Eoghan Kenny
Cork North-Central · Labour Party · Ireland
“The barriers facing families today may be different but the principle has not changed. The Labour Party believes opportunity should be determined by talent, effort and ambition, not by the balance in a parent's bank account. Technology has transformed education for the better and it is now an essential part of modern schooling.”
“Parents across Ireland are sitting at kitchen tables trying to work out how they are going to pay for another school year. For far too many families, the excitement of a child returning to school has been replaced by financial anxiety. Increasingly, parents are being forced into debt simply to educate their children.”
“Having been a teacher in two schools, I recognise that these tablets and these laptops that are provided to schools break and that maintenance for them is coming out of capitation grants that cannot be fulfilled by the schools because they are using capitation grants elsewhere.”
“I raise the issue of the lack of a plan for a new public sector pay deal and the lack of engagement on this matter. SIPTU, Fórsa, Unite and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, are now to ballot their members for industrial action, up to and including strike action.”
“We need to stop pretending otherwise and introduce enforceable protections for families. As schools become more dependent on technology than ever before, the Government has cut the ICT grant by almost €15 million. That grant stands at just €35 million with no dedicated funding for repairs or maintenance.”
“It is a guidance letter once again, a guidance circular that was produced by the Minister at the time in 2017 that gave absolutely no consequences to the school for having branded school uniforms. In my opening speech I, as well as my colleagues, welcomed the free books scheme.”
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“I wish to raise the ongoing issue of Garda numbers in Cobh in County Cork. This issue has been brought to my attention by my Labour Party colleague, Councillor Cathal Rasmussen. Over the past number of months, and including this week, there have been a number of knife attacks in Cobh. Recently the doors of the Garda station itself were closed with no access to the public because of the lack of gardaí. There are four units in Cobh and in one of those units now there is only one garda. Likewise, in Carrigtwohill both stations are swapping personnel to cover the shifts. I understand now that gardaí are not willing to transfer to Cobh because of the lack of adequate resources. Locals are concerned that not only are there no boots on the ground but the station itself is now closed to the public.”
“It covers a huge area as the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, knows. There are a number of primary schools in the whole area of Duhallow. It is essential that schools like Coachford College would have some sort of an understanding of when they might see shovels in the ground for new school buildings.”
“I was in communication with the Department last Thursday at the Committee of Public Accounts. We have moved to a modular accommodation style of building works. While we are still building traditional school buildings we have significantly moved towards modular accommodation on which a significant amount of money has been spent over the past five years. I am not saying at all that modular accommodation is not welcome. I am sure it is welcome the majority of school grounds across the country but exact clarification must be given to schools like Coachford College in relation to when they might possibly see a new school building. A significant number of students in the likes of Coachford College who have gone through their whole six years without ever seeing a new school building. It is a fantastic school.”
“I want to reference one school in particular. I taught in Coachford College for a year. The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, will be acutely aware of Coachford College. I know he has engaged with the school on a consistent basis as it represents a number of his own constituents. Coachford College is a fantastic school with around 900 pupils. It has a huge offering of subjects. However, Coachford College has been waiting a number of years for a new school building. It is not part of the 105 school building projects list despite the fact it has been waiting so long. It is absolutely appropriate that the Department of education would communicate with schools like Coachford College on an ongoing basis so that they have an understanding on whether or not they will move to the tender process over the next two years.”
“This is an extremely important issue for their children. It needs to be put on the record of the Dáil that the Minister for education is aware of the specific number of children who require a special class placement, the number of classes that will be needed for the coming academic year and whether the Department will match the level of demand.”
“There are also a lot of parents who know their children need a special class or special school placement and they do not know whether their child will get a school place. The memo sent to the Government did not only relate to special education, but it must have included the number of children who require a special class or special school placement. The Department knows that figure. The NCSE has told me that every Friday it informs the Department of the number of children who still require a special class or special school placement. Does the Minister know that figure? Does she know how many classes will be needed for the coming academic year? At the end of the day, there are parents outside the Chamber who are contacting every TD's office saying they have contacted 20, 30 or 40 schools about a school place for their child.”
“That has yet to be revealed. I want to know how many children still require a school place for the coming academic year and whether a memo has been sent to the Government on how we are going to deal with the exponential growth. It is more than likely that extra funding will have to be made available. Is it the case that we will need at least 600 special classes for the coming academic year? Are we still approximately 170 classes short?”
