Minister to compel school to open special needs class as she announces 399 for next school year

Speaking at a school in Clonsilla in Dublin on Friday, Helen McEntee said that number of new special needs classes should be 400 but that she was engaging with one further school. File photo: Don MacMonagle

The minister for education has warned schools that she will use her powers to force them to open special needs classes, with one school set to be compelled in the next week.

The Department of Education on Friday confirmed that 399 new special needs classes would be created for the 2025/2026 school year. The newly sanctioned classes include 287 primary special classes and 112 post-primary special classes.