Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Flynn. The Department is working closely with stakeholders and the advocacy groups she mentioned to ensure that children with special educational needs can access educational places appropriate to their needs. My Department and I are listening really closely to the voice of parents and those representing children with disabilities. That is essential to ensure that what we deliver meets their needs.

There is a shared determination to work intensively on the issues facing us. We are doing that through the special education consultative forum I set up on which all the advocacy groups are represented. We are focusing on addressing this need without having to introduce other avenues of support than those I have already outlined. That has always been our first priority.

Any additional supports that could be provided to parents of children who are availing of home tuition and which are currently being discussed, as I said, through our special education consultative forum would require the mutual support of the forum and the Department. Engagement on this is continuing.

I want to reassure Senator Flynn that I will continue to support children with additional needs in whatever way I can with the support of the advocacy groups. Whatever way we move forward it will be in a united way with those representative bodies.