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

Regarding SENOs in Cork, I can make inquiries. There are 63 new special classes in Cork this year, out of the 600 special classes we opened in primary schools this year, along with the 300 classes in post-primary schools and five special schools opened over the past three years.

In terms of numbers, it is critical that the NCSE is aware of children who require an appropriate placement, and this is where SENOs come in. I refer to one of the difficulties in the past, of which the Deputy may be aware. A child who has received a different professional assessment, or for reasons of parental preference, may move from a mainstream to a special class or vice versaor from a special class to a special school. It can be interchangeable. Some schools were not informing the NCSE of that. For this reason, it was under the misconception that there was capacity in circumstances where there was not. That issue has now been addressed.

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