I join Deputy Gogarty in condemning the actions tonight of those who engaged in thuggery. We are, and should be, as Deputy Gogarty rightly said, thinking about the young girl who was attacked. We send our best wishes to her. We also think of the member of An Garda Síochána who was attacked tonight in the line of duty. All of us who are balanced and fair people recognise there is no place in society for what happened tonight. I am conscious Deputy Gogarty has raised legitimate questions about the concerns of residents and I hope we can address them further. I thank Deputy Gogarty for raising the matter regarding the Department of Education and Youth guidelines. I am taking this matter for the Minister for Education and Youth. It provides me with an opportunity to discuss the role of the Department's technical guidance documents and school design guidance documentation. To facilitate the design of new school buildings, the Department has developed a suite of technical guidance documents and school design guides, which provide guidance on a wide range of technical and building design-related issues for use by school authorities and design teams. These guidance documents have been in operation for a number of years and are continually reviewed and updated based on an ongoing policy of research, curriculum development and feedback. School design guidance documents include a range of multiuse and flexible time spaces, including general purpose halls and internal and external multiuse physical education spaces. These spaces are also designed to allow for after-school community activities. As a former teacher and a former director of adult education, I concur with Deputy Gogarty that a school is best served by being able to have flexibility regarding after-school use also. At a school where I worked, I had the pleasure of being involved in the transition to a new school building as part of a public-private partnership. In saying this, I agree with the points raised by Deputy Gogarty on the use of space and buildings. The design briefs for contemporary school building projects include social spaces and active circulation areas outside of the formal classroom settings that facilitate a more flexible and multi-purpose type of environment for collaborative learning and social interactions. These spaces contribute to the well-being of students and all of the school community. There are also a number of design layouts for specific school facilities such as for music, art, graphics, library and technology rooms, which offer a more flexible approach to creative learning. The guidance states that the architecture of the school should promote cross-disciplinary learning. The learning environment is a type of pedagogical tool as it subtly supports learning through textures, colours, materials and, most of all, the innovative use of space. In this way, the interiors can be regrouped and used flexibly for various purposes. Regarding the specific query on hand-drying facilities in schools, paper, cotton or linen towel dispensers are classified as loose furniture and fittings and are not part of the construction contract for new school building projects. I was not aware of that until I read this reply earlier this evening. Some schools may choose to install electric air hand dryers. However, under current departmental guidance based on previous research and an assessment of a number of criteria, it is recommended that the provision of electric air hand dryers in schools be carefully considered on health, noise and energy consumption grounds. Electric hand dryers are not considered the most effective means for children in primary schools to dry their hands with regard to the removal of bacteria as young children will not spend sufficient time at the unit. The noise generated by dryers in toilet en suites within primary school classrooms can also be disruptive to the teaching and leaning environment. Also, in relation to universal accessibility, towel dispensers are easy to use with a single hand and by people with limited manual dexterity and reduced hand and arm movement. As with all areas of school design guidance, this will continue to be reviewed and considered in line with technological and regulatory developments. I do not have a specific answer in relation to the Holy Family school in Rathcoole but I am happy to go back to the Department to get further information for the Deputy.

Sentiment score: 0.31

The Deputy is right to raise the issue of residents in the area. There is fear, property has been damaged and public transport stopped. People have been discommoded and unable to get to and from work and home tonight. It is important that we send a strong message not just to those who have rioted but to the people who are affected and living in fear. I have a huge amount of sympathy with the Deputy in regard to this Topical Issue. As a former director of education and teacher, what he is saying about community facilities and pitches makes absolute sense to me. I also agree with him on a blended approach at second level in particular. The Department has developed a suite of technical guidance documents and school design guides, which are continually reviewed. I hope, based upon our conversation tonight, they can be updated based on research, feedback and curriculum development. The Deputy's contribution tonight is part of that feedback. A range of multi-use and flexible spaces exists within schools, both internally and externally. These spaces are also designed for the after-school community. I must take a look at the Adamstown model but there are areas where we can improve and do better. The installation of electric dryers is a decision for individual schools but a blended approach, in second level in particular, is one that I hope the planning and building unit in the Department will take note of and provide technical advice to schools on. That blended model is the right approach, working to put our schools at the heart of our communities and further integrating them through community use of school facilities. Again, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

