Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last night, we received the fabulous news that the early intervention pre-school class at Kilbrittain National School will remain open for the forthcoming academic year. This is unbelievably important for this community. My colleague is right to thank and acknowledge the incredibly hard work of the principal, staff, parents and the entire community of Kilbrittain who fought for this. I also acknowledge the intervention of the Minister's Department. I was delighted to receive correspondence from the Minister's office last night confirming that the class would reopen. That intervention is appreciated. Parents and children should not have to fight for these incredibly important services. The early intervention pre-school class is an effective model that should be expanded and rolled out nationally. I would like the Minister's Department, and the NCSE, which the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, has responsibility for, to take that on.

The issue with Kilbrittain has certainly been resolved for next year, but I have to take this opportunity to raise another school's special needs education where children with autism are involved. I never thought I would be saying this in 2022.

Ballydehob national school is undertaking its own fundraising drive in order to pay for an extra special needs assistant, SNA. It should not happen that it falls to a community and a gentleman - Mr. Barry O'Brien in this case, who is probably best known for arranging the famous turnip racing festival in Ballydehob - to organise a tractor and vintage run in order to fund an SNA allocation for children who need it. The school has been through two appeals and the request has been turned down twice. I would love it if the Minister could consider the matter and intervene.

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