Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and witnesses. In particular, I thank Ms Byrne for telling us about her experience and advocating for her peers. We really appreciate her making the effort to be here. It is important for us to hear from her and her peers regarding their experience and wishes in terms of the type of education they want. We can then make recommendations on that basis.

Generally speaking, I agree there is significant investment in special education, but we should not be measuring it in monetary terms. I refer to money being invested, rather than it being spent, because it is important that we invest in students and teachers to get the best outcomes. I am concerned that we are looking more at the financial aspect than at monitoring and evaluating outcomes and seeing what we can do better with regard to special education.

I am interested in the views of the witnesses on the new SET allocation. We are hearing mixed views in that regard. The education committee had a briefing yesterday. I am interested to hear the witnesses' views on that matter.

On the area of inclusion, I agree with Ms Byrne that we should be as inclusive as possible in respect of education, sport and other areas, but for some children going to a special school is better for their needs. I am conscious of the announcement of four new special schools. What will be the exact locations of those four schools? I know where three of them will be. There will be one in south Kildare but I have not yet heard of its exact location.

In my experience, it is wonderful that schools have become so inclusive and willing to have SET allocations and ASD classrooms and to work to ensure the students attending are full members of the school in every way. We need to appreciate and thank all those schools. I am concerned that some children who go to a mainstream school are being told at the age of 12 that they should go to a special school. I am currently dealing with a family in that situation. It has not been thought through properly if we are looking at full inclusion in primary school setting but that is not being fully followed through at secondary level. We have come a long way in the past five or six years. In my area in Kildare, the number of places available for students who need extra supports at secondary level has probably quadrupled. To move from one school setting to the other is not good, however. It is confusing for the children involved. Like Deputy Tully, I was a teacher many years ago, although I taught at primary school level. Before we had SNAs, I had 39 children in a very large first communion class. A child with Down's syndrome was moved from a special school into that mainstream school without any supports. It was terribly confusing for her. At times, the special school wanted to bring her back for different things. It was doubly confusing because she had a twin who was in mainstream the whole way through. It was a very difficult situation because the girl was struggling. Her parents had made the decision, after she spent a few years in special school, to bring her to mainstream because of her twin. After a period, she ended up going back to special school. I often lie awake at night thinking about her and how it should and could have been different.

SENOs play an important role in placing a child according to his or her needs. I have repeatedly come across SENOs who give advice to parents, but that advice is to ring around the schools. It is not practical advice. Some SENOs have encouraged parents to take action under section 29 against any school that says it does not have a place. That has happened with a special school in the area I represent. It has been very difficult for everybody involved and gives rise to a confrontational situation. It is not the best way to move forward with trying to find a place for a child.

Those are my comments and questions. I thank the Cathaoirleach.