we will continue to do it to make sure the system we have in place from 1 October onwards brings certainty earlier in the calendar year, that we can start any building works earlier-----”
“In many cases, students enrolling in new special classes are already attending mainstream classes in the school and can continue to do so. Some schools are using alternative accommodation within the school temporarily, and with the assistance of other schools. We are forward planning, as I said. We brought forward the date this year to 1 October so we will know what the need is earlier in the year. We will know the figures and I can confirm to the House that the Department and the NCSE have met patron bodies in recent weeks. Throughout the summer, we have been putting building blocks in place to make sure that after 1 October when we know the need and locations of the need, we will engage with school authorities to open special classes and know the need for special schools.”
“While children being enrolled in these new special classes and places is positive news, I am aware that some children have had a delayed start to their school year due to the completion of necessary building work and I am quite aware of the anxiety and challenges caused because of that. I assure the families of these children that these works are being advanced as quickly as possible and that we are checking in several times weekly to see their progress. Well over 80% of new special classes for this school year are being provided in existing school accommodation. The NCSE has worked closely with schools that are waiting for modular accommodation to provide special classrooms to put in place contingency arrangements. Teachers and SNAs have been allocated and recruited by these schools and are available to support students.”
“While I have provided details on the additional capacity, the NCSE reports that all children seeking a special class or special school place outside Dublin, and the vast majority of those in Dublin, known to them by mid-February 2025 have been offered school places. In the past two weeks, the NCSE has been supporting a very small number of children - and I mean in the single digits - to access available special class places in Dublin. Decisions on whether families access these places are a matter for families and individuals, but regardless, the NCSE and the Department will continue to work with this small number of families to support them and the children to access places.”
“These new special schools are opening in Nenagh, Castleblayney, the northside of Cork city, and Belmayne and Lucan in County Dublin. These new special schools are in addition to the 11 new special schools opened in recent years. This will bring the number of new special schools opened in Dublin to six and the number of new special schools opened in Cork to four since 2019. The new special school in Castleblayney is the first special school to be located in County Monaghan. I thank the local education and training boards for taking on the role of school patron for these new special schools. We also acknowledge the various project management teams and contractors who have worked night and day over recent months to get these new special schools ready.”
“This is a commitment we have given and we are working very hard towards it. A total of 407 new special classes have been sanctioned by the Department and the NCSE for this school year, with new special classes in each and every county. Of these,103 are new special classes being established across schools in Dublin. This is the single largest annual increase in special class provision in Dublin. Well over 300 new special school places are being provided. Approximately 150 of these are being provided in Dublin and 75 in Cork. Again, these are the highest annual increases in special school places in both counties. I am happy that after extensive work, five new special schools are opening, providing over 100 new special school places.”
“Therefore, sufficient capacity was available to meet the needs of the almost 3,300 children known to the NCSE by the mid-February timeline, and indeed many children coming forward after this timeline. It is important to clearly state that the NCSE will always work to support families coming forward after the cut-off timeline for the parents’ notification process. This was the case last year and it will be the same for the upcoming 1 October cut-off point for notifications this year. We have brought forward the deadline to October this year so we are in a better position into the next school year. We hope to be in a position to offer the places available and that children are offered places before the end of this year for next year, to avoid all the stress and anxiety for families and children going into the school year.”
“Following this ongoing review, a new parents notification process was introduced by the NCSE ahead of this school year. This was to address a significant issue where new special classes were being opened and, in some cases, were being filled by children who were not previously known to the NCSE. I sincerely thank parents and families for their co-operation with this new process. The NCSE reported that almost 3,300 verified notifications for children and young people seeking a special class or special school places for this school year were received by the mid-February of this year. Through the provision of over 2,700 new places and the availability of another 1,200 or so places through the normal movement of students, almost 4,000 places were available.”
