(Ireland) "Demand for special education placements is expected to increase by over one-third by 2040"
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Special Education, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh TD, has called on the Government to urgently accelerate investment in special education after new Department of Education demographic projections showed demand for special education placements is expected to increase by over one-third by 2040.
Responding to the publication of the Department’s latest demographic paper, the Kildare South TD said that Government cannot continue with a reactive approach when the scale of future demand is already clear.
Deputy Ní Raghallaigh said:
“The Government can no longer claim that it does not know what is coming. Its own projections show that enrolments in special classes and special schools will rise between 25,134 in the 2025/6 school year to 33,373 by 2040.
“Yet children and families are already paying the price for years of poor planning. Every year we see students locked out of education, stuck in unsuitable settings, and families forced to fight for the supports they are entitled to. . . . .
“Alongside opening more special classes, the Government must accelerate the delivery of new school buildings and modular accommodation. We also need a comprehensive workforce plan to recruit and retain the Special Education Teachers, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologists required to meet growing demand.
“We know what is needed. We know demand is rising. The only thing missing is the political urgency to match that reality.
“Ministers frequently point to increased spending, but that offers little comfort to children who are still without a suitable school place or the supports they need. The Government must act now so that today’s failures are not repeated for another generation.”
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