I want to raise today the issue of St. Cecilia's School, Sligo. It is a special school that takes children with special educational needs up to the age of 18, and it is a lifeline for many children. However, we have been contacted by parents, many of them very frantic and frustrated because they are unable to get a place in the school. This is because the necessary funding cannot be sanctioned. I spoke to the principal of the school. She is very frustrated. It is the first time this has happened. There is a feeling that there is an attempt to try to get the children to go into special classes in mainstream schools, which would be totally inappropriate due to the severity of their disabilities and special needs.

I submitted a parliamentary question this April and the reply I got basically stated how many new special schools had been built and what had been done here, there and all over the country, including in places like Cork and Dublin, but stated nothing about the specific school I had asked about. This is totally frustrating. One of the issues with parliamentary questions that needs to be brought up is that often when we ask about a specific thing, we get an answer about general matters. That needs to change, but that is a separate point.

I appeal to the Tánaiste to intervene in this case to ensure the children get the special classes they need in St. Cecilia's special school.

I thank Deputy Kenny very much for raising the issue concerning St. Cecilia's School. It is absolutely the position of the Government that it is a matter of providing appropriate school places. The Government has shown that through investing in special schools. There was a view in the past, perhaps, that everybody could be mainstreamed. That is not practical for some children. Every parent would like to see it, I am sure, but some children will always have additional needs that mean they require special provision, and that is fine.

On foot of the Deputy having raised the specific situation with St. Cecilia's special school, I will speak directly to the relevant Minister, Deputy Naughton, and the relevant Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and ask that they revert to her on the specifics and see what can be done.