Sentiment score: 0.13

I thank Deputy Daly for raising this very important matter. As somebody who was involved with the Cope Foundation in Cork, now Horizons, I recognise the huge work being done in special education and for those with disabilities in Kerry. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth. The Government is committed to the provision of additional special places for children with additional needs. The Deputy is right that there is huge frustration and stress being felt by parents, and that should not be the case. As I said earlier, as a former teacher I recognise that early intervention is critical and early years provision is so important to young children, particularly those with additional needs. There are 160 early intervention classes nationwide, the vast majority of which are for children with a diagnosis of autism. Many of the early intervention classes sanctioned to date have been reclassified as the children enrolled reach primary level age. This allows the children to remain in the class at the school they attended for early intervention. However, this it is not always the case, with many classes enrolling a new cohort of children yearly. As the Deputy knows, budget 2026 secured funding for 3,000 new specialist places. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is currently examining where these places would be best located for the 2026-27 school year. More than 400 new special classes were provided for the 2025-26 school year, meaning there are now 3,741 special classes nationwide. The Government is committed to building on this figure next year, placing provision in locations where it is best placed to meet existing and future demand. In County Kerry, which Deputy Daly represents and has referenced, 114 special classes are now in operation, providing capacity for up to 864 students. That provision includes 25 new special classes for this school year. In total, the number of special classes in County Kerry has almost doubled since 2020. Two of these classes are early intervention classes. Where the NCSE identifies need for an early intervention class, the class is sanctioned and supports are provided by the Department to ensure the school identified can accommodate the class. These classes are available in mainstream and special school settings for children aged between three and five with a diagnosis of autism. There is also a small number of classes dedicated to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. The classes are intended to provide early support to children with the most complex of needs before they start school and can aid their transition to junior infants. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 school year, the NCSE will have a clear picture of local demand for special class places after it reviews and assesses all the information provided through the parents' notification process, which, as Members know, closed on 1 October. The NCSE will then engage directly with school boards of management in relation to the opening of new special classes, including early intervention classes. I assure the House that the Department, the Minister, the Minister of State and the NCSE are committed to ensuring sufficient special education placements remain available for all children with additional needs. It is Important to note that within the early years sector, the access and inclusion model, AIM, under the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, continues to support a growing number of young children with additional needs. AIM provides a tiered system of support, including extra staffing for early years providers, and, importantly, it does not require a formal diagnosis for access. There has been a significant increase in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme over recent years. I will convey the matters the Deputy raised, particularly the parliamentary question he referenced, to the Minister. To be fair, there has been significant investment in special education. However, I accept there is frustration and concern on the part of parents, which should not be the case.

Sentiment score: 0.37

I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I acknowledge the concerns he has articulated on behalf of the children and parents concerned. I want to make it clear that the Government, the Department, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan, working with the NCSE, have committed to ensuring all children can access an education suitable to their needs. AIM is about ensuring accession and inclusion and it is disturbing to hear the Deputy's remarks regarding the testimony of parents and children. The Department of Education and Youth will continue to engage extensively and intensively with the NCSE in regard to the forward planning for new school provisions to ensure every child, including children in Kerry, have a place in an education setting that best fits their educational need. It is important that we do this with a focus on the policy of having an inclusive education model that promotes that children will be supported to receive an education that is in the most inclusive and appropriate setting possible. That is why there has been a significant increase in recent years in resources and supports provided to children with additional needs accessing the AIM programme. Where demand is identified for early intervention classes, they will be sanctioned by the NCSE and established in the relevant schools. The NCSE continues to examine the information gathered through the parents' notification system and to match that demand to appropriate schools in local areas. It is envisaged that the location of the majority of special classes, including early intervention classes, will be sanctioned by December this year, which is four months earlier than in previous years. Parents, therefore, will be able to apply for specialist places much earlier than in previous years. The Minister and Minister of State, Deputies McEntee and Moynihan, continue to meet with the NCSE and with senior departmental officials on a weekly basis to discuss the progress being made in providing special classes for the next school year. I will take the points made by Deputy Daly back to them. I thank him for raising the matter.

Sentiment score: 0.30