In recent months, I have raised the challenges faced by Le Chéile National School in Limerick city and its need of additional supports. The school is in the second most disadvantaged area in the State, according to Pobal. There are 186 students in the school. School assessments have found 72% of children in the school have at least one additional need. Staff have pleaded for support for two years but support has still not been delivered.

Separately, I raised in a parliamentary question the wait time for two ASD support units at Corpus Christi national school in Moyross. The response confirms the school was approved in 2020 for two special educational needs classrooms and four SET rooms, yet it is four years later and the response states "it is not possible to give a timeframe as to when this project will go to construction". We have supports needed in one school in a disadvantaged area and ASD support classrooms awaiting construction in another disadvantaged area. Why do these schools in Limerick remain under-resourced despite a gaping need for additional supports?

As the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has said, we have a special Cabinet committee making sure health, education, disability and children are all working in relation to children with additional needs. Within my remit, one third of our education budget goes towards special education. For the coming school year, 400 special places are being allocated, of which 300 have already been allocated and the Department is working closely with the NCSE and the schools on the last 100. I will come back to the Deputy directly on that area. In my remit, I want to ramp up the resources for special education. Much good work is happening but we need to make sure the NCSE is being resourced and is working directly with schools to identity areas that need support.