Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Geoghegan raised the first issue, which was an interesting point, relating to the recruitment of therapists, particularly from overseas. This was raised at our initial meeting between Ministers last week. Perhaps we need to engage with CORU on this. Historically, although I am not sure whether this is the case here, regulatory bodies can have fairly rigorous criteria for professionals coming in from overseas. That needs to be examined because the figure is too low. We have been in a position to recruit people from overseas in many disciplines, not just in health but across the board, and that figure is far too low, in my view. Why it is so low needs to be examined. When just 21 speech and language therapists have been recruited over three years, there is something wrong there.

To respond to Deputy Murphy, again the budget has provided for 400 new special classes and 300 new special school places. There has been huge growth, as the two most recent censuses have shown, when we look at the difference between the two in terms of the number of people identifying as having disabilities, and particularly children with additional needs. About 209 of those 400 new special classes have already been sanctioned for the 2025-26 school year, beginning in September, so there is every chance that those 400 new special classes will be approved. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, is working flat out engaging with all the various stakeholders and the NCSE to make sure every child will have a place next September, along with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. Five new special schools have been established already for the 2025-26 school year in counties Cork, Dublin, where there are two new schools, Monaghan and Tipperary. The NCSE will continue to assess what additional provision is required in local areas and what schools have capacity to accommodate the required provision.

We also need to look at legislation. The existing legislation is not strong enough, or certainly should be proactively followed through. Every school should be proactively accepting children with special needs, both at primary and at post primary. Post primary is not as strong as primary at accepting children into schools and that is not good enough. We have a Constitution. Every child is entitled to an education and there should be no question but that schools take in children in their locality, and they should be proactively seeking facilities. Some are doing so, but on the second level side it has been too slow. We are going to examine that again and, in my view, we have work to do. Up to now, the NCSE has been endeavouring to persuade schools and work with them, but I do not think that is enough, given the numbers who are seeking places. Every child should know, certainly by May or April, whether they will have a place for the following September. It is now March, and we still have an opportunity to sort out a lot of cases coming our way that need resolution.

Deputy Ó Murchú asked about section 39 workers. That is, I hope, with the Workplace Relations Commission-----

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