I raise a deeply serious and sensitive issue, namely, children with additional needs and their rights to an appropriate education. In recent weeks, I have spoken directly with parents who are anxious and in many cases still without clarity on where their child will go to school this September. The Tánaiste knows it himself. Every parent asks the same simple question this time of the year, "Where is my child going to school in September?" However, for these families, that question is still unanswered. When I raised this with the Taoiseach, he spoke about the exponential growth in demand but could not guarantee that every child will get an appropriate place.

The Government cannot say it was not aware of this. At a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts three weeks ago, I put it directly to Department officials and they confirmed that a memo was going to Government on this increased demand. When I asked whether Government was aware of the situation, I was told clearly that the leaders of the Government are aware that a substantially increased need is coming but I had to press this point because while awareness of the need is one thing, the real issue is whether resources match that need. Despite repeated questioning, the answer was clear, that the analysis is still ongoing to ensure the State can meet that need. In other words, we are not yet in a position as a State to say that resources will fully match demand. This is not just about growth. This is about the gap between rights and resources.

I acknowledge there has been progress but too often provision remains reactive. Families are still facing uncertainty about long distances and last-minute placements. We know a memo is going to Government to address this but families do not deal in memos. They deal in deadlines. They need to know now whether their child will have a school place, whether it will be appropriate and whether it will be close to home. If I can put it plainly, parents are not asking for perfection; they are asking for certainty.

There is also the wider issue of planning. The State still does not have a fully centralised system to measure and forecast need, which means we are constantly reacting instead of preparing. Does the Tánaiste agree we need a centralised system through the National Council for Special Education? There are three direct questions for the Tánaiste. Will he put it on the record today that every child who requires a special class or a special school place for this coming academic year will be provided with one? Second, how many children are seeking places and how many still do not have one? Third, has this memo Department officials told me about gone to Government and what actions will follow? This is about rights and resources and unless those two things are aligned, families will remain stuck in the gap between them. Every child deserves not just a place but an appropriate place and every parent deserves certainty not stress.

I thank Deputy Kenny for bringing up this issue and not for the first time. I know his professional and political interest and priority in relation to this, and he is right. This is a real time of anxiety for many parents across the country and we are acutely aware of that. I am aware of it as are the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan.

The Deputy's comments have been quite balanced because, objectively, we have seen some progress when it comes to special education. We now see special education funding of more than €3 billion this year, which is about 58% higher than it was in 2020. We see the majority of children with special educational needs supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. That is as a result of a very significant uplift in special education teachers and SNAs. We have made a decision, which the Deputy and I debated in this House previously, in relation to only proceeding with the review where there was an upward lift in SNAs. That means we were planning for about 1,700 or thereabouts additional SNAs this year. That figure will now be around 2,200, which means we will have over 25,000 SNAs in our schools this September.

We have already provided funding for over 400 new special classes and at least 400 new special school places for the 2026-2027 school year. It is intended that would create around 3,000 new special education placements for September 2026.

I think there will be a further memo going to Cabinet, probably in April, but the Deputy is right that people do not live by memos. It is the kind of thing we do in this place but in the real world, it is what is about happening in the here and now. Yesterday, we saw 36 additional special classes announced by the Minister and Minister of State. At our weekly leaders' meeting on Monday, there will be a special focus on education with the Minister and Minister of State where we will be updated on a number of these issues in relation to special education, SNAs and classes as well. That is important.

What I can say is we are working around the clock to make sure no child will be prevented from starting school and to make sure every support possible is and can be in place. I do need to be honest. I do not like the word "demand". We are seeing a very significant increase in need. These are needs. Parents are not going around demanding things. These are needs their children have. We are seeing a very significant increase in that need.

In fairness to the Department, the Minister and the Minister of State and their predecessors, there was a real effort to try to get somewhat ahead of it this year with the opening of the portal in October but through no fault of any parent, even after that, a significant number of additional children came forward. I can understand why that is the case. What we are trying to do now is work our way through that. I do not have the exact numbers to hand right now but it is a somewhat fluid situation.

I think the Deputy's idea of a centralised portal is a good idea and I will certainly talk with the Minister about that. I know she will engage with the Deputy as well. We want to have the best data possible but the priority in the here and now is to make sure we prepare as best as we can for September and that we put in place robust plans to make sure no child is prevented from starting school. I am very conscious of the point the Deputy made about how being close to one's community is vital for people.

I appreciate the Tánaiste's response. I return to what Department officials have confirmed. They said the Government is aware of this increased need but they also made it clear further analysis is needed to ensure that need can be met. The Tánaiste referenced that with regard to not using the word "demand". He said that the level of need has increased significantly. The question that is being asked by parents is very simple. Will their child have an appropriate place for this September coming? Can the Tánaiste guarantee to parents today on the floor of the Dáil that every single child who requires an additional needs place in a school will be given an appropriate one?

We must also ensure the SNA debacle does not arise again. The Tánaiste is now Minister for Finance. Do we know yet where that €19 million is going to come from? When will those schools that were told they would be allocated additional SNAs be given the go-ahead to appoint those SNAs?

On that memo that will to go to Cabinet, when will families see those outcomes from it? Families cannot wait for more analysis. They need certainty and they genuinely need it now.

I agree with that but I stress that the Minister, Deputy Naughton, is certainly not waiting for any further piece of work to be done. Of course, there are lots of further pieces of work under way but in the here and now, the Minister is working to make sure more classes are put in place and opened, with a particular focus on schools where they have a physical ability to open another class and where there are not longer lead-in times. I thank schools right across the country which are stepping up and showing real flexibility and leadership on this. The Minister does too.

I am pleased the Deputy raised the issue of the €19 million because I want to say two things in relation to that. First, where it will come from is total voted expenditure of €118 billion. Some €19 million was a lot in the context of the SNA situation; it is very manageable in the context of total voted expenditure. Second, we have contingency funds and the likes built into our overall €118 billion. I said two points but I have three points. Third, it will be additional funding to the Department of education. It will not be a question of robbing Peter to pay Paul within the Department of education.

Our absolute commitment is to work to make sure every child due to start school in September can start school then with the maximum levels of support possible. I am conscious when it comes to "appropriate", that is often, I suppose, not subjective but based on the best information available at the time to a family and a school. We will certainly be working to open more classes and with schools and parents through the NCSE. We will have further engagement in government on this on Monday evening.