Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)

I know that. I am just trying to give some real-world context and I think that is fair enough when we have done that previously.

There was a report in the Irish Examiner on 21 September that highlighted the fact there have been 18 suspensions from Carrigaline Community Special School since 2022. The school was set up in 2021 and to give context, it is a school where the children range in age from four to 18. They must have a dual-diagnosis of autism and an intellectual disability to be eligible to attend. There was a huge effort to set up the school over a number of years. Placements for the families were hard-fought for.

This pattern of suspensions was of such concern that the Taoiseach himself was asked to comment on it during a diplomatic trip abroad. He has been very involved in engaging with the school over time, as have other local politicians. There has been a very comprehensive level of engagement with this school. Despite all of that, these issues persist. It is a source of huge distress for families that behaviours that are intrinsically linked to the children's disabilities are being responded to with punitive measures. There have historically been resource issues in the school that have been very well documented. The former Minister of State, Anne Rabbitte, was very involved in trying to address that and she experienced a lot of frustration. It appears that there is a particular cultural issue. Are our witnesses aware of these kinds of patterns of suspensions in schools and in special schools specifically? Does the authority have a position on that? Is there a policy position that can inform a response to it? It seems as though with the best political will in the world, these problems are very entrenched in particular settings. I have no doubt Carrigaline Community Special School is not the only one. Have our witnesses done any work in this particular area? It is a very significant barrier to inclusive education, for this school in particular.