Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that we will continue to monitor developments. He is correct in saying that there have been representations in terms of looking at future capacity. We are trying to build and project towards the future. Under Project Ireland 2040, our plan is to spend over €12 billion in capital infrastructure across the primary, second and third level sectors and to spend €8.8 billion in the primary and secondary school sectors between 2018 and 2027. We need to do it in a managed way, project and acknowledge the fact that Gorey is now a commuter town for Dublin city. I am very much aware of that. People are making the decision to move there and commute to Dublin so we must take all these factors into consideration.

A total of 840 students are enrolled in Creagh college. It has a capacity of 1,000. Obviously, there is no pinch point there this year but there is always the next round of enrolment. We will continue to monitor developments. Where I would ask for the Deputy's indulgence and observations is in the area of inclusion. When I say that every student will not prevented from going there, we will not be in a position in terms of space. We must continue challenging ourselves and that means everybody. There are challenges around special education. There are special education units in Creagh college. Other challenges will present themselves in the future in terms of a fully inclusive education system but I know that the Deputy's own considerable experience and that of his colleague beside him in education will be invaluable in this debate. One of our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a fully inclusive education system. This will require far more thinking around how we move forward as a country but also ensuring that we do not dismiss the things that are working because we have 126 special schools. I was in one yesterday. There is still a need for special schools but we must also continue to challenge ourselves in respect of parents' choices to either send their children to a mainstream or special school.

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