1513. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Education and Youth the alternative educational provision being made for children who require a special class place at a school (details supplied) given the withdrawal of funding for the planned special class classroom; where such children are expected to access appropriate education; if she will review the decision and reinstate funding for the special class facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63698/26]

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and allocating supports for students with special educational needs.

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 2026/27 school year. 587 new special classes have been sanctioned to date, including 70 inclusive special classes. This brings the total number of special classes sanctioned to date to over 4,300.

My department is delivering a large-scale major project to provide the school named with new permanent accommodation and this construction project is currently well advanced with an expected completion date in the fourth quarter of 2026. The new school building will accommodate two Gaelscoileanna that share the same patron in one combined structure.

The school authorities were advised that it was necessary to make provision for special education at the two school buildings due to the significantly increased demand for classes in their school planning area. The department examined various options for how best to meet this need including the feasibility of expanding the current scale of the project. However, due to the availability of a projected 7 spare classrooms in the current overall school project, the department decided that the use of these spare mainstream classrooms for special education provision is consistent with the Education and Youth Sector Sectoral Capital Plan 2026 to 2030 which was published in January 2026. This decision was outlined to the school authorities in detail at a meeting with my department officials in January. The building design was revised to accommodate four special classes and quiet spaces.

While the NDP funding of €7.5 billion for school capital projects is substantial, the Department must manage the progression of a large pipeline of projects and meet the substantially increased need for special education provision within this funding. The Department prioritises projects to balance urgency, equity, and available resources, ensuring that investments are sustainable and provide maximum value for money. This includes the optimum use of existing accommodation particularly surplus accommodation. This allows my department to keep a strong focus on the provision of additional capacity to cater for demographics, new housing developments, and the rollout of additional special classes for children with additional needs. This approach reflects my department's fundamental objective of ensuring the availability of a school place for every child.

Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) are available to offer advice, support and guidance as required to ensure students with special educational needs are supported to achieve their full potential.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to achieve their full potential.