Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The issue I wish to raise with the Taoiseach is the need for special needs places, and specifically the case of St. Francis School in Portlaoise. There is a big commitment in the programme for Government regarding special schools and increasing places. We all welcome this but it must be more than aspirations. St. Francis School is a relatively new facility but it was too small the day it was built. There are children going there from all over Laois and the school is in urgent need of extra space. There are nine children due to leave the school this year but there are 45 children waiting to get in, and this number is increasing. The school has been granted four extra classrooms and I welcome that fact but this will take time. We know in this House that this must go through several hoops and stages. There is an immediate problem - the management of the school and staff have pointed this out for a long time - and there is an immediate solution to provide two prefab buildings. There is space on the site for that. Can the Taoiseach get the Minister for Education, Deputy McEntee, and the Department of Education to take this seriously?

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