Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

I thank the Minister of State. That is very welcome and I think there is a solution here. Hopefully, if he talks to the Minister - I have mentioned it to her myself - we can get someone to visit.

In my remaining time, I want to put something else in the education area on the record. We are seeing major issues with the NCSC and a sort of stoppage of processes. I think it is moving to a new process or a new scheme or system. What seems to have happened is that anything that was under consideration has been stalled and principals are now being told it will come back to them in the next school year. That means those schools are not ready for September. They do not have the places and they do not have the SNA supports.

I refer in particular to two special schools - Marino Community Special School and New Court School, both of which have major difficulties with SNA supports. Indeed, Marino's review was cancelled two days before it was due to happen. There are also other schools in the area where there are difficulties. There were two SNAs in Scoil na Coróine Mhuire and one of them has been cancelled. That school is in dire straits. It was appealing that but the appeal process was stopped. Hopefully, it is moving again but it absolutely needs that SNA support. Dominican College in Wicklow had received permission to open an ASD classroom this year but that was cancelled. That is another issue. Gaelscoil Uí Chéadaigh in Bray does not have an SNA issue but it has a staffing one. It has lost a teaching post which means that one of its classes will be 39 pupils in size, which is in no way acceptable for any school.

I wanted to put those points on the record but I have a long list of schools that have difficulties and problems. For whatever reason, the system and process are not reactive to their needs. It is not meeting them where they need to be met. It is like the whole process and everything has stopped or slowed down. Those schools need to be ready to go in September. They will have to have the staffing they need, whether it is teaching posts or SNA supports. It is something that has to be looked at and if the Minister of State could pass that on, I would be very grateful.

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