101. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Education and Youth the measures being taken to ensure that primary schools requested by her Department to provide additional mainstream places or establish new special classes receive timely confirmation of the teaching posts, special educational needs supports and associated resources required to deliver those places; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54041/26]

I can assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children and young people with special educational needs, is an absolute priority for my department.

The annual enrolment process for new Junior Infants at primary level and new first years at post-primary level is a very large-scale operation that takes place across almost 4,000 schools nationwide and involves approximately 140,000 pupils each year. My department works closely with schools, patrons, and management bodies to ensure that there are sufficient school places available to meet the needs of all children.

My department’s core responsibility is to ensure that schools within an area can, collectively, cater for all pupils seeking places.  Where demographic data indicates that additional provision is required, my department works to ensure that available capacity is utilised in the first instance, taking account of both accommodation and staffing resources.

Where a need for additional mainstream places is identified, my department works closely with schools and patrons to support the planning and delivery of additional capacity. Schools are encouraged to highlight any accommodation or staffing requirements arising from this process. The allocation of teaching posts and associated supports is made in accordance with the published Primary Staffing schedule and the relevant Department policies.

The primary factor in determining the level of staffing resources allocated to an individual school is the applicable staffing schedule for the relevant school year, together with pupil enrolment as recorded on the preceding 30 September. The staffing schedule operates as a standardised allocation mechanism, using enrolment bands to determine the number of classroom teaching posts assigned to each school.  The staffing schedule for the 2026/27 school year was published in March 2026.

At primary level, the staffing schedule plays a central role in supporting the sustainability of schools by aligning staffing resources with enrolment patterns in a clear, consistent, and equitable manner, ensuring that schools of a similar type are treated uniformly, irrespective of location.

Mainstream teachers are not allocated on a class-by-class basis but on a general allocation for the total enrolment across the school.

In cases where a school takes an additional class and enrolments are projected to increase there are options available to schools to apply for additional staffing, within the staffing arrangements (Circular 0025/2026). In general, schools experiencing rapid increases in enrolment can apply for additional permanent mainstream posts, using the projected enrolment criteria. If a school takes on an additional class and overall enrolments do not increase significantly, the teacher for that class is taken from the existing teacher allocation within the school. There is also a staffing appeals mechanism for schools to apply to an independent Primary Staffing Appeals Board, under certain published criteria.

With respect to the resourcing of new special classes, my department and the NCSE continue to work closely with school patron bodies, school management bodies and schools to confirm new special classes for the next school year 2026/2027. The NCSE began sanctioning new special classes in January of this year, which is several months earlier than last year.

The earlier sanctioning of new classes provides clarity for parents and allows schools more time for the planning and establishment of new special classes.  Each special class at primary level is allocated 1 teacher and 2 SNAs and at post-primary level, schools receive 1.5 teachers and 2 SNAs.

The department and the NCSE continue to make a range of supports available for schools opening special classes which include the provision of teacher and special needs assistant (SNA) resources, enhanced capitation grants, assistive technology grants, the school transport scheme, dedicated training and guidance and resource documents.

My department continues to work collaboratively with schools and education partners to support planning and timely resourcing of schools, in line with the parameters of the relevant schemes.