“At the Committee of Public Accounts in February, the Secretary General of the Department of education told me that a memo would be sent to Cabinet in relation to how we are going to deal with the exponential growth in the level of demand for children who require school places. Last Thursday, the Secretary General told me that the memo is set to be sent to Cabinet. Has that memo on how we are going to deal with this exponential growth been sent to Cabinet? The Minister cited a figure of 7,860 children who had been notified before the October deadline. The Taoiseach has already clarified that there has been exponential growth following the deadline in October. I know the Department of education has the figure on the number of children who require a school place because the NCSE gives the Department a figure every Friday.”
“At present, too much of the burden is placed on parents, who are left to navigate an unclear and inconsistent system. That is not where the responsibility should lie. It is the role of the State to ensure that every child has access to an appropriate school place and the supports he or she needs. If we are serious about inclusion, we must move beyond ad hoc measures and short-term fixes. We must be ambitious in our planning, clear in our delivery and committed to building a system that works for families. Every child deserves not just a place in our education system but the opportunity to fully participate and to reach his or her full potential.”
“We propose an autism-friendly audit of every school building over a four-year period alongside investment in autism-specific training for all school staff and a full expansion of therapy supports, inclusive of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, through the educational therapy support service for all of our schools. Education does not happen in isolation. Children must have access to the full range of supports they need to thrive. When we look at the system as a whole, the challenges are clear. There is a shortage of places, uncertainty for families and a structure that is too often reactive. The solutions are also clear, however. With proper investment, better co-ordination and a commitment to forward planning, we can build a system that meets the needs of every child. Ultimately, this comes down to responsibility.”
“Teachers and principals are managing increasingly complex needs alongside their existing responsibilities. A dedicated, co-ordinated role would improve planning, strengthen communication with parents and ensure that supports are delivered more effectively. Finally, I want to address autism provision. There are significant concerns about proposed changes to the autism class model. Organisations such as AsIAm Ireland have raised legitimate questions about whether these changes risk diluting specialist supports. Inclusion is a goal we all share, but it must be meaningful and properly resourced. It cannot come at the expense of the tailored supports that many children rely on. Labour's approach is to strengthen both inclusion and specialist provision.”
“In our alternative budget, the Labour Party has not only proposed to increase the number of SNAs, but also proposed improvements to their working conditions and professional development. This includes the phasing out of the 72-hour obligation, supporting SNAs to achieve QQI level 6 qualifications, and ensuring that workforce planning reflects the realities within our schools. If we want a system that works, we must invest in the people who deliver it every day. We are also proposing the introduction of special educational needs co-ordinators as a formal post of responsibility within our schools at assistant principal level. One of the recurring challenges identified by schools is the lack of dedicated co-ordination for special education provision.”
“This speaks to the broader issue within special education. We are too often operating in a reactive mode. We respond when a crisis emerges, scramble to create additional places and attempt to resolve issues under pressure. What we need instead is forward planning, supported by robust data and clear structures, so that we are anticipating demand rather than chasing it. That same principle applies when we consider special needs assistants. The recent proposals that would have effectively removed SNAs for some children based on revised criteria led to a significant public outcry and rightly so. Any approach that appears to pit one child's needs against another undermines the very idea of inclusion. SNAs are not an optional support. They are essential to ensuring that many children can access education in a meaningful way.”
“It provides parents with a transparent process, clear timelines and confidence that the state is taking responsibility for ensuring their child has a school place. It also provides us as policy makers with real-time data on demand, allowing for more accurate planning and earlier intervention where gaps are emerging. We do not need to replicate that model in its entirety but we should certainly adopt its core principle: that the State, not parents should carry the responsibility for allocating school places, A centralised system in Ireland would allow for better co-ordination, earlier identification of demand and a far more efficient experience for families. It would move us away from our current situation, where those with more time, resources or knowledge are better able to navigate the system, while others are left behind.”
“No parent should have to call 20 or 30 schools, let alone 40, simply to secure a school place for their child. That is not a system; it is a burden that has been unfairly shifted onto families. This is why the Labour Party is proposing the introduction of a centralised application system for school places, covering mainstream and special education provision. We already have an example of how such a system can work on this island. In Northern Ireland, school admissions are managed centrally by the education authority through a single online portal. Parents submit one application and outline their preferences, and the system co-ordinates the allocation of their school places, including special provision. The value of that approach is not simply administrative; it is about fairness and clarity.”
