Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

There is a lot there. I will endeavour to try to answer as many as possible. If I leave something out, the members can come back to me because I take the role that I have seriously. The only thing that I want collectively for all of us is to make it better. I will get the figures for the religious schools. The Department has worked extremely hard, including this week alone, on getting special classes into a number of religious schools. There has been a greet change in attitude at school level towards accepting special classes right across the country but where we have groups of schools that are not taking it up, it is something we need to look at. I will certainly get the figures for Deputy Coppinger as soon as possible because it is something that would help in the overall policy to make sure that we are delivering it better.

The review of the EPSEN Act was published yesterday. There are approximately 51 recommendations in it. A huge amount of work was done on the EPSEN Act. The review has taken place, but now we need to make sure that there is early implementation of the review. Work is going to go on until the end of this year to see how we can implement it. There are two elements: legislative and policy. We should be looking at the policy straightaway. There are some aspects of it that we need to make sure that we have a better system for parents. They feel aggrieved by the system that we have. Mediation is also something that we will work on. The review of the EPSEN Act was excellent.

On section 37, we have our opening 400 classes and 399 were done by agreement. We use section 37 of the Education Act 1998 on a religious school.

The NCSE is providing training for teachers within the special classes. That is hugely important. We have given a commitment that the SNA allocation will coincide with the teacher allocation for schools, first, to better prepare for their school year and, second, so that they can appeal the decision, if necessary.

There is a huge amount of work to be done on teacher training. The Minister and I have looked at how to ensure the necessary mandatory training and put the funding in place for it. It is something that needs to be addressed. The practicalities of teaching in the Irish education system of 2025 needs a lot of work to make sure we have it up to spec. The colleges that have provided our educators have done massive work over the years. We now need to make sure that we are putting developments in place and monitoring that to make sure we are creating or delivering educationalists who are equipped for the modern world. The Cathaoirleach hit the nail on the head on dyscalculia and the different diagnoses families have at the moment. The language around it is frightening for some people, but it is impossible for other families. They need interpreters. When they get advice from the NCSE, the Department, the school or their public representative, they are still at a loss as to what they should be doing as best for their children. The decision on mandatory training is with the Teaching Council.

On the issue of transitioning, just because someone turns 18 on 10 January does not mean that the full school year applies as with every other student. There is a lot of work that needs to be done on transitioning children with additional needs out of education into pathways. A lot of work has been done by some of the colleges of further education that have embraced special education. Sometimes the colleges of further education might be referred to as the Cinderellas of the education system, but a lot of them have been spearheading schemes and programmes that have benefited adults with special educational needs. We have an awful lot of work to do on it. There are two pilot programmes in Galway and Dublin at the moment, but there is an awful lot of work to be done. If we take it from the point of view of parents who have children with additional needs, it starts from when they are in preschool, then their concern is primary school and then it moves to post-primary school and when their children turn 18. They are the four crucial points that need to be addressed. I welcome the enormous work that is being done by ETBs across the country in developing special schools. There is no doubt we have been putting fierce pressure on them to deliver places. At the end of the day, they are doing an awful lot of great work in developing them. However, we do need the full pathways as well. We saw that shortfall in the previous Dáil when I chaired the disability committee. It is something that needs to be done.

Deputy Daly mentioned a number of schools in Kerry. I certainly will take those points up. I have looked at some of the cases in detail. A number of schools came forward this year. They were not sanctioned for a special class. We will be certainly looking at that for next year to see where the need is and so forth.

We will be in a better position earlier in the school year to know where we can offer those places. Reference was made to schools that have places and capacity. Of the 400 extra classes that are being sanctioned around the country, 80% are going into existing accommodation. That is positive in every way but I will look at this again. When we know the need within a community, we certainly will look into it and report back to the committee as soon as possible.

Deputy Ó Murchú raised a specific issue.