Special Educational Needs
Dail Éireann — 2025-07-17
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Sorca Clarke (SF), Longford-Westmeath

I cannot accept what the Minister of State has said to me. I know what he has said to be untrue. I am happy to share information with him after this session. I have stood in a school in Athlone - Scoil na gCeithre Máistrí - that was approached by the NCSE to open a second autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class. I stood in the classroom. The plaster was drying on the wall when the letter of suppression came in from the NCSE. That class had three enrolments already. I am not saying the Minister of State is the reason behind this but what he has said does not have any credibility. I have physically stood in the classroom. I have a copy of the letter of suppression here in front of me. It was sent to the school on 3 July. It is dated 4 June. In the interim, on 8 June, that school was told to continue to go ahead with the works that were being undertaken for the ASD class. I am happy to share this with the Minister of State. I have sent in parliamentary questions and the answer I got back was less than satisfactory. It referred to "some amount." I have approached the NCSE but it has not come back to me with any details.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-07-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:00:58+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-07-17