“In our alternative budget, we proposed an additional €26.1 million in capital funding to accelerate the delivery of special classes and special schools. This is about ensuring that provision keeps pace with demand and that places are available locally at the start of the school year, not months into it. Alongside this we allocated funding for additional special education teachers and a significant number of special needs assistants, recognising that increased capacity must be matched with adequate funding and staffing. However, investment alone is not enough if the system through which places are allocated remains fragmented. One of the most consistent themes we hear from parents is not just the lack of places, but the absence of a clear, co-ordinated process to access them.”
“When representatives from the Department again appeared before the committee last Thursday, the memo had still not been sent. This raises a fundamental question about urgency. For the Department this may be part of the process, but for families it is their children's future. Every delay matters and every week without a clear plan adds to the uncertainty parents are already facing. We cannot simply remain in the cycle of criticism, followed by crisis response. What is required now is a shift in how we plan and deliver special education. We need to move from an ad hoc reactive approach to one that is ambitious, structured and forward looking. That is precisely what we have sought to do within the Labour Party.”
“It represents hundreds of children who, as we stand here today, do not know whether they will have an appropriate school place in a matter of months. The reality behind that shortfall is stark. It is parents ringing school after school - often dozens of schools - searching for a place for their child. It is families being turned away repeatedly, left navigating a fragmented and inconsistent system with no clear answers. It is stress, uncertainty and a sense that the system is simply not working for those who need it most. That cannot be allowed to continue. When I raised this issue at the Committee of Public Accounts in February, the Department indicated that a memo would be brought to the Cabinet outlining how this situation would be addressed.”
“The Labour Party will be fully supporting the motion. I thank Deputy Darren O'Rourke for tabling it. It is important to remember that behind all the statistics we discuss are children and families who are waiting, worrying and, too often, struggling to be heard. Special education is not an niche issue or an add-on to our system. It is a fundamental test of whether our education system is fair, responsive and genuinely inclusive. At present, that test is not being met. We are facing unprecedented demand for special classes and special school places for next September. The Department is aware that approximately 600 new special classes are required. While it is welcome that just over 430 classes have already been opened, there remains a shortfall of roughly 170 classes. That is not a marginal gap.”
“Since November, the Government has been acutely aware of the exponential growth in the number of children who require an additional needs school place for the coming academic year. While I welcome the fact that over 430 classes have been made available, the exponential growth in demand means that nearly 600 special classes are required. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Ministers have been aware of this since November. We are six months in now. We need statements in the Dáil on how we are going to deal with this exponential growth.”
“It also raises serious questions about the apparent contradiction in the Minister, Deputy Foley, stating diagnosis will not be required for primary school while introducing classes that appear to rely on an autism-specific threshold for access. Will the Tánaiste please clarify?”
“Yesterday we saw the announcement of new special classes across the country and, for the first time, the introduction of these new so-called classes or hubs which will be in our schools and in which schools can enrol up to 12 students. I welcome proposals and reform but they do not negate the need for appropriate classes. I note the name of the proposed model is "inclusive autism classes". All autism classes are inclusive - I think the Tánaiste will agree with me on that. Was any consultation done with stakeholders or schools about this? How will schools be supported? It is my understanding there will be no increase in staffing. Will there be an opt-out facility?”
“Any player who feels in good conscience that he or she cannot participate should be fully supported by the association and by the Department of sport. One thing is for sure, the fans will support them.”
“I want to touch on the Nations League fixture between Ireland and Israel. I will not waste anyone's time by asking the Minister of State with responsibility for sport to do anything here, but I will say that this game should not be going ahead. Israel should be banned from participation in FIFA and UEFA competitions. The Israel Football Association has breached multiple UEFA and FIFA statutes. Six Israeli clubs play on occupied territories - Palestinian lands. There are reports that over 500 people associated with the Palestinian FA have been murdered by Israeli forces. The governing bodies are failing the sport with Israel's continued inclusion. No Irish player should be put in a position where they have to compete against a team representing a state like that.”
