David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have to take issue with some of what the Minister of State has said in his response because it is insulting to the parents of those children. He stated, "As schools begin to enrol students and as places become available, the NCSE will advise and support parents to ensure all children have a suitable placement for September." That is not happening and there will not be places for all children because they do not exist. That is the problem. They do not exist. The NCSE accepts that. The SENOs who work in the area accept that. The schools will tell the Minister of State themselves that this is the reality. The Minister of State then said that it is important for planning purposes that parents engage with the NCSE. They are engaging with the NCSE. They have been given lists. The lists are updated all of the time. They contact the schools that are on the lists. I gave the Minister of State examples of parents contacting 16 or 17 different schools. They go through the list contacting every school, suffering heartbreak after heartbreak and being told, "I am sorry but there are no places." The Minister of State needs to wake up and smell the coffee in this regard. There is a real crisis of capacity. Unless the capacity is put in you cannot say to all children that their places will be there for them in September.

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