Despite the Government telling us for years that there was no need for a special school in County Monaghan, a sustained and dignified campaign by families of children with disabilities, which we in Sinn Féin were very proud to support, led to the announcement in the run-up to the last election that an interim special school would open. I am very pleased to say that that school has now opened but it was already clear beforehand – it has since crystallised - that additional capacity would be needed. Today, I am appealing to the Tánaiste to put the full force of the Government behind the campaign to deliver a permanent special school in Monaghan with the capacity for every child who needs it. In too many instances, we have special schools operating in interim or temporary accommodation. That has to end. We need the plans for the permanent school in Monaghan to begin right now. Will the Government promise that every child who needs a place in this special school in Monaghan actually gets one?

I remember the long and frequent exchanges in this House around the need for that special school in Monaghan. I am pleased to hear that it is now open but I take the point that there is a need for a permanent building. In the education capital allocation that was recently given to the Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, there is a significant additional allocation for special schools. I will ask the Minister and the Minister of State to come back to the Deputy regarding that permanent build to see what the timeline is in that regard.