Ministers McEntee and Moynihan urge parents to contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) ahead of 1 October NCSE closing date.
- Published on: 15 September 2025
- Last updated on: 15 September 2025
Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee TD, and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Michael Moynihan TD, are urging parents seeking a special class or special school place for the 2026/2027 school year to contact the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) as soon as possible, and before the notification closing date of 1st October 2025. The call comes as Ministers provide an update on forward planning for special education provision. The earlier timeline has been introduced to provide more time for the establishment of new special classes and additional special school capacity, thereby providing parents with clarity at an earlier stage on new special class and special school provision for their children.
Minister McEntee said,
“Minister of State Moynihan and I are working closely with the NCSE and officials in the Department to identify and establish new special classes and special school places for the 2026/2027 school year. The NCSE has set a closing date of 1st October 2025 for parents to submit their notifications and reports. This earlier closing date will support more effective planning for the school year ahead. We are encouraging parents to contact the NCSE as early as possible to begin the process. The NCSE have a dedicated online notification process in place. We strongly urge families to make initial contact with the NCSE without delay so that planning can begin. It is important to remember that the NCSE will continue to support children and young people who come forward after the 1st October 2025 to access specialist places and supports as was the case last year.”
“The NCSE and my Department are committed to delivering 400 new special classes for the 2026/2027 school year, continuing the rapid expansion of special education provision in recent years. This September, approximately 30,500 students will be enrolled in special classes and special schools—an increase of over 12,000 students (67%) since 2020. The number of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) has also grown significantly, with nearly 23,000 SNAs now employed across the education system—an increase of almost 10,000 posts (27%) over the same period.
“For the current school year, the NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes, bringing the total to 3,741 nationwide. These classes are distributed across every county in Ireland.
“In addition, over 300 new special school places are being provided in special schools.
Minister Moynihan said,
“I want to remind families of children seeking a special class or special school place to come forward to the NCSE by 1st October 2025. I know that the NCSE have been highlighting this timeline through their media channels and through their direct engagement with parents, schools and advocacy groups.
“I acknowledge that this timeline is just a few weeks away and some families may be concerned in relation to obtaining the necessary reports and recommendations. The 1st October timeline is important for forward planning purposes to ensure that families have clarity at an earlier stage regarding new special class and special school provision for the 2026/2027. The NCSE will however continue to support families coming forward after that timeline as well.
“It’s also important to note that a new report is not required when a child is transitioning between similar special class settings—for example, from junior to senior primary, or from primary to post-primary.
“Most children with special educational needs are supported in mainstream settings by classroom teachers, Special Education Teachers, and SNAs. I want to thank the boards of management and schools for their continued support.”
Notes to editors
Further information:
- The earlier timeline will assist the NCSE in relation to approaching local schools to open new special classes earlier. The earlier timeline is also being introduced to provide more time for the establishment of new special classes and additional special school capacity. The establishment of additional special education places involves a significant level of work in terms of reconfiguring existing classrooms, recruiting teachers and SNAs, running admission processes, accessing training and support and organising school transport. This new timeline was introduced after engagement with all of the key education stakeholders including bodies representing parents and special education advocacy groups. The NCSE aim to sanction the majority of new special classes for the 2026/2027 school year by the end of the 2025 calendar year, thereby providing parents with clarity at an earlier stage on new special class and special school provision.
- A key focus for the NCSE and the Department for the 2026/2027 school year will be on providing additional special classes in post-primary level to ensure that children progressing from primary special classes have the opportunity to transition to a post-primary special class if required.
- This expansion reflects the Government’s commitment to inclusive education and ensuring every child with special educational needs receives the support they deserve.
- Further details on the parents notification process, an information video and the notification form is available on the NCSE website at Notify NCSE – Special Class/Special School Placement – National Council for Special Education – Working to deliver a better special education service
Details of a NCSE helpline are also provided.
- Single application system: Families seeking a special class place at post-primary level in Athenry, Celbridge, Clonakilty, Greystones or Tullamore/Killina will be able to apply online using a single application form as part of a pilot project to streamline the admissions process. This pilot is a first step towards a national common application system which will be a game-changer for families seeking school places, particularly for children with special educational needs. More information will be made available to parents in the coming weeks.