“The prosperity and success of community clubs is reliant on the volunteering and fundraising of dedicated members of our communities. Clubs like Mallow United host "Strictly Come Dancing" type events to raise funds for their facilities, like the one in the Charleville Park Hotel on Saturday, 18 April to which I will be lending my dancing skills, or lack thereof, in support. Not only do we see this positive reflection on community at grassroots level, we also see professional clubs like Cork City Football Club and their community kit room initiative that provides good condition goalkeeper gloves, jerseys, training gear, boots, used footballs, training bibs and cones at no cost, supporting those in the community who otherwise would go without. That is what soccer is: the people's game, a unifier, and the world's game.”
“At a push, all you need are two hoodies and some semblance of a ball to kick around the street and you have yourself a game. The recent utterances of the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, about collective punishment for the League of Ireland exposed the clear dissociation and neglect the sport is often the subject of in Ireland. The funding made available through the Department each year must be fairly distributed as it is often the case that soccer clubs are the ones scrambling for a pittance while others thrive. As with many sports, it is the community at grassroots level that keeps soccer alive and thriving. We can see it all over Ireland. In my constituency and in my town we even have two clubs, Mallow United AFC and Mallow Town Football Club.”
“I thank my colleague Deputy Smith for working tirelessly to get these statements on the agenda of the House. I pay tribute to the senior women’s team on their win last night. Soccer is often seen as the sport of the working class. From the outset, when clubs and teams were established by workers in industry and in working-class communities, up to the present day, soccer clubs have played a pivotal role in communities. Modern professional soccer may be dominated by money and the wealthy, but it is ordinary working people who make the sport what it is. Whether it is in Cork, Dublin or Belfast, soccer has deep roots in Ireland. It continues to be the most participated in team sport in the country according to Sport Ireland’s Irish Sports Monitor 2024.”
“Fuel may be the spark to these protests but this has exposed a deeper pressure on working families. People are looking for leadership, fairness and the chance to build a decent life through hard work. Our job is to listen and is to act and it is the Government's job to deliver.”
“People are doing everything right and are still falling behind as the cost of fuel, groceries, energy and housing continue to rise faster than their incomes. That is where our focus must be. If we are serious about being constructive, we must bring forward real, costed solutions. Let us be honest, some people have been good at protesting and posting online but slow to offer any credible costed proposals. That is not good enough. Costed proposals must ensure we have targeted fuel supports for workers and rural families who have no alternative but to drive. It means targeted energy supports for PAYE workers. It means intervening when prices are spiralling, including in the cost of home heating oil. It means reducing energy costs and ensuring excessive profits are used to support households.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Troy, said that the majority of those who were protesting were hardworking decent people and they absolutely were. However, we cannot condone some of what we saw during the protests and I do not believe it is appropriate to engage with self-appointed representatives who do not speak for the wider public. This situation should have been de-escalated long before it reached this point. The Government did not have to put our gardaí and Defence Forces into very difficult situations. I have great sympathy for them. They are members of those communities they had to go into and they found themselves in such difficult circumstances. We cannot ignore what is driving this. Families across this country are at breaking point.”
“The protests we have seen in recent days reflect something very real. At the centre of this anger is the rising cost of fuel. It is the cost of simply getting to work, getting children to school and keeping daily life moving. There is deep frustration among the public and, as Deputy Ahern said, it is hardworking ordinary families who are put to the pin of their collars trying to make ends meet. PAYE workers and ordinary members of the public are being squeezed and for many there is no alternative. They have to drive and they are being asked to absorb costs they simply cannot afford. I also believe some of the language used by the Government last week was completely wrong. It did not fully grasp the depth of anger that exists. When people feel unheard, that frustration only grows.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Ahern, for allowing me to share time with him. I am extremely disappointed that those who criticised my party have not waited for a response. I did not want to speak about this tonight but if people want to stand here and criticise my party, scrapping the carbon tax would have allowed a €1 billion hole in the public finances. I am not sure what I would say to an elderly person who has made an SEAI application to retrofit their house or to get their house wrapped if I was a hypocrite and did not support the financial measures that have been implemented by the Government. Do not criticise my party and then not stay around to hear the reason we voted in support of the somewhat practical measures that were outlined. We do not support the carbon tax reduction Deputy Ahern spoke about.”
“What is being asked here is not unreasonable; it is simply that we approach this particular site with the care, sensitivity and respect it demands. Ultimately, this comes down to respect for the women who were sent there, the children who never left, and the families who are still seeking truth. We have a choice. We can face our history in full, however uncomfortable that may be, or we can turn away from it. If we choose to turn away, we diminish not just our past but our integrity as a society. Bessborough is not just land; it is a memory and deserves to be treated as such.”
