Ms Bernie McNally:

As regards the third class child the Deputy spoke about, that is a terrible situation. I am not sure if the family has been in contact with the educational welfare service but that is a service that works with children who do not have a place and finds them a place. In addition to contacting the people around this table, there is the educational welfare service in Tusla, which is a service that is under the remit of the Department. It is the statutory role of the service to help a child to get a place.

In terms of the modelling for special education and special classes, we work proactively and do not just respond to children who arrive at the door. Earlier I gave an example of post-primary schools. We wrote to them in last October 12 months to say we are planning and suggested they need to plan with us for four special classes in every post-primary school. The Department has a geographical information system in its planning and building unit, which is where we look at census data, child benefit data and whatever. We map the location of special schools and special classes so we work proctively.

To go back to some of the climate and travel issues we were talking about earlier, we are trying to ensure that we will have access locally all over the country. There is a huge amount to be done. Prevalence rates are rising. There is no definitive rate around prevalence in the Department of Health or in other Departments but we are forward planning for more than has been in the statistics to date.