Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we understand it, the plans we have in place and the placements we are working on with school patrons and schools right across the country will exceed the demand and there will be sufficient places. However, we will have to work with all families and school authorities to make sure they are in place in a timely manner. We have to be better at getting information through the AIM programme and the domiciliary care scheme. All of that information has to be available at an earlier date. One of the challenges we face is ensuring that places are made available to families and children with additional needs in a timely manner. We have to push back on that date. We have had serious engagement with the Department and the NCSE over recent weeks to make sure that is done in a timely fashion because families need to know. We are working through that in a very serious way right now and will continue to do so in the coming weeks.

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