'Small cohort' of children remain without a school place for new academic year

Last year 7,860 students who registered before the deadline met the requirements for a special class or special school place for this September. However, more applications were also received by the NCSE after this date. File picture: Danny Lawson/PA

A “small cohort” of children are still without a school place as pupils return to the classroom for the new academic year, the disability minister has confirmed.

Department officials are working “desperately hard” to make sure that families have certainty around school places as “soon as possible”, Michael Moynihan said. However, he cannot say exactly when all children will receive an appropriate school place.