Special Educational Needs

I am disappointed the Minister could not be here to take the matter but I appreciate that the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, is. I want to raise the case of a child with additional needs in my constituency who, almost a month into the school year when other children are in school - almost four weeks now - still does not have an appropriate school place. I also want to raise the issue of promised schools still not delivered completely, notably Finglas Parochial National School, where children are still at home waiting to get their school places and issues increasingly faced that parents have raised with me where children with additional needs are on reduced school hours, which is not an adequate school place. I raised the case of Roman Slator with the Minister of State with responsibility for special education two weeks ago. As I said, most children are into their fourth week of school, but five-year-old Roman from Finglas still has no school place. Roman has been diagnosed with autism and a global developmental delay. Roman and his mother have been scandalously failed by this Government and by the Department of Education and Youth. Jade, his mother, has had to work night and day alongside her actual employment to try and get Roman a school place, contacting school after school and the NCSE, but to no avail. The lack of a school place for Roman is taking a massive and extremely worrying toll on her and her family. Jade said to me: I feel it's very important to highlight the effect this has on my life, my family, my mental health. I spend my days constantly emailing, constantly calling, following up, chasing schools, contacting principals, local TDs, having to go the legal route when I am a single mother with two children, one who is autistic and has no school place and another who has just started secondary school. She is upset all the time, she is stretched thin. This mother is being pushed to the edge, she is actually at breaking point as a result of the failure of the State to provide an appropriate school place for her child. She has had to reduce her work and she is now forced to decide each week which bill will not be paid as she tries to mind her child at home. Her employer has been extremely understanding so far but time is running out for her. Jade asked me to ask the Minister if she has any idea of the effect this has on parents of children with additional needs. She contacted one local school which said it could offer a place in a mainstream class if it was guaranteed resources from the NCSE. Then the NCSE said that it would not provide any guarantee of resources and would review potential resources when the school provides a place for Roman and that it would assess if resources are needed. This is utterly scandalous. As Jade says: This is a total lack of respect for my Roman, his diagnosis, his education requirements, my family and me. The department and the NCSE won't give the funding for an SNA, so clearly the most vulnerable children, children with disabilities, are being left at home rather than paying for an SNA. She describes it as more being like special educational needs lettown at this point. She is extremely concerned about Roman's regression, his lack of supports in terms of education and also the lack of social aspect of a school placement. It really is scandalous that this child is left in this situation. I am extremely worried about his mother and the impact on her and the family. This raises the issue of parents having to reduce work hours and the stress that is on them to make up for the State's failure to provide an appropriate education and support to children with additional needs, which it is responsible for.

I thank the Deputy. I hear his real concern for his constituent's child and the difficult circumstances in which they find themselves. I have a response here, some of which deals with the issue he raised and some of which is a more general response on what the Government is doing. If he will bear with me, I will give him both. The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with special educational needs. Budget 2026 has already provided funding for over 400 new special classes and at least 400 new special school places for the 2026-27 school year. It was intended that this would create almost 3,000 new special educational placements for December 2026. In total, there will be over 4,300 special classes operating in mainstream schools next year, an increase of 130% since 2020. In County Dublin, 845 special classes are now in operation, providing capacity for over 5,000 students, and this includes 140 new special classes for the 2026-2027 year. In addition, 20 new special schools have been established in recent years. Special school capacity has also been expanded across a number of special schools nationwide. A total of 44 of these special schools are in County Dublin, educating approximately 2,700 students with the most complex of special educational needs. These schools are supported by the Department and the NCSE. As Deputy Hearne is aware, an earlier notification deadline was introduced this year to support forward planning and to earlier equip - and I presume better equip - the NCSE with local information as to what students would be leaving school, transitioning to post-primary specialist places, seeking specialist placement or entering the education system for the first time. This information is critical when examining where provision needs to be placed to meet demand. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes earlier this year, which is several months earlier than last year. A total of 587 have been sanctioned for the school year 2026-2027. The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes. In regard to the specific matter raised by Deputy Hearne on the modular project for Finglas Parochial National School, the modular building is installed on site. Internal fitting-out works are nearing completion and external works, including soft play works, are taking place in parallel. The project will be completed soon. The assigned project managers are keeping the school authority updated regularly as the project progresses to near completion. This project required planning permission, which was granted on 25 March this year. The Department and its project manager have been working to ensure the project gets delivered as quickly as possible.

I reiterate that it is important that the project is delivered for Finglas Parochial National School as soon as possible. I really do think the parents deserve a very clear date as to when that will happen. My understanding is that it was committed to be delivered in September and we are getting very close to the end of September. It really should be in place. I want to go back to the specific case I raised, which I also raised with the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. I am really disappointed with the Minister of State's response, which is absolutely inadequate. There is a child who does not have a school place. This is a child with autism who, as I very clearly outlined, has a need which has been identified. His mother is at breaking point. As the Minister of State has set out, the NCSE and the Department are turning to the 2027-2028 school year but children do not have a place in this current school year. This is absolutely unacceptable. What this mother is being put through is wrong. It is deeply disappointing that the Minister of State with responsibility is not here and has not provided a satisfactory reply. I really do want a commitment from the Minister of State with responsibility that Roman will be in school within a week and will have a school place. I do not feel it is acceptable that any child is going into October without a school place or any prospect of a school place. It is absolutely wrong and I really think the Minister should accept this situation as being an absolutely dire emergency and act accordingly. I ask the Minister of State to bring this back and raise the issue. I do want answers because it is not clear with regard to children who are on reduced school hours and what they need to ensure they and their parents have adequate supports.

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.