Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last week, we had great news in Cork about the opening of a special education school in Carrigaline. I spoke to other local political representatives about it this morning. They like to play the north side versus south side dichotomy on many different issues. That needs to be called out for the political gimmickry that it is. I welcome the provision of the new school in Carrigaline to cater for 23 families who faced having no school place for their children this coming September.

The programme for Government states that we need to "ensure that each child with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their constitutional right". Unfortunately, we know that is not happening. Since the announcement last week regarding the school in Cork, I have been contacted by a number of people in different counties who are facing the prospect of having no special education place for their child in next year's enrolment. Can the Tánaiste give some reassurance to parents in that situation in terms of what they can expect for next September?

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