Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and appreciate her offer. I will take it up immediately.

The other issue relates to children who have attended a special school which is the nearest special school to them. However, their needs would be better met in a special school that is further away from them. The decision of the parents to transfer their child to the other special school is supported by documentation from consultants, professionals and people who assisted the parents in making the decision. It is also supported by numerous reports. The parents have sent all that to the Department of Education, but the Department has been reluctant to go outside the terms of the scheme or outside the nearest school issue.

I put it to the Minister that there should be flexibility in the Department when a decision that is outside the norm or not within the criteria of the scheme is supported by expert psychologists' reports and other information. There should be a mechanism there, as there is in other Departments with regard to force majeureand so forth.

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