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Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD have today, 23 March, announced a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork and Dublin.
This significant announcement will provide for the establishment of a new special school in Cork and increased capacity in existing special schools in Cork and Dublin to meet the needs of children and young people.
Minister Foley said:
“Our education system is at its best when it has the welfare and wellbeing of our children at its heart, and when every child and young person feels welcomed, nurtured, and inspired within their school community. As Minister for Education I am committed to having an education system that works for everyone within it.
“The announcement of new provision today in Cork and Dublin is a significant step forward and I am pleased that we are making real progress in meeting the needs of our young people and collaborating in new ways to ensure every child has access to a welcoming and inclusive environment to learn and flourish.
“I want to thank all of the parents, schools, patron bodies and other stakeholders in Cork for their ongoing engagement with the Department and with the NCSE. I know that this has been a difficult period for many students and their families in Cork who have been unable to secure a suitable placement, and I am pleased that we continue to make progress in addressing this.
“In particular, I want to thank the patrons, boards of management and principals for their willingness to engage on expansion of their school designation. Discussions will continue with patrons to finalise the patronage arrangements for the new special school.
“I know that the additional capacity announced today will be a welcome relief to the families who do not have a school place for next September.”
Minister Madigan said:
“As Minister for Special Education, I am committed to keeping inclusion at the heart of education by ensuring that every child has a school place appropriate for their needs. In this, there will always be a vital role for special schools. It is for this reason that I am delighted to have secured agreement for the expansion of special school places in Dublin and Cork, parts of the country where demand has been highest.
“At this time of year, many families are applying for school places for their children. It can be a period of anxiety. Today’s announcement is about saying to families that we understand the pressures you are facing, we are on your side, and we are committed to ensuring that as many places as possible are available.
“I am particularly delighted to have secured agreement for the opening of a new special school in Rochestown for the benefit of students and families with additional needs in Cork, as well as provision of new special school places and buildings in Dublin. I also welcome the Memorandum of Understanding with the Spiritan Order which marks the first time that schools such as these will be part of the provision of special education in Ireland, without barriers to entry for those who need a place.
“This is a much-needed development which will help to meet the demand for special school places in these areas.
“I want to thank everyone involved in this endeavour. I also want to be clear that work continues to meet the ongoing demand for special education placements. As Minister of State for Special Education, I am determined to support students and families in securing school places where they are needed. I know this can be a difficult process and I want to make it as easy as possible.”
Cork
The Department, together with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), has been working with parents, schools, patron bodies and other stakeholders in Cork to address the current shortage of specialist school placements in the Cork area.
A new special school will be established during the 2022/23 school year in Rochestown, Cork which will provide for the enrolment of children and young people with autism and complex learning needs up to 18 years of age.
While places will be provided for all children who have no offer of a special school place for the 2022/23 school year, it is estimated at this stage that 30 places will be required initially.
Priority will now be given to those children and young people who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September and require the support of a special school.
Special educational needs organisers (SENOs) will work closely with the families of the children and young people concerned to assist them in accessing the new places which will become available early in 2023.
Planning for the establishment and opening of the new special school will begin immediately. This will include a determination of the size of the school required so that the necessary staff recruitment, school policy development and related arrangements can be put in train. This will also include ongoing communication with the families concerned.
The new school will be located on an interim basis in Rochestown in a premises expected to become available in early 2023.
Additional special school places are also being provided in the following special schools in Cork:
- Carrigaline Community Special School
Carrigaline Community Special School, which was established in September 2021, will expand by 16 places to an enrolment of 48 for the 2022/23 school year.
- St. Killian’s Special School, Mayfield
As part of a major capital investment at this school, which will ultimately deliver a large number of additional classrooms with associated multi-sensory and living skills areas, enrolment has already commenced for 18 additional places for September, 2022.
- St. Gabriel’s Special School, Bishopstown
A major refurbishment project is currently underway in this school which caters for children and young people with severe and profound learning disability and those in this category with associated autistic spectrum disorder. This project comes under a scheme operated in conjunction with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and is expected to deliver additional capacity in the 2022/23 school year.
More broadly, in addition to identifying possible locations for the permanent location of the new special school announced today, the Department is also considering the overall special education placement requirements of the Cork area including locations for special school provision on the eastern side of Cork City.
In this context, the Department will continue ongoing discussions with patron bodies in order to identify a patron for the new special school in Rochestown, and an announcement will be made shortly.
Dublin
The Department, together with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), has been working with parents, schools, patron bodies and other stakeholders in Dublin to address the current shortage of specialist school placements in the Dublin area. This approach has recently seen the establishment of two new special schools in Dublin – Danú Community Special School in Dublin 15 and Our Lady of Hope School in Crumlin, Dublin 12.
The new provision announced today will see additional capacity at the following special schools in Dublin:-
- Casa Caterina School, Cabra
This school will expand its enrolment by 6 children for the 2022/23 school year.
- Danú Community Special School, Dublin 15
A building project to facilitate the school’s relocation to Rath Dara Community College Campus, Blanchardstown is nearing completion and will facilitate the provision of 6 additional places at the school.
