I welcome the announcement by Minister for Education, Helen McEntee, of an additional special class at Scoil An Chroí Ró-Naofa, Belclare Tuam, building on the nine new special classes sanctioned for Galway last month as part of the Government’s national expansion of special education supports.

This latest approval strengthens education provisions in County Galway, ensuring that more students with additional needs have access to tailored educational support.

This is fantastic news for families in Belclare and the surrounding region. Last month, we saw nine new special classes confirmed across Galway, and today’s announcement builds on that momentum. It demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring that children with additional educational needs have the resources and spaces they require.

The previous announcement included nine special classes across Galway, located at:
• Craughwell National School
• Kilglass National School
• Scoil Sailearna
• Creegs Central National School
• Knocknacarra Educate Together National School
• Dominican College
• St. Jarlath’s College, Tuam
• Glenamaddy Community School

Across the wider western region, including Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, and Leitrim, a total of 11 new special classes were approved last month, bringing significant improvements in accessibility to education for children with additional needs.

Nationally, the total number of newly sanctioned special classes now stands at 309, with the Government and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) working towards the target of 400 new classes for the 2025/26 school year.

I urge the Department of Education and the NCSE to continue their intensive engagement with schools to ensure that more classes are confirmed in the coming weeks. The focus now must be on ensuring these classes are operational as soon as possible, with schools expediting their admissions processes to provide certainty to parents and students.

I will continue to engage with Minister McEntee, the Department of Education, the NCSE, and local schools to ensure that Galway and the western region receive the necessary resources to support inclusive education.