Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I appreciate it is not the Minister of State's reply - he is reading it out - but it is not about quotas, deadlines and systems like that. It is about ordinary children with needs. It is not fair on the schools that expected to open these schools to now have to wait to see if the decision will be reversed. By the Minister of State's account, I do not think it will be. We are approaching the end of the school term and principals have already been including the expected allocation in their numbers. One such school is Coláiste Dún Iascaigh in Cahir, which was approached by the SENO to consider accepting an additional ASD satellite class. I commend the principal, Peter Creedon, and Ms Fiona Greene, who is the co-ordinator, on their work to ensure the needs of all students are met, but this is increasingly difficult. There are a number of students with a diagnosis of special educational needs in mainstream classes with no supports, and a number of children with complex needs do not have a place in the special class. Many principals like Peter Creedon have taken time to engage with the NCSE over recent months and have made plans for these new classes but have been told they cannot now proceed, not because of a lack need but because the Government has reached its target regardless of need. This is so cruel. We are talking about human beings. Schools across my constituency are affected by this. If they have to wait another year to open these classes, it will create an even greater backlog as there will be even more students driving the list next year and students will be taking up places in the school without the support they need. That is the important thing. This is a retrograde step. Do not get me wrong. It is hugely welcome that the Department has put in 399 new classes this year, but the demand exists for more and we need to provide those places, particularly where those commitments were made and those expectations were created.

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