To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the number of special schools required to meet demand in Northern Ireland; (ii) the budget required to deliver this; and (iii) when construction will start on any new special schools.

As outlined in my April 2024 statement on transforming capital investment to support children with special educational needs, projections indicate a need for up to eight entirely new special schools across Northern Ireland over the next decade.

Estimated construction costs for a new special school are in the region of £45-50 million.

Of the five new build special school projects which have already been initiated, estimated construction start dates are detailed in the table below. I should highlight that at this very early stage these are indicative dates only; they are contingent upon issues such statutory approvals and potential site acquisitions which are outside the direct control of my Department.