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Parents aiming to secure a 2027 school place for a child with additional needs are urged to act after the government brought forward an important deadline.
Families seeking a specialist school placement for September 2027 must tell the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) by September 1 if their child requires a place.
It marks the earliest-ever opening of the ‘Parents Notify’ process, with education chiefs saying they need advance notice to plan school places and secure funding in next year’s Budget.
Parents can submit supporting medical or educational documents up to September 15, or as soon as possible afterwards, but officials are stressing that the September 1 notification is the key date.
Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton said bringing the deadline forward would give the Government more time to identify demand and ensure funding is available for children who need specialist education.
She urged parents not to wait, saying the priority is to register with the NCSE before the September deadline, with paperwork able to follow shortly afterwards.
The move comes after the Department of Education faced a major budget headache earlier this year, with forecasts indicating spending would run hundreds of millions of euros over budget.
Last year, families had until October 1 to notify the NCSE of their needs. This year’s deadline has been brought forward by a month as ministers attempt to improve planning for new special school places and classes.
Special Education Minister Michael Moynihan said early registration would help officials identify where extra places are needed and ensure schools are ready for children starting in September 2027.
Parents with questions about the process are being advised to contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO), rather than individual schools, while applications are being processed.
