Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand the concern and understand how parents must have felt last night when they heard language used that their children would be offered a stopgap solution. No parent wants to hear that. The Government's commitment and policy on this is clear. As I mentioned earlier, 300 special classes opened in mainstream schools last year. The Minister has the power to require schools to provide additional mainstream classes. The policy is one of integration and mainstreaming. Sometimes other solutions are necessary. Sometimes special schools are required. We had to open one in my constituency. That was a big improvement for the children who used the school and who had previously been in home tuition. Today there will be a meeting involving the stakeholders at which there will be proper information and proper consultation. I would prefer to let that happen rather than my adding further confusion. I think that that meeting is happening now, and it is important that it proceed.

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