Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy once again. With every new school build, there is provision in the new school build, and even for major additional capital expansion of a school, the general trend is that there is an in-built provision for autism classes, special classes, within those new schools. I am aware that with a cohort of 4,000 primary and secondary schools in the country, there are many old buildings and buildings that are challenging from the point of view of provision of this service on site. There is an opportunity for schools and boards of management to decide to make provision for special classes. They can look at reconfiguring existing spaces. This is a difficulty because many of our schools are already at capacity, they are maxed out, but there is a provision to construct additional accommodation as well. I re-emphasise and reiterate that if the board of management comes forward with the idea and suggestion of looking at providing for a special class, the NCSE and the SENOs will meet the board. I meet the NCSE regularly, and this might be helpful in this instance. At this stage what I would like to do is meet the NCSE on this specific issue regarding Kilkenny, and I would be happy to organise a meeting and have the Deputy included in it.

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