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

It is important to point out there is a new explicit function in this legislation allowing the NCSE to manage and co-ordinate the admission of children with special education needs in co-operation with schools where necessary. That will reduce the burden on parents. What happened on occasion was children who were in a mainstream school were then going into a special class but the NCSE was not being informed about that. The NCSE was under the impression there would be six vacant places in a special class, for example, when in fact there may only have been three. That anomaly has now been addressed. There is an obligation on all schools to notify the NCSE regarding who exactly is attending a special class. The special educational needs organisers, SENOs, who are on the ground will collaborate and make sure there is a very tight engagement between the schools and the NCSE so we can make sure that every child has a placement.

In Cork at present we have 414 special classes and a number of special schools, as the Deputy knows. We are endeavouring to make sure that every child has a placement in September.

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