To ask the Minister of Education what action she is taking to ensure all children with special educational needs have a school place in September 2022.

Securing appropriate provision for children with statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN) remains a key priority for me and is being taken forward by the Education Authority (EA) supported by the Department and key partners, to ensure children are placed appropriately and in line with their needs.

The EA established a cross-directorate planning group tasked to ensure that there is an appropriate place in a special school or specialist provision in a mainstream school, for every child with a statement who needs one. Senior officials in my Department attend these meetings and hold regular oversight meetings with senior EA staff to monitor progress and provide me with regular updates.