Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

When I raised a similar question with a Minister previously he indicated he would examine the matter. He states the National Council for Special Education has not encountered widespread difficulties in this regard. The difficulty faced by families is that they must go from one school to another. I have been contacted by the parents of three children with dyslexia who are trying to have their children enrolled in a particular school but the resources available to the school in question are creating a hurdle.

The Minister previously clarified the position regarding the ratio of 9:1. I presume this will be used as a fall-back position. The system is making it increasingly difficult for families who must already jump through many hoops to access school places for children with special needs. It may be the autumn before a child enters the system and the appeals process also takes a long time.

The Taoiseach indicated this morning that the House debate special educational needs. I presume the Minister would support such a debate. This aspect of education must be addressed. While I welcome the clarification provided by the Minister, is it possible to fast-track the application process for children with special needs?

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