Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

I raise with the Minister the issue of a special school in Bray, County Wicklow. It is Marino special school, which caters for children with complex needs. It is critically overstretched when it comes to its SNA allocation. An exceptional care review was to be conducted on 18 June. That was cancelled on the evening of 16 June by the NCSE and the school was told that care review would happen in the next school year, which is no good to Marino. I was surprised that this is actually happening. Marino special school has never had a review of its care needs. Interestingly, in September 2024, the school made four urgent applications to the NCSE in relation to four students. It never heard back from the NCSE, and another ten similar applications are sitting on a desk, which were to be discussed at the review. Can the Minister please make sure that review happens now, so this school can be equipped with the care and support it needs for the students in the coming school year?

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