Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister very much. I welcome the commitment from the Minister on behalf of the Government to legislate for the autism innovation strategy. Key to it is giving every child the same chance in life and the opportunity to be the best they can be.

I welcome the huge amount of work done in the Minister's Department with regard to new school places for September 2025. However, I ask that the work start. It probably should have started a number of years back to ensure we provide places for 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. One just needs to look at the census figures of 2022. We have more than 40,000 children with a disability, based on the census results. Some 4% have indicated they have a disability. I ask that the various Departments covering the therapies and education consider these figures, break them down geographically and plan to ensure we have the school places for children not just months in advance but also one, two and three years in advance.

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