I propose to take Questions Nos. 346 and 348 together.
Details of the number of children awaiting placement across the special schools system and the waiting periods involved are not readily available to my Department.
I am aware that placement difficulties do arise from time to time in relation to special needs children. In such cases, my Department makes every effort to arrange a suitable placement as speedily as possible. In most cases, this can be achieved through the establishment of additional special classes dedicated to the particular special need involved.
My Department is prepared on an ongoing basis to facilitate the expansion of provision within the special school system or by way of special classes attached to ordinary primary schools, in any situation where suitable assessment reports confirm the need for such provision. In such situations, my Department works with the boards of management of the schools in question to put the necessary services in place.
Of the six schools mentioned in Parliamentary Question No. 119 of 25 March, 1998 only one school currently has a waiting list of children seeking placement in the school. In that particular case, my Department is currently involved in planning for an extension to the school to accommodate additional children.