New special class for 11 Cork schools
There was some relief this week for the parents of children with special educational needs with the announcement of 11 new special classes across Cork.
The eight new primary and three new post-primary classes will be open in September in time for the for the forthcoming 2025/2026 school year.
This is in addition to a new special school planned for the north Cork city area, which the Government says will be opened “as early as possible” in the 2025/26 school year.
Confirming the sanctioning of the 11 new special classes was Minister for Special Education and Inclusion and Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North-West, Michael Moynihan.
The minister pointed out that the 11 new classes will bring the total number of new special classes sanctioned across Cork for the next school year to 50.
He said: “These 50 new special classes will bring the total number of special classes in mainstream schools in Co. Cork to 613 for the 2025/26 school year – 427 at primary level and 186 at post-primary level.
“This level of increased provision means that the number of special classes in mainstream schools in Co. Cork has almost doubled in just five years and will provide special class capacity for over 3,700 children and young people in Co. Cork for the coming school year,” added Mr Moynihan.
With many children with special educational needs across Cork still without a guaranteed place in September, Minister Moynihan he envisages that most of the remaining special classes required for the 2025/26 school year will be sanctioned over the coming weeks.
“While I appreciate the timelines involved are not ideal, I’m hopeful as these classes are sanctioned, it will ease the pressure on families,” concluded Minister Moynihan.
The news follows a question raised in the Dáil this month by Sinn Féin TD for Cork South-Central, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire who asked when the additional special school for Cork will be delivered.
He said: “Across Cork, there are dozens of children with special educational needs who do not have a place for September. In the past three weeks alone, I have been contacted by eight parents of children who need a place in a special school for September who do not have one.”
The 11 new special classes to open in Cork this September are located in Christian Brother's Secondary School and St Aloysius College, both in Midleton; Coláiste Muire in Cobh; Little Island National School; Scoil Naisiunta Moing Na Miol in Mallow; Millstreet Convent National School; St Patrick's Infants in Montenotte, Cork city; Scoil Mhuire Milford in Milford; Scoil Naisiunta Cill Dairbhre in Doneraile; Scoil Naisiunta Mhuire in Fermoy; and Scoil Naomh Mhuire in Coachford, Cork city.