Over the last year or so I have had an increasing number of parents of children of secondary school-going age who have not been allocated a school place. For a small number of people, this goes on months into the next school year. There is an added complication whereby on the school waiting list it is not clear what children have already been allocated a place in another school or are already in another school. Some are offered school places very far away and for a working parent it is just impossible to bring them there. Many parents have already been on to me about next September. The parents and kids are, naturally, really stressed about this situation. Can the Minister ensure this issue is a priority for her and her Department in future? It is becoming a bigger issue and it would be really good if we could get it sorted out.

I assure the Deputy it is a number one priority to ensure every child has access to the place they are entitled to, particularly those with special educational needs. I believe a great deal of progress has been made in recent years. I want to get to a point where every single child is offered a place at the same time as their sibling and every other child in their community. There is work to do in that regard, but it is my intention, along with the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, that for this school year every child will have access to a place and have that in a timely manner. Additionally, the Deputy will know the programme for Government commitment is to ensure we will have a single application system to remove so much of the stress and anxiety placed on parents in having to apply to so many different schools and not necessarily getting an outcome at the end of it. That work is under way. I will work closely with the NCSE. The intention in this regard, obviously, is for this year. We need a system in place, though, to ensure that every year parents and children will know where they will be going and at the earliest stage possible.