Michael D'Arcy (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. It is kind of a funny space to be in that the Minister has been given a reply to this Topical Issue debate that is wrong. That is a little bit of my criticism. The NCSE tells him that there is capacity for 24 students. There is that capacity in the education centre in Gorey, but it is in the wrong school. The school in question, which requires two units for 12 students, does not have any space. The school is doing the best it can for those students in the circumstances in which it finds itself, but it is no longer acceptable for this to continue. I find it amazing and it is part of my criticism - the Ceann Comhairle has heard me criticise the responses that come back on some occasions - that what the Minister has been presented with is correct but it is also wrong. It is wrong because the students in the school that has staff have no physical facilities. There is a school located about a mile away that has the facilities, but it does not have any students and has no staff for the requirements. Something needs to give. I ask the Minister to bring this to a conclusion or to ask the NCSE to explain how it could give - and I am trying to be generous - an answer that is misleading in the extreme.

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