Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

It is important to outline that as of the end of April, 399 new classes and one class that has been given a legal direction to open, comprising a total of 400 new special classes, are being opened, coupled with places that have become available due to natural movement, meaning 3,900 new spaces are available. What I expect as Minister and what is happening now is that all of those places are being designated. Those young children and people who are known to the National Council for Special Education are being provided with places. The situation is not where we want it to be. This time next year, I hope we will be in a position to say that every child will know exactly where he or she is going. A huge number of children have been allocated places. They know where they are going. That process is continuing throughout the summer. It is so important for planning and making sure that places are open come September that those designations happen earlier and that schools approve and agree earlier. That will happen next year. For children entering school this September, where their classes are not in situ yet and those need to be modular, arrangements are being made with the schools to make sure that children are being brought in and are part of the school community, with transitioning mechanisms in place. Alternatively, in some instances where children are only four years of age, they may spend another year in a school. Where they want to be in school, those transitionary arrangements are being put in place.

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