Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy Brian Hayes on once again raising the issue of special needs classes. By removing these classes additional unsustainable pressure will be placed on existing mainstream classes and will not only damage the children in need of special classes, but will also inhibit the rights of all children to a decent education. My constituency of Cavan-Monaghan has three affected schools, Bailieborough national school, Castleblaney junior school and St. Mary's boys' school in Monaghan.

Last Monday, I met a parent in a somewhat different situation. Living in a rural area, her child gets home tuition and excellent support from the local national school. The child suffers from autism and the additional annual cost to the family is €60,000. While some of this cost was covered before the child became eligible for national school, these demands have been completely ignored since and the expense, although paid through the PAYE system and all above aboard, is not reclaimable against her personal tax. If it is reclaimable, she has been told otherwise.

In the short time available to me, I wish to revert to the specific cuts at Castleblayney junior school. Thankfully for this year, the principal has had the school's situation reviewed and the class will be retained, but this has nothing to do with the so-called appeals system. Rather, it has to do with the Department's reclassification. The majority of people involved in this issue believe the appeals system is a smoke screen that the Government created to remove the pressure from itself. During the past four weeks, the parents have been in continual telephone contact with the Department, but no one seems to know what is happening or how the appeals system works. Without criteria being in place, it is impossible for schools to put forward cases based on fact that can be understood in the long term and on which a final decision is influenced. This situation is stressful for parents because at least some of them will need to look for alternative schooling for their children, who may need to be facilitated a long way from home, thereby creating further costs on taxpayers through transport and assistance.

There is also a difficulty in that children with special educational needs do not make friends easily. Breaking up the present classes will create significant problems and have severe consequences for their confidence, which is generally low to begin with. The teachers of special classes, who are highly trained and experienced in dealing with such children, help them with skills to conform to society in the best way possible.

While Castleblayney has retained its classes for this year, it was not due to the appeals decision, but to the Department's reclassification. I do not know how many schools will benefit in this way, but it is vital that these children and others who will be classified as in need of such education be allowed to retain their classes. It is up to the Minister to find savings within the administrative structures to ensure the most vulnerable and deserving are given a chance.

I have lived with parents who needed to deal with issues such as this. The pressures are enormous, but their efforts and the benefits of proper classes will mean that their children can live useful and profitable lives to the benefit of the State instead of being forced into a system that will leave them dependent forever.

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