Cork fares worst in decrease of early intervention special needs classes

There has been a decrease in the amount of early intervention classes for children with special needs across Ireland over the past 12 months, with Cork continuing to fare the worst in terms of reductions.

Cork went from having 27 early intervention classes in the 2020/21 school year to just 21 in the current 2025/26 school year, with Cork having seen reductions in each of the last three school years.

Early intervention classes are available in mainstream and special schools for children aged three to five with a diagnosis of autism, and provide support to children before they start school.

When the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) identifies a need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned, and supports are provided by government to the school.

Generally, these classes are resourced at a 6:1 student/teacher ratio with two special needs assistants allocated to each class.

Larger reduction

Overall, Cork has six less classes than it did five years ago, a considerably larger reduction than anywhere else in the country.

Seven counties saw a decrease in the amount of early intervention classes, with two less classes in Dublin, Kildare, Mayo, and Offaly, and one less in Roscommon, Wicklow and Monaghan.

In 14 counties, the number of early intervention classes went up between 2020/21 and 2025/26, and in three, the levels stayed the same.

Nationally, there has been a marked decrease in the number of classes in the last 12 months.

The amount across Ireland rose from 136 in 2020/21 to 157 in 2024/25, but then fell to 149 last year.

The data comes as a rise in autism diagnoses in children have seen the amount of special classes at primary and post primary level increase from 357 classes in Cork in the 2020/21 school year to a projected more than 585 in the current school year.

Cork TD Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats, said the reduction in Cork over the last five years and nationally was “extremely concerning”.

She told The Echo: “Every year I am contacted by parents in Cork, and across the country, who are struggling to find appropriate school places for their children. We know we need to enhance provision to meet a growing demand for early intervention, but instead we are seeing capacity shrink.

“This is a clear result of government continuing to fail to properly plan and resource special education, leaving children and their families to bear the consequences.”