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

I have met with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to discuss waiting times and lengthy car journeys for assessments. The school inclusion model was a pilot project we did with 150 participating schools, 75 preschools and 75 primary and post-primary schools in those areas that I mentioned, Wicklow, Kildare and south-west Dublin. That was only one community health organisation area. In the budget last year, I secured money to be able to extend that to the nine community health organisation areas. The plan is to try to roll out the programme in the coming years.

The Deputy asked how it is decided where the next expansion will be. Cork is a particular area of concern for the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. It is a very high-density area and there is a lack of places. We have to do a lot of joined-up thinking there. Cork may well be a runner but, obviously, I cannot say that. The NCSE will be consulting with local SENOs on the ground and the building and planning unit in the Department to try to ascertain where the capacity is needed now and in the future from a demographic perspective.

It is not just about now; it is about the future also. We have a five-year forecasting model in place to try to pin that down. The officials can correct me if I am wrong, but I hope that this year we will be able to establish where the next two community health organisation areas will be. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and so on will then be provided in situin the school setting, in addition to whatever HSE therapeutic service children are benefiting from. The service will complement the therapeutic service.