Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions
Dail Éireann — 2025-04-10
============================================================

Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

The Deputy is right that we need to be better at forward planning and to do better. That is why, this year, we are about 40% ahead of where we were this time last year. That is why I intend that, by this time next year, we will have identified children and have children who know exactly where they will be going to school. It has to be the case that every single child is treated equally. It has to be the case also that come January a child knows where they are going to school, whether primary or post primary. That is every child, from a child who does not have an additional need or requirement to a child who is autistic, has ADHD or has additional needs. We need to ensure each child is treated equally and has the same chance in life, and that is why work is already starting in my Department and why the NCSE has been tasked with identifying, even earlier in the year, what children's needs are, where they arise and how we engage with schools and local communities and ensure we are working closely together. It is not just a matter for the Department of Education; it is also a matter for the Department of Health, the Department of disabilities, the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection, ensuring all the information we have is used to support and benefit children. We are all part of ensuring communities understand neurodiversity and how to play an important part in that regard.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-04-10/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:53:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-04-10