There are not enough special school places planned to meet the “substantially increased needs” for this September in what is being described as the next “looming crisis” in education. As fallout from the controversy over special needs assistants (SNAs) continued this week, the Dáil heard fears that hundreds of students may be denied an appropriate school place for the upcoming school year. The meeting also heard that education minister Hildegarde Naughton will have been “broadly aware” that letters were being sent to schools about the SNA allocations for next year. A spokesperson for the minister said: "Both ministers would have known at a policy level that reviews were taking place. He added that “active work is going on to ensure that places are provided in advance of September, and Government at every level is working closely with the minister for education and minister for special education on this issue”.

Source: Irish Examiner February 27, 2026 10:24 UTC