“At the start of this school year, over 20,500 students with more complex needs will be enrolled in special classes and in special schools. That is an increase of 67% in the past five years. The accelerated delivery of additional special education places by the Department and the NCSE, working closely with the schools, is providing 400 new special classes and over 300 new special school places annually. This equates to 2,700 new special class and special school places being provided each year across the country. The Department and the NCSE are forward planning to provide the same level of additional capacity for the next school year as well. Deputies are well aware that my Department and the NCSE constantly review the measures being taken to support the forward planning of this provision.”
“This is something I am committed to working towards with the Department and the NCSE. It is important to remember that the vast majority of children with additional needs continue to be supported to access mainstream classes with their peers. These students are supported by their classroom teachers and can access additional special education teaching and SNA supports if required. At the start of this school year, we have over 23,000 SNAs and almost 21,000 special education teachers working within our schools whose sole role is to support children and young people with additional needs. Notwithstanding this, there will always be a place for specialised placements. For children with more complex needs a special class is provided and for those with the most complex needs a special school place must be provided.”
“I will focus on the provision of places for the start of this school year and I will then touch on the forward planning work under way for the next school year, 2026-27, and beyond. Since we took up our new roles earlier this year, both Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, and I have had a weekly meeting with the chief executive of the NCSE and senior departmental officials to track the progress in providing new special education places for this school year. The provision of these new places has been my number one priority over the past number of months. I sincerely understand the challenges parents are facing in securing a special class or special school place. Parents of children and young people with additional needs should know where their son or daughter will be attending school at the same time as other parents.”
“I welcome the opportunity to address the House this evening to provide an update on special education provision which is a topic of particular importance to children and young people with additional needs and their families who seek appropriate school places each year. Since taking up my position in January of this year as Minister of State for special education and inclusion, I have met with many families and advocacy groups who have raised concerns regarding the provision of special classes and special school places. I share their desire for us to do better and I will continue to meet with them and listen to the concerns. The key issue we are here to discuss is the provision of special education and special school places.”
“I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Eireann" and substitute the following: "notes that: — a child's right to education is enshrined in the Constitution and, under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), must be accessible on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live; and — the Government is committed to ensuring that each child and young person with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their Constitutional right and Programme for Government commitments; notes that the Government will: — progress work on the development of a more inclusive education system for children with special education needs by supporting them to attend their local school; — continue to expand the number of special school places, special classes and special education teaching hours as required across the State; — improve communication and outreach to parents of children with special educational needs to streamline the process by which parents apply for specialist school places, reducing the burden on them and improving the timelines, including the introduction of a common application procedure; — continue to increase investment into the area of special education to ensure that every child can reach their full potential; — support additional schools and students to benefit from the Summer Programme 2025; — ensure that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) will continue to engage intensively with parents and all educational partners to continue to increase capacity; — ensure that available capacity across schools is maximised to make provision for children with special education needs; and — prioritise school building projects delivering additional capacity for special classes and at special schools; and further notes: — the continued significant State investment of €2.9 billion in supporting the provision of special education, a 48 per cent increase since 2020; — 97 per cent of all children and young people enrolled in schools, including the majority of children and young people with special educational needs, are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers; — the significant increases in the allocation of Special Education Teachers (SETs) and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to support children with special educational needs in our schools which facilitates them in prioritising the allocation of all of these resources to children with the greatest level of need, including the completion of all SNA reviews and appeals for September 2025, there are now over 23,000 SNAs in our schools, an increase of 43 per cent since 2020; — there are almost 21,000 SETs working in our schools whose sole role is to support children and young people with special educational needs, this is a 23 per cent increase since 2020, approximately 15,000 of these SETs support children and young people in mainstream classes, supplementing the work of mainstream teachers; — the strategic initiatives introduced to provide for the continued, accelerated delivery of special class places in mainstream schools and special school places, the number of special classes has