Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister of State's statement that the Department will clearly explain to parents how decisions on schools are made in these circumstances. I became aware of this issue when the case of a six year old girl was brought to my attention. She has autism, a rare chromosome disorder, fluid on her spine, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, limited speech and a hole in her heart. She was in a school but it was recommended that she should go to a different school. The people who made the recommendation said that the school in question was the best school for her. The nearest school is not necessarily the best school for this child. Who will parents listen to in such circumstances? Will they listen to the health professionals they have been working with or to special education needs organisers they have probably never met? That is part of the difficulty with regard to these decisions. My question relates to cases of this nature. How can the Minister of State explain the approach that is being taken to the mother of the girl I have mentioned? A bus goes past this woman's house. She has to travel 32,600 km per annum. The system is not clear to me or to parents, many of whom are working within the system itself. We are relying on special education needs organisers whose backgrounds might not be as informed as those of other professionals. I refer to the psychologists etc. who made the original recommendations. That is the difficulty. We really need to sort it out. The Minister of State is probably aware of many cases of this nature.

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