Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I thank colleagues right across the House for their contributions, not just during the discussion this afternoon on making Ireland's education system a world-class system and making sure every child can reach his or her full potential. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue and I thank Deputies for their contributions on it. I also thank thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, for the huge amount of work and co-operation over recent months with regard to the many issues we face in the Department of education. I am delighted to be working with the Minister on these issues.

As Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion, my priority is to support all children with additional educational needs to reach their full potential. I have been working with families, children, schools and school communities in this regard over many years. I understand only too well the challenges that are faced by many families throughout the country. Since my appointment to this role in January, I have travelled almost the length and breadth of the country. I have been in many counties visiting a range of schools, whether mainstream schools with special classes or special schools. I thank the school communities for the work they do. I thank them sincerely for welcoming us but as well as that, for putting the issues they face daily out for us, as some Members have said. I see the work the school leadership, teachers, SNAs and all in the school community do to make sure we have a vibrant education system. There is no doubt about it that the school communities are working extremely hard. The commitment that they have to education within their school and within the wider community is evident in every classroom we go into or when we meet them. Much discussion has been had regarding disadvantaged education and how important education is for those who are disadvantaged. The education system is the great enabler. Tributes were paid to the enormous initiatives in education going back over the decades, nearly since the foundation of the State, as being one of the great enablers.

We have been talking to representatives from some of the schools over the last while. Some of the schools are in really disadvantaged communities, and the kids have such a love of their school communities. One of the presentations that was made on the wall in one of the schools we visited today was that the kids would love to see longer school days and would like to spend longer in school. That is completely unusual. It is certainly alien to me from when I was in school; the faster I could get out the door, the better. That is the point we have to take from that. One person from the school leadership spoke to us about how children will come up to them for a hug. We really have to go under that. We have to understand the importance of our days in school and what school communities are providing for in really disadvantaged areas. In any discussion we have on education, it is important to remember that we have many challenges but we have great participants. We have great people in the school leadership and teaching staff including the SNAs, caretakers, secretaries and all in the school communities. The work they are doing is second to none.

A number of issues that still need to be resolved were raised across the floor. In many debates since my appointment, I have told the Dáil that I will work with might and main to ensure long-term improvements are made to special education provision over the coming years. I am as committed as the ink is in the programme for Government to making sure those changes take place.

The majority of children and young people with special educational needs are supported in mainstream education with their peers thanks to the substantial investment in special education over recent years. Over 20 years ago, I chaired the education committee in the Houses of the Oireachtas. At that time, we discussed provision in mainstream education. We have embraced that over the past two decades. A large number of students are in mainstream education.

However, we have to make sure that those children for whom mainstream education is not suitable have proper resources in terms of special classes. In the coming school year, there will be over 400 extra special classes. They are being worked through at the moment and sanction has been given to 399. One comes under section 37A. At the moment, it appears that we will have capacity within those 400 classes, but if necessary we will exceed that. We will have to work through to make sure there are teachers, SNAs and school buildings. There is huge engagement with the Department of education and the NCSE nationwide on this provision.

The numbers show we will have to open further classes in the 2026-27 school year. A number of special schools have opened and will open across the country. Some are in temporary locations, in Monaghan, Cork and elsewhere. I visited Belmayne today for the opening of a special school. The facilities are fantastic in the Educate Together school. Those classes are opening to make sure we have places for children with additional needs and children who need support in a special school.

Deputy Kenny referred to Carrignavar. We are working extremely hard and are very confident that we will be able to address any matters arising there. We are very satisfied that we will be able to deal with them and that the facility will open in temporary accommodation this September. It will move to permanent accommodation during the school year. We need to work to ensure that happens.

The NCSE workforce has increased by over 50% since 2020, with the recruitment of 160 additional staff. This has allowed the NCSE to complete over 1,700 school visits this year, which will be vital in establishing special school provisions. That is important because, as we have more SENOs in the field who are out among communities liaising with families and school authorities, we need to build trust between them. That will be a vital piece of the infrastructure as we go forward.

The Government recently took a decision on the development of a national therapy service to ensure that the therapists are employed by the NCSE and work in special schools, in the first instance, and special classes. Therapists are hugely important. For children with complex needs special schools, families are struggling to do the best they can for those children and to meet their needs not just during the school day but 24-7. We are putting the burden on parents to go to therapists after school, but it is important that we have therapists in schools and we are working to make sure that happens. That is an important ingredient. Where we have therapists in schools, the whole school community learns from them and the work feeds into best practice and what can be done to de-escalate issues.

In a number of schools we have visited over recent months, there are anomalies in that excellent teachers who have trained in a different jurisdiction have difficulty being recognised by the Teaching Council. We are committed to rectifying that. We need to make sure that the people who are providing a massive service in school communities can be retained in the roles they have. That is an issue that has arisen frequently because many people have qualifications from outside of the State.

Education is important for everybody. People talk about ableism and everything else. We have to make sure that we have the best system in place because we understand the importance of early intervention for children. We need to make sure we have the best possible education system integrated into existing services.

I thank all of those in the House for their contributions and look forward to working with Deputies, along with my colleague the Minister, Deputy McEntee, to ensure we can improve the system of education and that we have timely places for children. We do not want families going into May, June or July not being sure of a school place. Next year, we will bring back the dates to ensure we have consistency and information for families earlier in the school year.

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