Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the Senator's comments about Greg Browne and all the staff of the Catherine McAuley School and the incredible work they do. The school mainly provides education to pupils with a mild or borderline general learning disability and not just at primary level but all the way up to post-primary. This retrospective request relates to modular units already in existence. The Department is assessing the application with the NCSE. The Senator has brought it to my attention and the Department and the NCSE will be aware of it. Perhaps it can concentrate minds to get an early response. As I mentioned, we have opened seven new special schools over the last three years and we have a budget of €2.6 billion for special education. It is important we try to increase capacity in special schools and that they have sufficient capacity to cater for children adequately. I will revert to the Senator in due course on that.