Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked a very clear question as to what is the next phase. October is the next phase for the intake of the additional ten schools to be rolled out in 2024-25.

I might disagree with the Deputy when he says there are too many Departments and agencies involved. It was the lack of Departments and the lack of engagement between various agencies that siloed us and got us to the stage we are in. It is about co-operation among Departments and agencies and putting the child and the family at the centre to ensure that there is that joined-up thinking approach. We must think of a parent who has a child with additional needs in special schools and bringing the therapies into the schools and ensuring that they have that support within the schools so that the parent may want to continue to work or the educators who are supporting the child has first-hand knowledge of how to deliver that support and how they can work to support the family to continue that support at home. That is joined-up thinking and the way it should work in that utopia that others might not see the value of. The Government sees the value of it. That is why in 2021 and 2022 we allocated enough funding to support the recruitment of 221 therapists to do this. We have had success in some of the schools where therapists have gone back in. They might not be in it but allying to it, there is delivery. In the Minister’s constituency, right beside me in Carmona, we have had great success on this. I must query why we feel in Cork that we cannot follow the rules. Why can we not feel like we cannot do what is laid out by the HSE or the NCSE? I will convene a meaningful meeting as soon as possible on the Topical Issue matter. It is not the political system that is lacking will here; it is outside that.

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