- Our Lady of Hope School, Crumlin
This school opened in autumn, 2021 following a major refurbishment project. Additional capital investment is planned which will provide for 7 additional places at the school in September, 2022.
Planning is also underway for the provision of new school buildings for a number of special schools in Dublin under the patronage of St. Michael’s House. This will provide additional capacity in both the North and South Dublin areas.
More broadly, the Department is also considering the overall special education placement requirements of the Dublin area in particular to ensure a supply of placements coming on stream to meet emerging demand.
In line with these demographics and as part of forward planning, it is envisaged that special classes will be required at most, if not all, post-primary schools.
A range of measures to meet additional SEN capacity demands have already been put in place including the utilisation of spare capacity in existing schools and delivery of additional SEN capacity within the scope of existing building projects.
Additionally, it is general practice to include a SEN Base in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless exceptional local circumstances indicate that it will not be required. The extent of provision made at these schools is informed by the level of demand in the area as well as the size of the school. As a general guide, a two classroom SEN Base is typically provided in new 8 classroom primary schools and a four classroom SEN Base is provided in new 1,000 pupil post primary schools.
In the context of the significant emerging demand for special education provision, and in particular, the specific requirements in South Dublin, the Spiritan Education Trust has entered into an agreement with the Department of Education in relation to the use of its existing school sites and other lands to support the provision of school places for children and young people with special educational needs. A copy of the Memorandum of Understanding is available here
This very important and pro-active initiative will see the Trust, with the full support of the Spiritan Congregation, making land available on its school campuses to provide special schools and special classes as required.
The initial focus will be on maximising the opportunities for facilitating special education needs provision at the Templeogue College campus as part of an overall modernisation/ development of the campus. This will include a four-classroom base for students with special educational needs at the college.
In addition and as part of supporting additional special school provision, strategic engagement and discussions will be commencing between the Trust and the patron of Cheeverstown School, a special school currently located on a temporary site in Templeogue.
Minister Foley added:
“This announcement today reflects the very strong emphasis on forward planning and roll-out of provision for children and young people with special educational needs. This is a key priority for me and I am particularly conscious of the need for a strengthened focus on special class provision at post-primary level to ensure as smooth a transition as possible for children with special educational needs.
“The Memorandum of Understanding with the Spiritan Education Trust is an example of the way the Department is seeking to maximise the opportunities for enhancing special education provision.
“Budget 2022 provided for the creation of 287 additional special classes for the 2022/2023 school year. These additional classes will provide over 1,700 new places from September next.
“This provision for 287 additional special classes will bring the total to 2,435 in the 2022/2023 school year, making a significant contribution to addressing unmet need across the country.
“Our school communities have demonstrated a real commitment to inclusion. I would like to thank those involved in supporting the continued establishment of special classes. Throughout Ireland, the number of special classes continues to grow year on year ensuring that children and young people have access to school places which are appropriate to their needs.”
Minister Madigan said:
“I am delighted to have secured the additional provision being announced today.
“This is critical to meeting the demand for special school places in the area.
“As Minister of State for Special Education, I am determined to support students and families in securing school places where they are needed. I know this can be a difficult process and I want to make it as easy as possible.
“There has been a shortage of special school places in the Dublin area in the last two years. Many students who should have a special school place were unable to secure one. This has impacted on their lives and the lives of their families. This expansion will increase the number of places available for students in the area and allow students to receive a full education appropriate to their needs.
“I want to thank everyone who works with us in our shared endeavour. I too am grateful to the Spiritan Education Trust for working with us to enhance special education provision”.
Intensive work is underway at present to ensure the additional places are established as early as possible, with a particular focus on the 2022/23 school year.
The provision of additional special school placements is to cater for the immediate requirements. The Department and the NCSE continue to work towards the development of additional placements nationwide to meet ongoing and future demand.
General
Department policy is that students with special educational needs should be included where possible and appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In circumstances where children and young people with special educational needs require more specialised interventions, special class or special school places are provided for.
The Department of Education continues to prioritise investment in supports for children and young people with special educational needs. Last October, a range of new investments in the area of special education were provided for as part of the Budget 2022 measures.
This year, the Department will spend in excess of €2 billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs. This includes funding for a wide range of schemes and supports including special classes, special school places, SNAs and teachers.
This represents an increase of over 60% in total expenditure, since 2011.
Budget 2022 provides funding for an additional 1,165 SNAs (in 2022) to provide support to children with special educational needs, which will bring the total number of SNAs to 19,169 at the end of December 2022.
Budget 2021 provided for an additional 145 special education teachers which brings the total provision to 13,765.
Budget 2022 provides for the creation of 980 new teaching posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.
In terms of additional resources for special educational needs, the provision for 2022 delivers right across the continuum of mainstream classes, special classes and special schools.
Special Schools
There are currently 126 special schools providing specialist education to over 8,000 pupils annually.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels in relation to the support of pupils with special educational needs in special schools, in accordance with the policies of the Department.
Enhanced pupil: teacher and SNA ratios are provided to special schools to support them in dealing with pupils' educational and care needs.
