Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

Notwithstanding significant investment in special education, and the Taoiseach spoke earlier about 400 additional classes, we still find ourselves in a position where some children do not have school places for September. For St. Christopher's Special School in my county of Longford, the children of three families do not have a place for September. Sacred Heart national school in Granard has an early intervention class. Children are due to transfer into the primary system, but there is no capacity within the primary school attached to allow them to move into the primary system. I ask that we prioritise, in particular, special schools to ensure that every single child has a place and we are not in a situation at the end of May whereby people do not know whether their children will have a school place. Children are on waiting lists because there is no capacity in schools. I ask for that to be prioritised for St. Christopher's Special School. We must consider schools where there is an early intervention class and ensure there is capacity within primary schools to which students can move.

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