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

We will always endeavour to open a special class in a school where the children live in the locality because we do not want them to travel unless they absolutely have to. It is in the Constitution that education is a right. That is not always possible in the locality but we will endeavour to do that. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, did an on-site inspection in Drimnagh Castle Primary and in fairness, it has legitimate reasons for not having the classes as it does not actually have the capacity. There is land attached to the school but it is not owned by the patron. The NCSE also tells me that there is sufficient capacity for the current demand. However, the projected demand is a different matter and that is where the NCSE and the Department do a lot of work in anticipating capacity and needs in the future. Holy Spirit Senior Primary School is opening a special class in 2022-23, as is Scoil Úna Naofa. We have also opened Our Lady of Hope, which is a new special school. We opened two special schools this year but that is a new school that opened in Crumlin. It is also important to stress that all new schools built from last year on will automatically provide SEN facilities, which will be critical going into the future.

See this speech in context