I congratulate the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Foley, on a very comprehensive and detailed roadmap and on the financial package of €377 million to reopen our schools. The additional teachers and support staff, the enhanced cleaning and hygiene measures, and the extra psychologists and guidance counsellors will go a long way in supporting our principals and teachers.

I will speak on the important matter of social distancing and the associated physical implications and need for extra classroom space. Bailieborough community school has an enrolment of 650 students. It is a victim of its own success and has exceeded its physical capacity and therefore needs more space in the form of prefabricated buildings. Will the Taoiseach outline the elements of the Government's plan which deal with the delivery of such buildings to allow for the reopening of our schools in September?

We have been looking for a roadmap since April, so it is welcome that we now have one. There are, however, deficiencies. Parents of children with special educational needs and those who work in the area, including teachers and special needs assistants, have concerns. I know the Taoiseach has often talked about this issue. I am not here to criticise him but to ask him to fix something in the coming weeks. There is concern that yesterday's circular opened the door to special education teachers being used as substitute teachers. They are also to have a significant role in delivering remote teaching to students who cannot attend school. A dedicated resource should have been provided for this. I am concerned that special education teachers will be pulled from pillar to post to cover absences, breaks and remote learning. Specific resources are needed. Special education teachers' hours need to be ring-fenced for special education. Children with special needs lost out the most. They need greater attention than they are receiving under this package.

I also welcome the package for the reopening of schools. It is very important. One of the biggest issues relates to social distancing for students in third to sixth class. That has become a big issue and many schools have contacted me in that regard. The Minister has asked all schools at what stage any planning applications they have made are. The Taoiseach will know that there are about 20 stages involved in making a planning application for a school building through the Department. The time it takes to complete these stages is now very long. A school applies to the Department, then goes to the planner, then goes back to the Department again. Could these particular builds, which are urgently needed, be fast-tracked because there are a lot of them? I know the Minister is waiting on word back from all the schools that have made such applications as to the stage they are at. Can we fast-track these projects? It is a very important issue and this measure would be a great help.

I also welcome the safe reopening of schools. One of the biggest issues on which I am being contacted by the people of Cork North-Central is that of children's access to autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units. There is a complete shortage of such units at the moment. This morning and yesterday, parents have told me that, although schools are to reopen in four weeks' time, their children have nowhere to go. There are no places for them. I ask that new units be set up urgently in Cork city and particularly in the constituency of Cork North-Central.

The severe overcrowding in St. Brogan's College has been of great concern to the people of Bandon for quite some time. What will the situation be for children going into secondary school in Bandon in September? Will extra Portakabins be put in place? What is the situation in that regard? Parents were last year advised to send children to Cork rather than to send them to school in Bandon. This is still an issue. There are plans for new accommodation down the road. What is the status of those plans? Parents need answers.

A range of queries were raised with regard to the reopening of our schools.

Fundamentally, there is always and will be a significant degree of local autonomy to be deployed by the schools themselves in terms of the configuration of their own schools and the utilisation of the minor works grants in terms of reconfiguring classrooms and so forth.

The capital programme is a separate programme. I discussed it with the Minister last week. What I have said to departmental officials is that we would like to accelerate any provisions for special needs education in terms of units within schools or special schools themselves. In my view, their capital works should get priority and they should be accelerated. Specific measures will be required for specific schools where there are issues in terms of numbers, in particular in urban areas. The health advice is clear about the application of common sense and balance in terms of social distancing. The roadmap is grounded on that.

In terms of Deputy Ó Laoghaire's concern, that is not envisaged at all. The plan is very clear. For primary schools it is about special schools and special education and it is about post-primary schools. It is not envisaged that special needs teachers or assistants would be used to substitute elsewhere. That is not the philosophy behind the roadmap at all. In some instances, if a particularly strong relationship had developed between a child with special needs and a teacher, one would like to see that continue even if the child is at home, so that some level of contact would be maintained.

All right. We need to conclude.

That can be useful and important. Deputy Gould raised a point of which I am aware in terms of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units in Cork and the need for greater provision. A lot of work has been done over the summer in terms of the provision of some units. Work is under way to assess the need for additional capacity in ASD units and in special schools in the general Cork area.

I take on board what Deputy Michael Collins said about school accommodation.

That concludes questions on promised legislation. Twenty two Deputies have not been reached, including eight Deputies carried forward from yesterday. We will carry the 22 forward to tomorrow and I will not be minded to take any new speakers tomorrow.