Ms Teresa Maher:

Enrolment policy is a significant barrier. There are many soft barriers to inclusion. Parents do not have confidence that the new enrolment legislation will fully address all of these aspects. Parents believe that a roadmap for the implementation of the outstanding parts of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSON, Act 2004 is required, in particular the individualised education plans, IEPS, the independent appeals and also the implementation of the NCSE policy advice on the education of deaf and hard of hearing children in Ireland. Both of these policies have been articulated for a number of years. We need a roadmap, to know if its will happen and if so, how it will happen. Parents have noted the lack of second level education places, even though there are classes at primary school level. There are a small number of special classes at primary level for specific speech and language impairment but there is no provision for this at post-primary level. Specific speech and language impairment is a lifelong and enduring condition. There is a major issue when a child has multiple and complex needs due to comorbidity, as in two equal but totally separate disabilities. They are often excluded from special schools and special classes as these have a very strict enrolment. If one is deaf and also has autism, one may not be accepted into a deaf unit and one may also not be accepted into the autism unit. These children have a very difficult path.

The parents suggest a partial exemption from Irish, that is, a person could be exempted from the oral or written section of the exam but not necessarily from both. The Ombudsman for Children looked to the application of reasonable accommodation and has suggested that must now be more transparency and parents must be given the reason for the rejection, and then allowed to appeal. The final decision must be made much earlier.

The July provision has not been mentioned but it is a significant issue for post-primary school students. This educational support happens in July. Students finish towards the end of May and resume school at the beginning of September. They find it very difficult to get tutors because tutors are not paid until November but also because this happens in the middle of the secondary school teaching holidays. Parents are suggesting that this funding could be allocated to parents and could be used at the end of August to help the student prepare for re-entry into school in September.