I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deal with this Commencement matter.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire go dtí an Teach seo inniu. I thank her for taking time out of her schedule to be here. The topic I want to discuss is one I know is close to the Minister's own heart, namely, the interim special school in County Monaghan. I know that the Minister of State kindly gave up her time last week to visit that school and a number of others. The visit went down a treat so I thank her for her time there.

As the Minister is aware, the parents of County Monaghan have been campaigning for a number of years for a special school for the county. Heretofore, children with special needs in both Monaghan and Cavan went to the Holy Family Special School, Cootehill, County Cavan, under the guidance there of Rachel Moynagh and her excellent staff. It is a fantastic school that is going from strength to strength. Parents in Monaghan have been campaigning for a number of years for a special school to cater for the children of the county. Thankfully, the Minister's Cabinet colleague, Deputy Foley, selected Monaghan last year as a location for an interim special school. I very much welcome this decision. From there, in a short time, the ETB was able to pull it all together to ensure that the school opened in October 2025.

As the Minister knows from last week's visit, the school is going from strength to strength with 18 children being accommodated there. Reports coming back from parents and staff are hugely positive. Everyone is pulling together and they are doing an excellent job. Unfortunately, the demand is ever increasing and with that in mind, I understand that the ETB is now exploring the possibility of trying to have an additional six spaces to the rear of that particular building. Design work, etc., is ongoing at the moment. As the Minister knows from her visit, the topography of the site is particularly difficult, which brings its own challenges when it comes to designing additional spaces. However, these additional spaces are needed and we very much welcome that work.

When it comes to the special school in Monaghan the word being mentioned all along and when the Minister, Deputy Foley, made her decision last year was "interim". We must not lose sight of that. With that in mind, from speaking to staff as the Minister herself did last week, everyone is anxious that in tandem with the design work for the six additional spaces, work would now continue within the county and in the ETB to try to find a site that could be used for a purpose-built facility somewhere in the county that would suit the needs not just in the short to medium term but in the long term of children with special needs in County Monaghan. This is the reason I put down this Commencement matter today, that is, to try to get an update from the Minister on what level of work has been done up to now to locate another site. The initial announcement was made with the proviso that as soon as the school was opened, the focus would then be on trying to find that site. I hope the Minister will give me an update as to where we are in relation to trying to locate a site for a purpose-built special school for County Monaghan.

Again, I thank her for her time. I know she spent the guts of two days in Monaghan. Her time was very much appreciated there. She discovered for herself the great work going on from an educational perspective, from teachers and parents alike and from staff of the ETB, who are working very hard to provide the best possible platform for our children to be the best they possibly can be as they grow up and become adults. I thank the Minister sincerely for her time last week.

I thank Senator Gallagher for raising this issue. It gives me an opportunity to outline to the House the Department of Education and Youth's plans to address the accommodation needs for Monaghan Community Special School. The Senator is correct: I had a fantastic visit to the school, one of five new special schools established for the 2025-26 school year. My Department's priority and my own was to open that school as quickly as possible to help to support those 18 children who urgently needed an education support place within our schools. As the Senator knows, the school operates under the patronage of Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board. The school supports 18 children and young people aged between four and 18 years of age with a diagnosis of autism and complex needs or students with complex learning needs. Again, I commend the phenomenal staff up there. What I witnessed was best in class in relation to the supports, the care and the educational supports they are providing to children. There is an administrative principal, an administrative deputy principal, five class teachers and nine special needs assistants together with ten co-operation hours per week.

This new school is located in Castleblayney, in a former ETB school property that was repurposed to facilitate the opening of the new school. There was a great sense of urgency, as the Senator has outlined, in getting this school opened. That project was delivered under the Department's SEN reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme, which facilitated the school opening as quickly as possible. The school authority has been granted further capital funding for phase 2 of the project. That involves the provision of modular accommodation to provide six special education needs places, and supporting ancillary accommodation under the special education needs reconfiguration and modular accommodation programme.

During my visit last week with the Senator and Deputy David Maxwell, both of whom are very much championing the progress and support of the school, I could really see the commitment of the staff to the students under their care. I was very pleased to speak with the parents, who relayed to me the importance of this school and how life-changing it is not just for their children but for their families and their wider families. I absolutely understand the importance of this and of continuing to provide special classes and special places right across the country, including Monaghan.

As I have stated previously, my Department last year committed to opening Monaghan Community Special School as quickly as possible. I am engaging with officials about the provision of future special schools and special classes right across the country, including in Monaghan. This process will be informed by the number of students and young people seeking special school and special class provision, the availability of accommodation in existing schools across the country, and other matters such as acquisition of land if required. That process is ongoing.

As the Senator knows, the National Council for Special Education, which was present last week in Monaghan, is the statutory body responsible for the provision of special education and the allocation of supports for children with special educational needs. Over 2,700 new places were provided for the 2025-26 school year, meaning that there are now 3,741 special classes nationwide. In Monaghan, we have 60 special classes now in operation providing capacity for 360 students. That includes six new special classes for the 2025-26 school year, meaning that the number of classes in County Monaghan has almost doubled since 2020. I might leave it there because I think I am out of time for now.

I thank the Minister for her response and concur with her 100%. There was a very warm feeling from her visit last week. Every time I go into or come out of that school, I feel good because, as the Minister herself said, speaking to parents and hearing how the opening of that school has transformed their lives completely is a hugely positive thing. I commend everyone involved in getting this open.

We look forward to the expansion to the rear, which will potentially consist of six modular units. In tandem with that, it is vitally important that we do not lose sight of the fact that this is an interim facility and that we must now seek a site somewhere in the county. I am sure there are lands available that could become the site of a purpose-built facility, which is much needed. If I took the Minister up correctly, work to find a site is ongoing at the moment. I think that is what she said. Perhaps she could clarify that for me.

In budget 2026, we secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places. The NCSE is currently examining where best to locate those places for the 2026-27 school year. As the Senator has outlined, it was a priority to get the 18 places opened. They are now up and running. The next step is to get the next six school places up and running through modular builds on that site. Work is progressing with the Department to identify further potential sites right across the country, including in Monaghan. We all acknowledge that will take time. The priority was to get these 18 children into their classrooms. The next priority is the next six.

I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I know she is busy. We really appreciate her giving us her time. It is always extra appreciated to have a Minister in the House. I thank the Senator for tabling this Commencement matter.