Since 2012, special schools are provided with teaching staff on the basis of individual pupil profiles and disability categories of those pupils, as opposed to being based principally on school designation, in accordance with Department Circular 0042/2011. Special school staffing allocations are reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE and schools are staffed on the basis of each year’s current school enrolments.
Recent budgets have provided for additional teaching posts for special schools in each year, designed to meet expected increases in enrolments.
From September, 2022, all special schools will also be eligible for an administrative principal. Provision also continues for administrative deputy principal posts in special schools with 15+ teaching posts, introduced in special schools for the first time from September 2019.
Special education placements
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children with special educational needs nationwide.
Over the last two years, the Department of Education and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined up planning process which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special education placements ahead of each new school year.
This intensive intervention has seen over 300 special classes already opened nationwide for the 2021/22 school year as well as the establishment of two new special schools.
This targeted approach will continue in identifying and meeting demand for special education placements throughout the country.
The Department is committed, in conjunction with NCSE and the network of local special educational needs organisers (SENOs), to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.
Every support will be made available to progress additional special class and special school capacity, in the shortest possible timeframe, with a particular focus in Cork and Dublin on the 2022/23 school year.
It is open to any school to apply to seek to open a special class for children with special educational needs and Irish schools have a strong tradition in catering for children with special educational needs. Generally schools respond very positively to requests from the NCSE to establish special classes and respond to the needs of the children and young people in their local community.
Special Classes
Cork
There is currently a network of 357 special classes in Cork of which 309 are special classes for children with autism. Of the 309 special classes for children with autism, 228 are at primary level including 21 early intervention classes and 81 are at post-primary level. A total of 45 new special classes for children with autism were established in Cork for the 2021/2022 school year.
Dublin
There is currently a network of 375 special classes in Dublin of which 337 are special classes for children with autism. Of the 337 special classes for children with autism, 262 are at primary level, including 20 early intervention classes and 75 are at post-primary level. A total of 67 new special classes for children with autism were established in Dublin for the 2021/2022 school year.
Special School Places
There has been a growing demand for special school placements in Cork and Dublin in recent years. Despite very positive engagement with existing special schools in both areas, it has not proved possible to meet this demand as schools have been operating at capacity. There is a need, at a current date, for an additional special school in Cork, particularly to meet the needs of post-primary aged students with autism and complex learning needs.
The availability of suitable accommodation in Cork remains a key challenge to bringing additional places on stream quickly. However, a number of options have been identified in this regard. In the first instance, the new special school will take occupation of interim accommodation in Rochestown. The Department is also more widely considering strategic locations for special school provision, including the eastern side of Cork City with a view to continuing the expansion of special school capacity as necessary. The acquisition of a site in Glanmire strengthens the Department’s capacity to support this.
The number of children and young people known to the NCSE who currently do not have an offer of a school place for next September and require the support of a special school is set out in the table below.
| Area | Total |
| Cork | 45 |
| Dublin North | 27 |
| Dublin South | 31 |
| Total | 103[1] |
[1] This number is subject to change as places are offered and accepted as part of schools’ enrolment process and as new children requiring a special school place become known to NCSE. The additional provision announced today is however expected to significantly reduce the overall numbers who do not have an offer of a school placement.
Spiritan Education Trust
The Spiritan Education Trust is the patron of six-second level schools and three primary level schools – Blackrock College, Willow Park Senior School, St. Mary’s College, St. Michael’s College, Templeogue College in Dublin and Rockwell College in Tipperary. Junior schools under the patronage of the Trust are Willow Park, St. Mary’s and St. Michael’s in Dublin. The Trust is also a joint patron of the Holy Family Community School in Rathcoole.
The involvement of the Trust in special education provision is a very positive and exciting development that will help to facilitate strengthened arrangements for transition and integration.
In consultation with the Board of Management, the Trust is also examining ways of making the facilities of Templeogue College campus, including sports facilities, more widely available to the local community.
Templeogue College is part of the Department’s Free Education Scheme.
The Trust has confirmed its commitment to building on this initiative and making provision for special education facilities across its network of schools. A Working Group has been established to work through the practical arrangements.
Where facilities are co-located with fee-charging schools, no fees will apply for students attending the special class or special school. Priority will be afforded to those children and young people determined by the NCSE in consultation with the local SENO to be in most need of such placements and will have particular regard for those who do not have a school placement. In addition, special access programmes will be developed by the Trust to ensure that any student progressing to or accessing the mainstream fee-charging school will not have to pay fees.
Support for Schools
A package of teaching, special needs assistants, training and funding supports is available to mainstream and special schools. Schools can apply to the Department for capital funding to re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate special classes and/or to construct additional accommodation. The NCSE also provides continuous professional development for staff through a programme of seminars and in-school supports for principals and teachers. NCSE advisers also provide whole-school staff training where requested.
Nationwide
The Department, together with the NCSE, is monitoring the availability of places for students with special educational needs throughout the country as a priority issue and will continue to work with relevant stakeholders.
The Department works closely with the NCSE which has responsibility for working with families and schools and for the provision and coordination of an adequate number of specialist educational places to meet local demand throughout the country.
Funding for the provision of home tuition is available to parents as a short term arrangement for children who cannot secure a suitable placement.