I raise again the lack of school places across north Kildare and the fact that parents are fed up with the copy-and-paste replies to parliamentary questions they are getting as to why they cannot send their children to the schools they can see from their front doors. The replies state the schools are oversubscribed. The problem is not overexuberance on the part of parents and their children as regards applications but under-provision by the State. I specifically mention Nicole from Kill. Nicole is autistic and she has severe, profound disabilities. She has no secondary school place as the three suitable schools to which her mother Lorraine has applied have no spaces because they are under-provided for by the State. The special educational needs organiser, SENO, has suggested Nicole go to Kilkenny, Wexford, Laois or Carlow. Where is the humanity in putting a nonverbal youngster on a bus for four hours every day? The Department has known since Nicole started primary school that she would need this place, the same as every other child who started primary school that year needs a place. Why did the Department not plan for a place for Nicole?

If the Deputy passes on Nicole's details to my office, with her permission to look into her case, I can certainly engage with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, about it and see if it can be resolved. I know from my own constituency service that it is often the case at this point in the year that children do not have a school place but long before September it is possible to find an appropriate one. That is not always the case but it is in the vast majority of cases. If the Deputy passes on the details and permission to make representations, I can take the matter up with the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan.