Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD are pleased to confirm that the new special school which was recently announced, will operate under the patronage of Cork Education and Training Board.
This new special school will have the capacity to provide 48 school places, and will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
This new school, to be established in Carrigaline, will provide places to those students who do not yet have an offer of special school place for September 2021.
The Department, together with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), has been working with parents, schools, patron bodies and other stakeholders in Cork to address the current shortage of specialist school placements for children with special educational needs in the Cork area. The establishment of this school was announced on 16 April by Minister Foley and Minister of State Madigan.
Minister Foley and Madigan have both welcomed the strong commitment of Cork ETB to this new school and have reiterated their Department's commitment to ensuring that work proceeds to make these places available as soon as possible.
There are currently 33 special classes in 15 schools of which Cork Education and Training Board is the patron.
Minister Foley said: "Cork Education and Training Board has a strong commitment to inclusion and I am pleased that they will bring this tradition and approach to the leadership of the new school.
"I would like to thank all involved in the opening of the new school and wish them every success in the preparations for the coming school year."
Minister Madigan said: "I want to thank Cork ETB and all the stakeholders involved in opening this new school. Across Cork there are many groups working on behalf of students with special educational needs and their families; I want to pay tribute to all of them for the work that they do and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them into the future.
“This new school will provide places to those students who do not yet have a place for September 2021. Its establishment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the provision of appropriate school places to all students and the important role that special schools have to play in our education system.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
On 16 April Ministers Foley and Madigan announced a significant expansion of special school provision in Cork through the establishment of this new special school and increased capacity in an existing special school to meet the needs of children in the Cork area.
The new provision will see the establishment of a new special school in Carrigaline which will have the capacity to provide 48 school places. It will provide for the needs of children with autism and general learning disability up to eighteen years of age.
The provision will also provide for an expansion of St. Mary’s Special School, Rochestown to also cater for children with a dual diagnosis of learning disability and autism with 12 new school places becoming available for September 2021.
Further information is available from the press release of 16 April 2021: https://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Press-Releases/2021-press-releases/PR21-04-16.html