Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, I wish the Minister of State the very best in his role and congratulate him. It is a hugely important brief and out of all the Members I know across the Houses, he will take it on with sincerity and gusto. I wish him the very best of luck with it.

This evening, I am asking for an update regarding special ASD classes in County Louth, both at primary and secondary school level. I have many parents contacting me quite regularly, particularly in relation to second level schools. They are at their wits' end and are afraid their child will not have a school place come September.

I acknowledge that the previous Government doubled the special classes. It introduced 11 new special classes. As the Minister of State said in his speech in the previous debate, there are 400 new classes to be allocated for the school year of 2025.

I ask that County Louth will get some of those classes, in particular, for second level schools. I believe there are only six ASD classes at second level in Dundalk and with a population of over 40,000 people, when one looks at that, it is unsustainable.

It is a brief question. As the Minister of State well knows and has been thrashed out throughout this evening, parents are at their wits' end. They are incredibly worried.

Education is a right. It is supposed to be a special, wonderful time, particularly that transition between primary and secondary school where parents are looking towards the future, looking towards what schools they would pick for their child and what suits the child best. When you have no options, that is basically it; you have no options. You struggle to place your child in any class. It is a terrible time.

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