Special education crisis looming for 2026/27 school year
Special education crisis looming for 2026/27 school year - The Labour Party
- Number of special class places will not meet need
Labour education spokesperson Deputy Eoghan Kenny has warned that a fresh crisis in special education is now inevitable after officials confirmed at the Public Accounts Committee that the level of resources available for special classes in 2026 and 2027 will not match the level of need. Raising the matter in the Dáil, Deputy Kenny said Ministers are fully aware of the shortfall, yet the Tánaiste failed to commit to fixing the issue. He called for urgent workforce planning, ringfenced funding and a clear plan to ensure every child who requires a special class or special school place can access one.
Deputy Kenny said:
“At the Public Accounts Committee, the Department of Public Expenditure confirmed very clearly and on the record that the resources available for special classes in 2026 and 2027 will not match the level of need. That is an extraordinary admission. It means that children who require special classes or special school places face uncertainty yet again. Parents who already carry enormous stress now see another crisis coming down the track.
“I raised this directly in the Dáil. The Tánaiste had an opportunity to reassure families and commit to fixing this gap. He did not do so. He did not commit to matching resources to need. He did not set out where the funding will come from.
“This is another example of brinkmanship and sloppy govGernance. Where is the workforce planning? Where is the forward strategy to recruit and retain the teachers, SNAs and specialist staff required to open and sustain special classes? We know the demographic pressures. We know the growth in identified need. None of this is new. Yet we are told that the system will not have the capacity required.
“We have seen what happens when Government ignores warning signs. We have seen chaos around SNA allocations. We have seen last minute scrambles for special school places. We have seen families forced to travel unreasonable distances because local provision was not in place. Children with additional needs cannot wait for eleventh hour solutions.
“Special education cannot operate on crossed fingers and political spin. It requires long term planning, secure multi annual funding and a clear workforce strategy. It requires honesty with families and schools. It requires leadership.
“Government must now publish a detailed plan setting out how it will match resources to projected need for 2026 and 2027. It must confirm where the funding will come from and properly workforce plan to ensure that special classes open on time in the areas where children live. Parents deserve certainty, not another crisis manufactured by poor planning. Labour will continue to press for immediate action so that every child who needs a special class or special school place has one, without delay and without drama.”