“That is why Councillor Horgan has lodged a planning objection against the site. We have to ask ourselves difficult questions. What does it say about us if we build over ground that may contain unmarked graves? What does it say to those who lived through these institutions or who lost loved ones there? For many, Bessborough is not history; it is a lived experience, a grief that has not yet found closure, and questions which remain unanswered. Let me be clear; this is not an argument against housing. We all recognise the urgency of the housing crisis, particularly in a growing city like Cork. However, the issue is not whether we build, it is where and how we build. There are alternatives. There are vacant and derelict sites which can and should be prioritised.”
“To proceed with development in the absence of a full and thorough investigation would not just be premature; it would be wrong. It would risk closing off avenues to truth which have already been denied for decades, and send a message that expediency can have precedent over dignity. My colleague on Cork City Council, Councillor Peter Horgan, has been extremely clear on this. This is a deeply painful and shameful chapter in Ireland’s history and any future of the site must be guided by sensitivity, transparency and respect. It should, most importantly, be conscious of the pain and suffering of survivors. We in the Labour Party have urged the Minister for housing to use powers under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act to protect places like Bessborough from development, yet he has failed to do so.”
“These were women and children who endured conditions that no person should ever have to face. Their experiences were marked by stigma, silence and a profound absence of compassion from the State and society alike. When proposals come forward to develop this land, we cannot treat it as just another site. This is not simply about housing supply or zoning decisions. It is about moral responsibility and memory and whether we have truly learned anything from our past. More than 900 babies are believed to have died at Bessborough. As my colleague, Senator Harmon, pointed out, the majority of these children remain unaccounted for, and the site itself may in fact contain a mass grave. That is the crux of it. Truth matters to survivors and relatives, and it must matter to us as legislators.”
“When we speak about Bessborough, we are not speaking about an abstract planning file or a routine decision before a local authority. We are speaking about a place that goes to the very core of who we are, or who we claim to be, as a republic. There are moments when politics must step back from process and confront conscience. This is one of those moments. The history of mother and baby homes is not distanced or detached. It is raw and painful, and remains unresolved for far too many families. Bessborough, in particular, stands as one of the starkest symbols of that legacy. Nearly 19,000 women and children passed through its doors. That is not just a figure. It is a measure of suffering on a scale that is difficult to comprehend fully. We must be honest about what this means.”
“Will the Taoiseach provide a specific date for the opening of the 24 inpatient beds? I want an actual date, and no more "quarter 1" or "quarter 2" predictions. On 3 December 2025, I was told that it would be the end of quarter 1 2026. We are very much near the end of that now. These beds will help with overcrowding in our larger hospitals. They will keep day ward services constant and continue to upgrade the services in Mallow General Hospital.”
“I want to raise an issue in Mallow General Hospital, which is in my home town. Over the past six months, the day ward has been closed on several occasions to facilitate overcrowding in Cork University Hospital, the Mercy Hospital and Kerry University Hospital. It is entirely unacceptable that day procedures would be halted for several days to facilitate overcrowding. People in genuine need of these day ward procedures have often been told on the morning of their procedure that it has been cancelled. This issue has been highlighted to me by members of staff in Mallow General Hospital and by patients. I am not placing blame here, and I commend the Government and previous Governments on the significant investment in Mallow General Hospital. We are very proud of our hospital.”
“Until the Minister addresses these issues properly, he is asking gardaí to do an increasingly difficult job with one hand tied behind their back.”
“As a member of the public accounts committee, where I first raised the issue, I have now requested the committee write to the Commissioner to outline the findings of this investigation, to explain how thorough that investigation was, and, importantly, to establish where the money for these hotel stays came from. Public money must be accounted for and there must always be transparency and accountability, particularly in An Garda Síochána. In conclusion, gardaí are doing their job but the system is not always doing its job for them. We need more gardaí, better retention, stronger morale, proper resources, youth intervention funding, and a justice system that supports gardaí and protects communities.”
“Funding must be provided to this specific area so that we see far fewer young people being dragged into crime which they never had any intention of being part of in the first place. If proper supports, opportunities and activities were provided effectively, particularly in poorer socioeconomic areas, we would see far fewer younger people becoming involved in the crime in the first place. Prevention must be taken as seriously as enforcement. I wish to raise the issue I previously put to the former Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, regarding the stay of a chief superintendent and his wife in a five star Dublin hotel during the visit of the former US President, Joe Biden. I did not receive what I consider to be a satisfactory answer on this.”
