Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am in the convention centre at present. I welcome the Minister of State and thank her for joining us today. I want to raise awareness about the experiences of parents who contacted me with concerns for their children in their search to prioritise early diagnostic intervention and to ensure access to services to allow for the most effective intervention for their child, and to guarantee the best outcome. I raise the issue of a seven-year-old girl who had an assessment of needs in 2016 and 2017 which identified her requirements. She was referred for early intervention in July 2017, for speech and language therapy as well as occupational and physical therapy. Due to delays, she did not receive any appointment until June 2018, nearly a year after her first speech and language appointment. Both speech therapists were then on maternity leave with no cover available.

After receiving an initial speech and language appointment, she was only afforded appointments every three to four weeks, which certainly fell far below her requirements at that crucial stage. Since 2019, she has attended a special class for pupils with specific speech and language disorder, SSLD. There are two such special schools in County Mayo, with one in Ballina and the other in Castlebar. She has made real progress, especially in recent months, but certainly falls below what is required to enter a mainstream classroom, according to feedback from her teacher and her language therapist. Based on their professional assessments, which are the most important element, she would struggle in a large classroom environment at present.

I am raising this issue because, based on the support plus review carried out by the school, it believes she would benefit from additional placement in small group class settings, with intensive speech and language therapy. These small groups would afford her the support she requires and ensure that the continuous learning that is to the core of her needs is provided.

She is due to start in a mainstream classroom in September 2021. Her parents have reached out. They wish for the matter to be brought to the attention of the Minister of State because, as I understand it, she is responsible for funding the provision of speech and language therapy services for children attending these classes. In addition, she may be able to influence the Department of Education with regard to a circular dating back to 2007 which specifically refers to the criteria for enrolment into these special classes for pupils with specific speech and language disorder. The circular states that eligible pupils may spend up to two years in such classes. The girl to whom I refer is ending her two-year cycle but, on the back of the pandemic, she has not been allocated the time she requires to ensure that she thrives. Her parents have real concerns that she will regress.

I ask the Minister of State to consider the impact of the pandemic on such cases, to outline how she intends to deal with this issue and to consider bringing an amendment to the Department of Education with regard to the circular that is currently in force.