Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is the other way around. I am going to go first. Ladies first and all that jazz.

I welcome the parents in the Gallery. We have been working with people around our constituencies on this issue. I welcome that the debate is happening. Like others, I want to be a conduit for their voices. I wish they could stand here instead of sitting up there and speak directly to the Government and the Minister of State about this. I wish to speak for Greg. He is up there and he wrote to me about his son Sam, who has autism, is non-verbal and has an intellectual disability. For the third time in his short life, they are having issues trying to find a school place for him, "Thirteen schools said no. Both myself and my wife work. The stress on us is unbelievable since last September". Sam, his son, had thrived in an autism class integrated into mainstream classes but with no routine, social interaction or learning, it is unacceptable in today's world that his constitutional rights to an education are not being upheld. Sam not having a school in September puts a huge financial burden on the family. The mortgage has to be paid for, as do Sam's speech and language therapy, swimming lessons, bike lessons and social club. They need answers and they need a place. They need assurance from the Government today that something will be done. I will pass on Greg and Sam's details to the Minister of State afterwards.

Nicola, who is also up there in the Gallery, is the mother of three children - two boys and one girl. Both of her sons are autistic. Sean, who turns 13 next week, is due to start secondary school. This seems to be a common problem - ten different schools have said they have no place. Sean made great improvements over the past couple of years but if he continues to be outside of a school setting, he will digress. He should be entitled to an education like every other child. He has a right to a school place. The family has the right to know that they can prepare for September and not have sleepless nights worrying about what will happen to Sean if he does not go to school, have the routine, structure and support he needs - there is no doubt that he will regress. Like the other parents, Nicola worries about her family. She and her husband work. If they have to give up their jobs, financially, they will struggle. "Why is it that our child, when he has a diagnosis, has to do battle for everything? Everything is a fight." I will pass on Nicola's details to the Minister of State as well.

One special needs educator contacted me to say - this was in the Minister of State's speech - that schools will be given the flexibility to engage staff who are not employed in their schools to support the summer programme. This is about what was known as the July provision. She gave an example:

In 2022, a class of four to six autistic children would have received €240 to €360 a week to arrange trips, organise activities and provide resources. In 2024, the same class will have €120 to €180 per week to do the same things, despite the cost of everything rising. The funding is being cut by €20 per child per week. Are we seeing a repetition of picking the low-hanging fruit we saw during austerity? Why is this happening to the July provision, now called the summer provision? This is another blow to parents. It will not be possible for special needs assistants or teachers to run classes on the basis of these cutbacks. I ask you to please address that issue.

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