I also wish to raise with the Minister the issue of special needs. Raising a child with special needs is challenging and rewarding. It is demanding, yet fulfilling. For parents, it becomes a labour of love in almost every sense. They want what is best for their son or daughter. They want their child to have the best possible start in life.

They plan for the years ahead when their child may no longer have their care and support. They aim to set the best foundation to support their child throughout his or her life.

I attended an action for autism rally in Tipperary earlier this month. This event was organised by two mothers who have reached the limit of their endurance. They and most of those who joined them have battled for years for services for children. Seeing parents of children with special needs marching through the streets to fight for their children's needs is heartbreaking. They have come to believe, with good reason, that seeking what their children urgently need through the established channels is a fruitless exercise. Today I received a letter signed by all of the teachers in Scoil Chormaic in Cashel. It sets out a catalogue of neglect. The school community there is suffering because of a lack of resources and services. For as long as most Members in this House can remember, there have been calls to regulate, reform and resource all areas of the special needs sector. There have been some improvements, which are acknowledged and appreciated, but the reality is that they merely touch the edges of an issue that is impacting the most vulnerable members of our society.

The demands of parents for their special children are no more than any child in the country deserves. They are pleading for timely assessments for their children. This is the first hurdle on their journey for their child and is what will guide future decisions but the reality is that this is the hardest hurdle to cross. The most recent figures available show that there are almost 7,000 children across the country waiting for such assessments. The outcome is crucial as it will establish if they need disability, health or educational support and will determine the road ahead. While they wait to be called for these assessments, the lives of the family and, most especially, the child are left in limbo.

Their next hurdle is finding a suitable place in the education system and proper SNA support. This can be soul-destroying for parents who face many closed doors before they, hopefully, find one that will open to them. All the while, the lives of these children are on hold. It is a sad reflection on the Government and all of us here, as Members of this House, that as a country and as human beings we are continuing to let these children and their families down. This is both a legacy and current issue that should unite this Dáil in meaningful action. The Minister referred to the Taoiseach taking initiatives. Could she please update the House on the progress that has been made on those initiatives and when we can expect to see results?

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which I know is one about which he feels very strongly. He has advocated for Scoil Chormaic in Cashel previously. As I said earlier, we all have the experience, in representing our constituents, of meeting parents who are waiting too long for an assessment of their children's needs and for the therapies they need. We have to do all we can to relieve the pressure. The Taoiseach has established a new Cabinet committee on children, education and disability, which includes the responsible Ministers and Departments. The committee has met on a number of occasions and the issue of disability has been front and centre. At the most recent meeting, there was a focus on the waiting list for assessments of need and how we can increase the use of the private sector to deliver results for families waiting long periods. Private assessments are already taking place and €16.5 million has been set aside for the HSE to procure diagnostic ASD assessments through the private sector. This work is being led by the Taoiseach, working closely with the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Rabbitte and the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly. The Minister of State works day and night to do more to support families and she does hold her officials to account. I can assure the Deputy of that because I have seen it first-hand.

Special educational needs is an issue to which the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Naughton, who sits at the Cabinet table, is totally committed, along with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley. They are committed to providing more spaces for children with special needs. Seven special schools and two thirds of all special classes were established by this Government. We will open more special schools this year and capacity in special schools around the country will also be increased, as has happened in recent years. A significant number of new special classes, numbering approximately 400, have been sanctioned for September. Of those, arrangements have been finalised for approximately 300, with the remainder being identified in the coming weeks. That is not to say, as this work continues, that we do not have huge sympathy for families looking to secure a special education place. I am aware of that and know how difficult it is for families. Sometimes special education places in mainstream schools do not meet the needs of the child involved and he or she may need to go to a special school. We are committed to improving those services. Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

During the Covid pandemic, the health service came together and we used the private sector to very good effect. In this case, the big problem is with the assessments. We do not have enough child psychologists in the public sector. They are in the private sector and we should make a once-off effort to get them to combine and do whatever is necessary to reduce the backlog. There are young children waiting for two or three years for an assessment, which is simply unjust and unfair. It needs to be dealt with forthwith.

There are 100 special schools across Ireland. The reality is that number is failing to meet demand. Similarly, many special needs classes in national schools are also struggling to cater for those who need a place. In terms of providing appropriate education, the special school and special needs classrooms model has proven to be successful. Special needs children get lost in mainstream schools. There is neither the time or the opportunity to nurture their abilities. There is a need for increased access to specialised services offered through special needs education. That is what parents are demanding, what they know is required, and what their children need and deserve.

In 2021, we did clear the list. There is a framework in place now and there is €16.5 million available to procure the services for special needs assessments in the private sector. The Deputy is absolutely right that we need to clear the list and we will do so. The necessary funding has been provided. In terms of special schools, seven new ones have been established in recent years in a number of areas, including Cork and Dublin. In the 2024-25 school year, the focus is on areas outside the larger cities. New special schools will open in counties Meath, Kildare, Wexford and Limerick. My own county of Monaghan does not have a special school and the same is true of County Leitrim. These are the areas we will have to look at in terms of providing more special needs schools. Capacity in the special schools around the country will also be increased, as has happened in recent years.

The Department of Education and the NCSE work closely on the forward planning of special school provision. Since 2020, a total of 55 building projects have been completed across 41 special schools. During 2022 and 2023 alone, the school building programme provided accommodation for 80 additional or modernised classrooms in special schools. We have all seen them in our own constituencies. They are state-of-the-art and are providing a great service but there are many cases where such classes are not suitable for children who need to be in a special school. I accept that and what is best for the children is what we are focused on.