Nearly 8,000 apply for special school places despite plan for just 3,000

1,965 students currently require a school place. This group includes children starting school for the first time, pupils moving to second level, and others who are currently out of school altogether.

At least 7,860 students applied for special educational school places for September, despite just 3,000 new places initially being planned and budgeted for.

Of those, 1,965 students currently require a school place. This group includes children starting school for the first time, pupils moving to second level, and others who are currently out of school altogether.

The remaining 5,895 applicants are already enrolled in schools and have places within the system but have been recommended for a place in a special school or special class.

The Dáil previously heard fears that hundreds of students may be denied an appropriate school place for the upcoming school year as there are not  enough places to meet demand. 

Cabinet approved additional funding for the Department of Education this week in a bid to address its projected overspend. 

It is expected that some of this funding will be used to create further new special classes and school places. The department has not clarified how many additional places it plans to create. 

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On Thursday, education minister Hildegarde Naughton confirmed the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was notified of 7,860 students who are seeking a place in either a special class or special school for 2026/27.

This was before an application deadline of last October. The NCSE continued to receive applications from families at an “exponential” rate afterwards. 

Speaking in the Dáil on Thursday, Ms Naughton would not be drawn on providing the number of applications the NCSE has continued to receive.

Labour education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny, a TD for Cork North Central, asked the minister to clarify the number of new school places needed to match demand this year. 

He also asked Ms Naughton to clarify the number of students awaiting a school place, and whether every child will get an appropriate school place this September.

"At the end of the day, minister, there are parents outside of this chamber who are contacting every single TD's office to say that 'we contacted 20, 30, 40 different schools' in relation to a school place for their child." 

'Evolving' situation

Ms Naughton said the NCSE was notified of 7,860 students who meet the requirements for a special class or school place by October 2025.

“Further children have come forward after that date, and this will continue right up to September 2026,” she said.

Budget 2026 "initially" provided for 3,000 new places, she said, with 400 places in special schools and 423 special classes attached to mainstream schools. 

She said additional funding has been secured, and that 2,500 places are also available through the normal annual movement of students from primary to post-primary or from finishing school.

"Funding approved by Government earlier this week will allow to provide for further new special classes and special school places over and above the 3,000 new places already budgeted for," said Ms Naughton. 

Numbers will be "evolving" over the next few months as parents engage with the NCSE, she said. 

"It is our role, myself and [minister of state for special education] Michael Moynihan, to ensure that they have schools places and that they are supported in those settings." 

• Jess Casey is the education correspondent for the Irish Examiner