Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Micheál Martin (FF), Cork South-Central

I do not believe that, and that is why more regular reviews would be better. They would be more attuned to the needs of the school year, rather than what may happen when capacity has built up and needs have changed. The needs do change.
We are bringing a therapy service in schools, and into special schools in particular. We will have a multidisciplinary approach in special schools. We spread that out and mainstream it over time. That is important as well to bring additional disciplines to help children with special needs and additional needs in our schools.
The Minister has paused this. We will engage with the NCSE and it will engage with the schools, particularly those schools that have already been subject to the review. The NCSE and its officials will now work with those schools to review the position for them. In my view, any changes would have to be gradual and the impact on the individual schools would have to be factored in in terms of any reviews that would have taken place.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17