Accessibility in our schools should be a basic right but the Department is not treating it like that. In Leap National School in my own constituency, there have been repeated incidents where a wheelchair user could not enter the building because the door is inaccessible and the school does not have a mobile ramp.

The principal rightly took this very seriously and applied for accessibility works, but that application was rejected because no student or teacher currently needed it and because the lack of access was not sudden or unforeseen. For some reason, the Department refuses to conduct accessibility works outside of an emergency. By waiting until a child or a teacher needs the work, disabled people suffer and parents and visitors simply cannot access the school. Children in need wait years for necessary works, excluded from parts of their own school. Teachers turn down roles they want because they know they cannot access the schools. Will the Department review its approach to accessibility works, and will Leap National School's application be reassessed?

Accessibility for wheelchair users is fundamental, particularly for children in schools. I will raise the matter with my colleague in the Department of education, the Minister, Deputy Naughton. I will see whether the issue can be reviewed. Perhaps Deputy Cairns could provide the details to me or the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, in order that we can pass them on to the Minister.