David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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7. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department plans to establish a new special school in Midleton, County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34894/22]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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This is an issue I have been going on about for quite some time, and I know my colleague Deputy Buckley is also interested in this. That issue is the need to establish a special school in east Cork. We have children travelling long distances out of the area into Cork city, Dungarvan and so on and going on 100 km round trips every day. What plans are there to establish a special school in this large and highly populated area?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I know this is a matter of great concern to the Deputy and we have spoken about it on a good few occasions. I have made representations to the NCSE on the Deputy's behalf and it is aware of the fact we have spoken about this on numerous occasions. It has said it will compile a report on the need for a special school in Midleton and in the east Cork area. It will undertake a feasibility study for the area and establish if there is the need for additional provision in the area. The NCSE was of the view there was no need for such provision but it will undertake a feasibility study, based on the Deputy’s contributions in the Dáil and in the committee.

I know there has been a significant increase in special school places in the past year and we have 941 children in special schools in Cork. Having said that, I appreciate a lot of this is concentrated on the south of the city in Carrigaline and Rochestown. There is also provision for a new school in Glanmire that has recently been announced. I understand parents want to find a placement in a special school as near to where they are living as possible, and I know the Deputy has championed the need for a special school in east Cork.

I have instructed the NCSE and the Department to look further into this matter. Whatever about trying to get an appropriate placement for a child, which is the first thing we have to do, the second thing we have to consider is trying to get an appropriate placement in the locality. I can visit east Cork with the Deputy at any stage if that would be of assistance. Now that the NCSE is doing the feasibility study, it is to be hoped that will progress the matter further.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of Stated for her interesting response and for her engagement with me on this. I want to encourage her to keep battling to try to get this done. Is she aware there was agreement a number of years ago to establish a special school and a premises was identified? Then, for other reasons outside of everyone's control, that premises was no longer available and the plan was dropped. There was an acknowledgement at that stage by the Department and the NCSE that there was a need for a special school in the area.

That need has not gone away; in fact, it has increased if anything.

I welcome the extra places in Glanmire and Carrigaline but they are a long distance from Aghada, Youghal and so on. People travel to Dungarvan from east Cork, which is almost a 100 km round trip. Does the Minister of State agree it is unfair that children with additional needs have to travel long distances out of their area and away from their locality while their brothers and sisters can go to a school down the road? A site is available in Midleton that I can tell the Minister of State about. It can be leased long term and they can put a school up there with planning in a short period of time. Will the Minister of State engage with us on this? The need is huge, has been there for quite some time and has not gone away.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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It is important to stress that, wherever possible, the Department’s approach is to co-locate special schools on campus sites with other schools to maximise the opportunities for integration. The NCSE is only looking at an interim site for Rochestown. In that context, it will be looking for special school provision on the eastern side of Cork city also. I will make sure the NCSE is aware of the Deputy's comments on the absolute need for it.

He is right that there are children in that situation and we do not dispute the figures in the Ombudsman for Children's report in relation to children with special educational needs who have to travel to schools. We want that to be in the past and that is why we are publishing the special needs provision legislation, so we can compel schools to open special classes. We are doing much work with the Spiritan Education Trust as well around fee-charging schools in relation to special schools.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and encourage and support the work she is doing to set up a special school in the area. I agree on integration but am aware that some special schools in Cork city, where these children have to go, have waiting lists, so we have children with no place. I appeal to the Minister of State to talk to the NCSE to get this work done quickly. I know what happens in Departments. They set up a study and another study, it goes on forever and nothing happens. We want a deadline on this.

There is a site available at the moment. The Minister of State could have a school up there in September 2023 if the decision was taken to do it. There are waiting lists in some of the schools, there is pressure on these parents and they already have so much stress dealing with children with intense additional needs. They need support and it is wrong, as the Minister of State agrees, that these children have to travel long distances away from their areas every day to get the support they need.

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Deputy Stanton for raising this important question regarding new special schools in Midleton. I have listened to the Minister of State's replies. I welcome anything positive but, as Deputy Stanton said, Glanmire to Rochestown is a long way with traffic, the tunnel and the whole lot for families to travel. We have massive population growth in east Cork, predominantly on the Midleton side towards Youghal. On top of that, I have often discussed the constituency database here and a fresh one will come out shortly from the latest census. From the last constituency database information, I can tell the Minister of State that over 14,500 people had a disability in the east Cork area.

I appeal to the Minister of State. We will work together. We do not have to play party politics all the time to get local representation for local people. I would support the Minister of State's suggestion of coming to Midleton, looking at the area and trying to resolve the issue as fast as possible.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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As I said to Deputy Stanton, I would be happy to do that, perhaps with the NCSE, so we can see in real terms what is happening. The NCSE has committed to undertaking a feasibility study and is aware of the identified need for additional special education placements for students, particularly with autism, in Cork. I understand the Deputy's points that Rochestown and Carrigaline are a bit further away. There are other special schools like Mayfield, which is getting an additional 18 places, Carrigaline, Bishopstown and St. Gabriel's Special School. There are a number of special schools in Cork. We do not want children travelling if possible. We want to try to have a school in the location. I have no doubt that if the NCSE is satisfied there is an immediate need for this, it will take that seriously. We can talk to the planning and building unit once we get the outcome of the feasibility study, which I will ask to be expedited.