Ballyporeen national school in County Tipperary was sanctioned by the National Council for Special Education for a special class on 3 March. On 15 May, the NCSE withdrew this sanction because of rent implications linked to the building being provided for the class. This building is ready for use. It is on the school grounds and is owned by the local community council, a not-for-profit organisation. Everyone associated with the school is devastated. The community of Ballyporeen is devastated and, most importantly, the six children already enrolled in the special class and their parents and families are devastated. On my behalf and that of Councillor Marie Murphy, I appeal to the Tánaiste to intervene to engage with the Minister and Minister of State to find a solution and give these six special children the opportunity they deserve to reach the maximum of their ability and restore this sanction.

I thank the Deputy and Councillor Marie Murphy for their work on this. I was looking into this and there are approximately 17 new special classes sanctioned for County Tipperary for the coming academic year. I think there are nine at primary level and eight at post-primary level. This is in addition to 138 special classes currently in operation in County Tipperary and three special schools in the county which have approximately 409 students enrolled. One of the five new special schools for the coming school year is going to open in Nenagh.

I take the point about Ballyporeen and how upsetting this has been. My understanding is that the school received sanction based on potential local demand for special class places and based on the information the school had available accommodation to host a special class. I am sure there are people locally who will contradict this, but I am saying what I am being told. I am being told this was not the case and the school did not have available accommodation and the class could only be supported in an external location property that needed to be rented. The NCSE re-evaluated the situation and was satisfied that the needs of the children locally could be met in another way. I know this is not to the satisfaction of the school or the local community, and in light of the Deputy raising this matter, I will ask the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to engage with him on the matter directly.