Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the response. It is important to acknowledge there has been significant investment by the Government in additional school places. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, has been extremely proactive in the role. I acknowledge the opening of classes in the county and that a new SENO has been put in place. Today is 7 November and the application process for schools is currently ongoing. The closing date for applications for September 2025 is this month. It is stated in the reply that numerous additional places have been put in and are planned for the 2025-26 school year, but they are not there as of today. That is where I have an issue because parents are looking to make applications for special places in schools. Those places are not in place yet and that is what we need to address. The figures show we have 17 special classes at post-primary level and 30 at primary level. That matches up with the need transitioning from primary into secondary. That is what I wanted to highlight. We have fantastic plans, funding put in place, extra special class teachers and SNAs, but as of today there are parents in Longford and Westmeath who do not know if their child is going to have a place in September 2025. Answers are needed there immediately.