“We also need to talk about antisocial behaviour and repeat offenders. Gardaí are arresting the same individuals over and over again. We regularly see people before the courts with 100, 200 or even 300 previous convictions and yet they are back on the streets within days. That is simply not good enough. It is not fair on victims, it is not fair on our communities, and it is certainly not fair on the ordinary member of An Garda Síochána who arrests someone on a Monday morning and could be dealing with the same person again by the weekend. Our court and sentencing structures must support law enforcement and protect the public, and supports must be put in place to keep people out of crime. We are also seeing far more young people becoming involved in crime. Our juvenile liaison officers can only do so much.”
“I thank my colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, for bringing this extremely important motion forward. I start by acknowledging the gardaí on the ground, particularly in my own area, who do extraordinary work in very difficult circumstances. They deal daily with antisocial behaviour, drug intimidation, thefts, public disorder and repeat offenders, and they are doing so often with limited numbers, limited resources and increasing pressure. We need to be honest about every situation that is facing An Garda Síochána. Recruitment and retention are serious problems. We are losing experienced gardaí faster than we are replacing them and morale in many stations is not where it should be. Many gardaí feel overstretched, frustrated and, in some cases, abandoned by a system that is not working.”
“When will those schools that were told they would be allocated additional SNAs be given the go-ahead to appoint those SNAs? On that memo that will to go to Cabinet, when will families see those outcomes from it? Families cannot wait for more analysis. They need certainty and they genuinely need it now.”
“I appreciate the Tánaiste's response. I return to what Department officials have confirmed. They said the Government is aware of this increased need but they also made it clear further analysis is needed to ensure that need can be met. The Tánaiste referenced that with regard to not using the word "demand". He said that the level of need has increased significantly. The question that is being asked by parents is very simple. Will their child have an appropriate place for this September coming? Can the Tánaiste guarantee to parents today on the floor of the Dáil that every single child who requires an additional needs place in a school will be given an appropriate one? We must also ensure the SNA debacle does not arise again. The Tánaiste is now Minister for Finance. Do we know yet where that €19 million is going to come from?”
“There are three direct questions for the Tánaiste. Will he put it on the record today that every child who requires a special class or a special school place for this coming academic year will be provided with one? Second, how many children are seeking places and how many still do not have one? Third, has this memo Department officials told me about gone to Government and what actions will follow? This is about rights and resources and unless those two things are aligned, families will remain stuck in the gap between them. Every child deserves not just a place but an appropriate place and every parent deserves certainty not stress.”
“I acknowledge there has been progress but too often provision remains reactive. Families are still facing uncertainty about long distances and last-minute placements. We know a memo is going to Government to address this but families do not deal in memos. They deal in deadlines. They need to know now whether their child will have a school place, whether it will be appropriate and whether it will be close to home. If I can put it plainly, parents are not asking for perfection; they are asking for certainty. There is also the wider issue of planning. The State still does not have a fully centralised system to measure and forecast need, which means we are constantly reacting instead of preparing. Does the Tánaiste agree we need a centralised system through the National Council for Special Education?”
“At a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts three weeks ago, I put it directly to Department officials and they confirmed that a memo was going to Government on this increased demand. When I asked whether Government was aware of the situation, I was told clearly that the leaders of the Government are aware that a substantially increased need is coming but I had to press this point because while awareness of the need is one thing, the real issue is whether resources match that need. Despite repeated questioning, the answer was clear, that the analysis is still ongoing to ensure the State can meet that need. In other words, we are not yet in a position as a State to say that resources will fully match demand. This is not just about growth. This is about the gap between rights and resources.”
“I raise a deeply serious and sensitive issue, namely, children with additional needs and their rights to an appropriate education. In recent weeks, I have spoken directly with parents who are anxious and in many cases still without clarity on where their child will go to school this September. The Tánaiste knows it himself. Every parent asks the same simple question this time of the year, "Where is my child going to school in September?" However, for these families, that question is still unanswered. When I raised this with the Taoiseach, he spoke about the exponential growth in demand but could not guarantee that every child will get an appropriate place. The Government cannot say it was not aware of this.”