'Very pleased' - New classroom welcomed for Mayo school
A closeup of an empty classroom with a pot of coloured pencils in red pots. The classroom is in a school in Hexham in the North East of England.
Minister of State Alan Dillon TD has welcomed the sanctioning of a new special education classroom for Scoil Íosa, Ballyhaunis, as part of tranche 3 of the Department of Education’s 2026/27 special class programme.
Minister Dillon received confirmation today from the Department of Education that Scoil Íosa, Ballyhaunis, has been approved for one additional special class for the 2026/27 school year.
Minister Dillon said: “I am very pleased to receive confirmation from my colleague, Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton, that a new special class has now been approved for Scoil Íosa Ballyhaunis under tranche 3. This follows the significant progress already made across Mayo through earlier tranches, and it represents another important investment in our local school infrastructure. This new classroom will further strengthen our capacity to support children with additional needs in Ballyhaunis and the surrounding area.”
With this latest approval, a total of 13 new special classes have now been sanctioned for Mayo schools for September 2026.
“Nationally, 263 new special classes have been sanctioned for the 2026/27 school year, with further approvals expected as engagement continues between the NCSE and school patron bodies.”