doubled over the last 5 years to over 3,700 and 16 new special schools have been established; — 407 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2025/26 school year and over 300 new special school places are being provided, including over 100 places in five new special schools opening presently; — over 3,700 special classes have been made available across the country for the 2025/26 school year, ensuring that children can continue to access a special class in their local area avoiding the need for long distance travel; — the commitment to prioritise investment in special education and school places as part of €7.55 billion in National Development Plan (NDP) capital funding for 2026-2030; — the Minister of State at the Department of Education with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion and the NCSE have used statutory powers to compel one primary school in County Kildare to open two new special classes and the NCSE initiated S67 proceedings against a number of schools to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs were enrolled; — confirmation from the NCSE that all, bar a very small handful of children in Dublin, known to them by the mid-February cut-off point, have been placed for this school year and that there are available special class places for these children and young people; — the progress being made by the Department of Education and Youth and the NCSE in introducing new measures to support improved forward planning for the 2026/27 school year which brings forward the date of notification and will see the majority of new special classes sanctioned by 31st December, 2025; — the streamlining of funding to ensure schools can access funding for repurposing accommodation; — the significant investment in the expansion of staffing at the NCSE to assist families of children with special educational needs in all aspects of their educational journey, including accessing a placement appropriate to their needs; — a new Education Therapy Service is being established which will commence initially in special schools and subsequently extend to schools with special classes and mainstream provision, it is intended that the service will be rolled out on a phased basis in some special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year, with a wider roll-out for the 2026/27 school year, it is expected that recruitment of therapists for this service will be initiated in Q4 2025; — the continued expansion of the Summer Programme, which has seen a 52 per cent increase in school participation since 2022, with over 1,900 schools taking part in 2025, and the introduction of the hot schools meals programme this year to support schools; — the extensive review by the Department of Education and Youth of the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, which was published during the summer and the work underway to implement recommendations; — ongoing work on the first SNA Workforce Development Plan by the Department of Education and Youth, which recognises the essential role played by SNAs in our school, which is engaging with SNAs, schools, unions and other stakeholders, and which is underpinned by a new national training programme for SNAs delivered by Atlantic Technological University costing €1.9 million; — the work underway on the SNA Redeployment scheme which for the first time, will allow SNAs in posts which may no longer be required for reasons such as falling enrolments, reduced care needs or changing demographics, to be redeployed to a school which has a vacant/new post; — the significant level of funding and supports being provided to schools to deliver accommodation for special classes, including school building projects, the repurposing of available rooms, and the provision of modular accommodation; — the new pilot single application system for admission to post-primary schools, including admission to post-primary special classes, being rolled out by the Department of Education and Youth this year across five areas; and — the renewed focus of the Government on the area of disability services, with a particular focus on improving the delivery of services for children with disabilities.".”
“We have had many discussions in recent weeks. The Deputy mentioned the deputation from the Down Syndrome Ireland Galway branch who were here yesterday to discuss mild general learning classes. ASD classes are opening across the country based on the need being presented. We have to be mindful of children with other additional needs and ensuring they are accommodated within the school system. That point has been well made by groups throughout the country and it is one we are very conscious of and keeping under constant review. On the issue of admissions and the inspectorate report, my understanding is that a circular was issued after that review. It is important that the admissions policy is kept constantly under review because it will enable children to get into schools. We need to put an awful lot of thought into it in future as well.”
“The review of the EPSEN Act was very important research. I commend all those who helped with the review. Launched recently, it provides very good information, including on additional needs. Teacher and SNA recruitment is kept under constant review by the Department. Many of the boards of management of schools and education and training boards are conducting interviews in these weeks to fill vacancies. Teachers also get additional training. It is important to note that many great teachers are coming through the colleges and going into the education system. We have to be very mindful of the possibility that there will be teacher shortages in future. We are working to keep that under review. Boards of management and the Department are working to ensure that staff are in place.”
“For a small number of children in the Dublin area who are seeking a special class or special school placement, the NCSE is working intensively with the parents and schools concerned to finalise the arrangements. On the specific issue the Deputy raised, of the special classes that have been sanctioned, over 80% involve a reconfiguration of existing capacity within school buildings. We have sanctioned 407 in total, and it is hoped they will all open. However, I will get the information the Deputy requested to him as a matter of urgency.”