Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses tonight. I have just four questions because there are other people who want to get in. Deputy Ó Murchú has me under savage pressure here. I will follow on with one question where Deputy Canney finished. I was a schoolteacher and I have been inundated with queries about the special education teaching changes. I am familiar enough with the allocations that traditionally worked. I am not so sure I will be familiar with the new model but I must familiarise myself fairly quickly. While it is fine to talk about reviews and that the NCSE is going to keep an eye on it, it is only fair to compliment the NCSE, especially since Mr. Kearney has come in, as it is more responsive and proactive.

I commend him on that. However, I become concerned when I hear about reviews and data analysis. He asked about resources. A principal in school X might find that the school is down massively on the allocation it traditionally had and may want to appeal it because it is really struggling and at a massive deficit. Every hour is a big deal in those allocations. What kind of response time are we talking about for appealing if people find themselves at a disadvantage from the year prior? Is it a matter of weeks or a term? I am just afraid that may be an issue, which goes back to what Deputy Canney said. I hope the NCSE has the resources. It received a fairly substantial budget allocation, but will it have the resources to turn to and respond to those difficulties that may arise? I hope they do not arise; I just have a concern about it. That is my first point.

I will be parochial about my second point, which goes back to Cork. Like any part of the country, I have a good enough relationship with my SENO. I have told Mr. Kearney in the past that I think I have one of the best SENOs in the country where I am. I will not name the person, but she is always very responsive on the telephone. I cannot compliment her highly enough. From talking to the various SENOs in my area, however, I again commend the NCSE on the fact that we got the new school in Carrigaline. On the face of it, we could say that the majority of children in the Cork city area who could go to school last year were offered a school place. We could not say that for many years, but we could say it last year. There were circumstances in which certain children could not, but the vast majority were offered a place, which was very good. However, the difficulty we have now goes back to what Deputy Canney said. We built refurbished a school and we are under pressure already. Other sites are being looked at. It is unfair of me to name the sites, but two former schools are seeking to be refurbished. Maybe I could talk to Mr. Kearney afterwards to get an update on that because I do not know if they could be commercially sensitive. I do not want us to find ourselves back in the place we were three or four years ago with kids with no school places. I will be specific about one site in Glanmire, though, because I know the city council transferred the land to the Department of Education. I cannot get an update from the Department. Could Mr. Kearney give me an update on that? If we are looking at other schools, it is great that we have former school buildings we can refurbish if the need is there. However, I would love a greenfield site and purpose-built building where kids get the best. Mr. Kearney might provide an update on Glanmire.

I forget the legislation and my Internet does not work down here so I cannot google it, but my third point refers to the relatively new legislation whereby the NCSE can force a school to establish an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class if the school or board of management was unwilling. Has the NSCE actually had to use that? If so, how many times? I know of a situation in Cork where I believe it is being considered. Has the NCSE had to utilise it yet? I do not think it should have to but, unfortunately, that is the world in which we live.

My last point relates to the NCSE's general role. I suppose we are going to be calling it "inclusive education" now more so than "special education". That is the way we are going. Mr. Kearney mentioned equity and access for people earlier. I taught in a school where we had a hub with 18 kids. I trained in University College Cork, UCC, and did my higher diploma at the time. However, I know I would not be prepared to go in and teach in the hub, but I could. Contractually and legally I can, but I would not be able for some of the cases we would come across. What role does the NCSE have in inspecting that and overseeing it? I will ask a straight question. Is the pool of staff we have in mainstream schools up to standard in teaching those classes? Speaking for the schools I taught in myself, it has been a discussion in many staff rooms that certain people just do not feel they are trained for it. Mr. Kearney might explain the NCSE's role in that and whether we are up to scratch in terms of the staff we have for addressing it.