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

I appreciate that the statistics are in the abstract and do not talk to individual families. Behind all of those statistics are individual families and individual appropriate placements. I allude to them simply to show the Deputy the progress that has been made but not to take away from the fact that a huge amount still needs to be done, particularly around post-primary education. That is why we have written to all post-primary schools and the Department and NCSE met the main post-primary school management bodies last week to share a list of schools that could potentially open new special classes in September 2023. I know that the NCSE is directly engaging with those schools to establish special classes. Over the last three years there has been an increase in special classes in Cork. It is about collaboration. We have the section 37A measure in legislation if we need to trigger it, as well as the section 67 designation of an individual child. However, we try to collaborate with the schools prior to having to instigate those mechanisms.

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