Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

There is concern that children in a special school that is designated as mild will be removed or not have their place in the school. That will not be the case. No child will be removed from his or her school. Children with the greatest need are unable to access schools that are closest to them because of the narrower criteria. It is about making sure over time that special schools are able to cater for those most in need. I appreciate that when some of the schools were opened, we did not have the provision we have in mainstream schools with special classes or special education teachers and SNAs so that was perhaps the only place children could go. It is about making sure that insofar as possible that special schools accept children who are most in need of a place but it will not in any way displace any child in that school.