Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I am asking for an update on the application made by Catherine McAuley School on Ashbourne Avenue in Limerick. I was honoured when the Minister of State came to visit the school with me a couple of months ago to learn about its ethos and see what is going on in the school. It was a great day of celebration when we were there. The school put on part of its show about the story of Joseph and his multicoloured dream coat. Fantastic work is going on there.

The school was opened by the Sisters of Mercy in 1961, with 12 students present. It now has almost 300 students in primary and secondary education. It certainly meets the needs of students with learning difficulties. The happy and purposeful atmosphere we saw on the day was to be commended. I know its application has been in the system for a while. As the Minister of State saw on her visit, it purchased some prefabs at a low price during the Covid pandemic, with one for its autism room. Every inch of space in the school is being used. The school needs to progress. There is a waiting list for people to get in and the standard is very high. I ask for an update on the application.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this matter. It gives me the opportunity to outline what we are doing regarding special education in general. I commend the Catherine McAuley School on all the work it is doing. It has a wonderful principal and staff. I visited on 10 February last. The school has a lovely, warm atmosphere. I could see how committed and dedicated all the staff are to looking after the children with additional needs. As the Senator indicated, there are 259 pupils in the school at present. I know there is a waiting list. It wants to be in a position to be able to expand in the future. It is important to say that when the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, sanctions a special class in any school, which, I know, is separate from a special school, it can apply for capital funding to reconfigure any existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the class or indeed to construct additional accommodation under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme.

In recognising some of the difficulties experienced by parents in securing appropriate school placements, since 2020, the Department and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined-up approach in respect of the planning process, which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year. This intensive intervention has resulted in the establishment of seven new special schools over the past three years, including new special schools in Cork and Dublin, which are due to open for the 2023-24 school year. Expanded capacity at 11 special schools is also planned for September.

In this context, the NCSE, through its special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is identifying areas of priority in the Limerick area. My Department is liaising with the NCSE on this matter and the long-term needs of Catherine McAuley School. I note that the school submitted an ASA application in November 2022 requesting retrospective funding for the purchase of two modular units which the Senator spoke of. Officials in my Department are liaising with the SENO at the school on the long-term needs that exist there. Once that information is received, the Department will be in a position to fully assess the accommodation needs of the school. There are about 1,300 school building projects ongoing throughout the country. Much good work is being done. All key stakeholders are actively working to ensure that any children who do not have a place for next year are provided with a suitable placement. That is very important and the NCSE is leading the work in that regard.

I assure the Senator that the Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure that all children are successful in accessing education. I also wish to assure the Senator that the application for capital funding for Catherine McAuley School is being assessed in consultation with the NCSE. Once that has been assessed adequately, the school authorities will be notified of a decision directly.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for her response. It is good to know that it is progressing through the system and that the NCSE is liaising. Does the Minister of State have a timeframe for when the report will be coming back? Maybe she cannot give that information today but she might be able to come back to me with a timeframe, if possible. I visit the school regularly and see the standard of what goes on there and how happy the students are. The staff are fantastic. There is great support from parents and the surrounding community too.There is huge community involvement there as well as the staff of the school. That is a sign of a very well-run school. I pay tribute to the principal, Greg Browne, and the staff there for all they are doing for the students with special needs because they are supporting students in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I echo the Senator's comments about Greg Browne and all the staff of the Catherine McAuley School and the incredible work they do. The school mainly provides education to pupils with a mild or borderline general learning disability and not just at primary level but all the way up to post-primary. This retrospective request relates to modular units already in existence. The Department is assessing the application with the NCSE. The Senator has brought it to my attention and the Department and the NCSE will be aware of it. Perhaps it can concentrate minds to get an early response. As I mentioned, we have opened seven new special schools over the last three years and we have a budget of €2.6 billion for special education. It is important we try to increase capacity in special schools and that they have sufficient capacity to cater for children adequately. I will revert to the Senator in due course on that.