Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of the number of schools in Cork with places. As is the case everywhere else, there is a significant discrepancy between what is available in primary and post-primary schools. One of the biggest challenges we need to address is the number of places in post-primary education.

One of the most frustrating issues to deal with is people who are looking for places in post-primary schools, and whether the NCSE or local schools have provided enough places. Parents have children who are 12 years of age, have had diagnoses and have been in the school system for years. They do not understand how the Department or NCSC could not know that their children need places. It is very hard to dispute that. The Minister of State did not have an opportunity to address that in the time available. Do the NCSE and Department have a figure, even an indicative one to the closest 100 or whatever, for the number of places available? If they have that information, what is the figure? If they do not have it, when will they have it? That is crucial to making decisions around section 37A.

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