Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The issues the Deputy is raising are ones the Government takes seriously. I go back to the point that I made in reply to Deputy McDonald. Amid the different figures that we will trade and the general political claims that will be made here, I am keenly aware of that young girl or young boy with a disability or additional needs and the support she or he needs early in life. I am keenly aware of the value of those children's teachers, their healthcare professionals, the work their schools do, and the need to support them. The point I would respectfully make to the Deputy is that if she looks at what we as a Government have aimed to do in recent years, we believe and can demonstrate that the efforts have been providing additional supports.

From a special school point of view and that of the important issue that the Deputy raised at the start of her question to me, since 2020, 11 special schools have been established and 1,300 new special classes are being provided across our country. For this school year alone, more than 400 new special classes have been sanctioned, with classes now provided in every county and four new special schools due to open shortly. That is not a reference to amounts of money, which I will come to in a moment. That is the tangible reality of spaces being made available in schools, new schools being opened, and new classes being opened in schools. I, like the Deputy, am so aware of the challenge that those young pupils with disabilities and additional needs face in their lives, and the commitment that this Government has and which we all have to give them the support they need in life and at the start of their journey in life.

The Deputy went on to make the point about disability services and the support available. Again, in no small part due to the leadership of the Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, and the work he has done, which I have seen him do over many years, we have seen in this Government an increase of €1.2 billion being made available to disability services within Ireland, which is an increase of 58% over five years. That increase is happening in recognition of the needs that the Deputy and other Deputies raise. To bring to life what that means to young lives and the support they need, it is the reason, for example, why we have 46,000 children in our country receiving additional support through the spending of the money that I referred to. I agree with the Deputy that we have to work harder to meet those needs but I respectfully make the case that there is progress with regard to schools, special classrooms and the support of our disability services while always acknowledging the further work that we have to remain committed to doing.

See this speech in context