(Ireland) 2,680 SPED children nationwide have no school place for Sept 2026

July 14, 2026, Dublin People: Local children still waiting for special school places

Some local families are facing another anxious summer as growing numbers of children with additional needs remain without an appropriate school place for September, campaigners have warned.

Local group Equality in Education Dublin North and West say the number of families coming forward seeking help is increasing and they fear this year’s school place crisis could be worse than ever.

The warning comes after Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton (pictured above) told the Dáil in April that 2,680 children nationwide were without a school place for September 2026.

Campaigners say neither the Department of Education nor the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has provided an updated figure since.

The group, which has been supporting families for the past three summers, says parents are once again facing uncertainty despite repeated promises that more special education places would be provided.

Campaigners welcomed the recent delivery of modular classrooms to Finglas Parochial School, describing it as an important step forward after months of delays.

However, they warned that building work has yet to be completed and said families need certainty that children will be able to begin school in September.

The group also said children due to attend the school should be allowed to begin from Junior Infants, arguing that pupils previously taught on reduced timetables in a school hall did not receive the same educational experience as other children starting school. . . .

Equality in Education Dublin North and West says it will spend the coming weeks establishing the full scale of the problem across the region and warned that parents are prepared to return to public protests if sufficient progress is not made before the new school year. . . .

The campaign group said it will also work with parents across the country in the coming weeks to press for a national plan to ensure every child with additional needs can access an appropriate school place in their local community.

On Wednesday (8th) Labour Education spokesperson Eoghan Kenny TD criticised the Government’s decision to bring forward the deadline for applications for special classes for the 2027 school year to 1 September, warning that it will pile unnecessary pressure on families already struggling to secure appropriate school places for their children.  . . .

 “A single national system would provide certainty for families, allow the Department to identify demand properly, and ensure new special classes and school places are planned where they are needed.

“This latest decision is another symptom of a Department that is failing to plan ahead. Rather than introducing deadlines that make life harder for parents, Government should be building an education system that guarantees every child the school place and support they are entitled to.

“Children with additional needs deserve better, and Labour will continue to fight for an education system that puts their needs ahead of bureaucracy.”