Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The questions the Deputy has posed are valid. The EPSEN Act, which is the main legislation underpinning special education, was published 17 years ago, in 2004, and the focus in respect of the provision of special education has changed substantially since then, from a model that was diagnosis-led to one that is now driven by the needs of the child. Therein lies the answer to the questions regarding whether children with complex needs can fit into a mainstream school or, indeed, the other way around. My view is that at present there is a place for all these special class, special school and mainstream settings to cater for the range of children with additional needs who are in the system. I thank the Deputy for his interest in this matter.

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