To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 36386/22-27, to detail his assessment of whether the current level of settings identified as being prepared to take a specialist provision for September 2026 is adequate to meet the forecasted demand for placements.

As outlined in my response to AQW 36386/22-27, projects have been initiated at 44 schools aimed at creating an additional 47 Special Provisions. It is expected that this will create 406 places.

This will not be enough to meet the projected demand for 2026. The Education Authority (EA) is continuing to engage with schools in areas of high demand to ensure there is sufficient provision in the right places to meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). This week a series of online sessions are being held with primary and post-primary schools who were unable to attend the main events last month. Over 30 schools accepted the invitations to these events. The EA is in the process of meeting with all special school leaders to identify what capacity will be available in special schools for next year.

The EA is reliant on schools engaging with it, particularly in areas of high demand, and developing Specialist Provisions to meet the demand for 2026.