Leaders' Questions

Varadkar and Doherty agree on need for more class places for children with special needs

Emergency legislation being considered to help 100 children with ‘nowhere to go’ as Sinn Féin TD criticises ‘a complete failure to plan on the part of government’

There was no rerun of last week’s bitter row between Leo Varadkar, above, and Pearse Doherty at Leaders’ Questions today. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

It was back to a battle on policy rather than personal attacks for Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Pearse Doherty of Sinn Féin.

TDs in the Dáil chamber had been on alert for a re-run of last week’s bitter spat between the two politicians.

But, this time, Doherty and Varadkar engaged in a restrained debate on the ongoing shortage of special class places for around 100 children with special needs.

Doherty highlighted the stress and heartbreak ...