I remind Members that questions and answers on Questions on Policy or Legislation are limited to one minute. If Members cannot make their points, they are asking their questions at the wrong forum. I call Deputy O'Rourke.

The Government committed to 400 new special classes for September. Over 300 have been sanctioned at this stage, and that is welcome, although very few of them are ready. The related major concern is that 400 new special classes will be far too few. By how many, the Government knows but will not tell us. It is reported that we could be 200 classes or 1,200 places short. It is simply unconscionable that 1,200 children would be left without appropriate school places. Representatives of the Department of Education told the Committee of Public Accounts that a memo would go to Cabinet to provide extra school places. When will that happen? Will every child have an appropriate school place come September?

Some 420 new special classes have been sanctioned. There will be more. Our objective is obviously that every child will have access to an appropriate school place. There has been exponential growth in the past two years, and the decision by the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, and the Minister, Deputy Naughton, to extend the deadline has resulted in applications from a higher number of children than was anticipated. We are now working flat out to meet that additional demand, which is far above what applied, for example, last year.