HUNDREDS of children remain “without an appropriate school place” across Limerick.
That’s according to Sinn Féin TD for Limerick City, Maurice Quinlivan.
Deputy Quinlivan, chairperson of the Oireachtas Disability Matters Committee, described the situation as “absolutely appalling”.
“Children are still waiting for an adequate school place despite many being promised one. These children are being failed by the government,” the Limerick TD hit out.
“As of mid-June, there were an estimated 260 children in the State without any offer of an appropriate school place.”
Deputy Quinlivan claimed the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, has “failed to provide the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth the exact number of students with additional needs still awaiting an offer for a school place, despite committing to do so”.
“This underscores the approach taken by the Minister to the problem, however, we will not allow these children to be ignored until they are provided with their fundamental right to an education,” he said.
Deputy Quinlivan said that 168 children who have been offered an appropriate school place “cannot take it up due to delays in essential building works”.
“It is unacceptable that children with additional needs must watch their siblings get ready for school and have the opportunity to learn and socialise, while they are denied that same opportunity. There should be no difference in treatment for these children.
“This is a serious issue within the education system that could have been prevented. Minister McEntee has failed to strategically invest, plan, and deliver appropriate school places and supports for children with additional needs,” he said.
The Limerick TD said that the Minister “must work swiftly to ensure that there is an adequate amount of SNAs in our classes and crucially that there are enough places for every child with additional needs to have an appropriate school place”.
“Parents should not have to take legal action in order for their children to have an appropriate school place. This must stop.”
Responding, a spokesperson for the Department of Education and Youth said the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) continues to forward plan to provide additional special class and special school places.
“The majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers, through the provision of resources such as Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Assistants,” the Department spokesperson said.
“The NCSE has sanctioned 407 new special classes and over 300 new special school places are being provided for the 2025/26 school year, ensuring sufficient capacity to meet demand, including for all children known to the NCSE by the February 2025 deadline”.
The spokesperson said that five new special schools are being established, adding to the 11 established in recent years. Each class will be staffed with a dedicated teacher and two special needs assistants, with further staffing available based on individual needs.
Over 80 per cent of the 407 new special classes are being established in schools with existing accommodation, which is being reconfigured.
The Minister of Education, Helen McEntee has committed to introducing a common application system which will end the requirement to apply for multiple schools, the spokesperson said.
“To improve future planning, families are encouraged to engage with the NCSE by 1 October 2025 for the 2026/27 school year – four months earlier than in previous years. The earlier timeline will assist the NCSE in relation to approaching local schools to open new special classes earlier,” the Department said.
“The earlier timeline is also being introduced to provide more time for the establishment of new special classes and additional special school capacity”.
The NCSE aim to sanction the majority of new special classes for the 2026/2027 school year by the end of 2025.
If any parent needs support, local special educational needs organisers can be contacted on 01 603 3346.
