Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy and I are on the same page on the importance of this issue. Stepping outside the political arena for one second, we are serious in this country and as a society about having inclusion at the heart of our model. Whether this be people coming from different countries or people with special educational challenges, behavioural or otherwise, or autistic children. This is relevant not just to the geographical issues the Deputy listed, but also to Cork, Galway and Donegal. We are meeting the challenges head-on in terms of weighing up resources and weighing up what can be done within a fixed period. If the Deputy looks at the increase in funding from 2011 and the increase in the number of classes, he will see that the commitment is there to build on this.

To answer his question as to what role I can play, my officials work very closely with the NCSE. The SENOs are tasked with the responsibility of engaging with the board of management. If the board of management makes the application, a process is entered into.

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