2. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a memo has been sent to Cabinet in relation to the way in which her Department plans to deliver enough special class places and special school places to match the level of demand; the number of children who await a special class or school placement; the number of children who made an application for a special class or school placement; the number of classes that will be needed to match the level of demand, outside of the current 400 already budgeted for in budget 2026; the number of classes that have been opened to date; if every child will have an appropriate school placement for the coming academic year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28882/26]

Sentiment score: 0.30

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. 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?

Sentiment score: 0.18

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. 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.

Sentiment score: 0.32

211. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of purpose-built student accommodation beds that will be available in the State for the coming academic year; the amount that this has grown on the previous academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22017/26]

Sentiment score: 0.15

In relation to the student accommodation strategy, the Minister knows I am not in the business of criticising in any way, shape or form any new development and I welcome it. However, I will call out certain aspects of it that I do not perhaps agree with. We might differ on that but that is fine. I have a sense that the strategy itself is developer-led with an enormous reliance on the private market. It fails in very basic protections in terms of capping student rents and ensuring service charges cannot be used as an excuse to drive up the rent beyond the RPZ rate. The landlords will be able to reset the rents in between the tenancies. I am just noting these issues. A final point is that it is vital that technological universities have opportunities to borrow in order to purchase land to build or fast track their own accommodation for students. I raise those points because at the committee on higher education, a number of students from Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn, AMLÉ, came in and spoke with us about that.

Sentiment score: 0.07

I thank the Minister for clarifying that and I will correct the record on that. I also want to speak to the broader aspect of accommodation that is being used by students in our cities. Since the Minister has taken up his position, in regard to communication he has with the Minister, Deputy Browne, there has been a significant amount of it in relation his own strategy. For example, in regard to private rental accommodation students have, there has been a significant number of cases brought to my attention where students are living in private rental accommodation near University College Cork, MTU and other third level institutions, particularly in Cork because I am a representative from Cork, where the accommodation itself is generally not fit for purpose. Whether it is because the local authority does not have the manpower or there is a lack of availability, there are very few inspections going on within private rental accommodation. From my perspective as spokesperson on education, and from the Minister's perspective, does he believe it is now more essential? Is he in any conversation with the Minister, Deputy Browne, about the inspections of private rental accommodation being used by students?

Sentiment score: 0.06