Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion. First, I welcome the decision by the Minister for Education and Skills to sanction the 500 additional posts that are required to maintain the current level of resource support for children who need it most. This is a crucial decision, but the announcement that preceded it should never have happened in the first place. It caused huge upset and anger among the most vulnerable and hard-working parents in our communities who are already struggling daily to ensure the maximum level of support for their children who have special educational needs.

When I was elected two and a half years ago I believed the main objective of this Government was to ensure the return of our economic sovereignty. While I still believe this is of the utmost importance, it cannot be at any cost. While we must work hard and make extremely difficult decisions about the economy, our core objective must be to ensure that the most vulnerable people in our society are protected through what will be the most difficult era in our history. The welcome announcement by the Minister, Deputy Quinn, must not be the end of the debate but the beginning of a new and more focused debate on the services available to children with special educational needs.

Over the weekend I was contacted by parents who have children with special needs. Their frustration with the entire system is obvious. There is a feeling that their child is seen as a number and not a child with a specific need. One parent informed me that her child might not get access to resource teaching in September because the child was not diagnosed before a specific date. He might get some support next November if he is lucky. This child has Asperger's syndrome and struggles with social interaction. School will be a daunting enough experience for him next September and the fact that he might not have the support he needs only makes the situation worse.

The first element of the debate must focus on what the level of resource requirement will be ten or 20 years hence and why we are experiencing such a huge surge in applications for resource hours. Is it because of a much improved understanding of educational difficulties and how can they be addressed on a one-to-one basis? Are other factors causing a huge increase in the number of children being diagnosed with conditions on the autism spectrum? The next step in the debate will be to determine what other supports these children will need, such as speech therapy and occupational therapy. At present, such services appear to vary in availability across the country. When a child needs these services, they need them immediately. There are still too many children waiting for these services, and as the months and years pass the effectiveness of such supports lessens.

Money spent now on the education of children is money spent wisely. It gives them a greater opportunity in life from an earlier age. Without such essential supports to help children with intellectual disability, they could become frustrated and alienated and if school becomes unmanageable for them, it might prompt them to leave it early. That brings a new set of problems and challenges for the country. I have no doubt we have young people within our justice system who became very frustrated by the lack of supports in our schools and did not have the specific skills to cope.

Another matter that must be addressed is the issue of students with intellectual disabilities who are leaving school. Every year we see parents under huge pressure as they try to access services for their school-leaving son or daughter at a time when providers of such places are struggling to maintain current services. Last year we were assured that this would not happen again this year, but I am again being contacted by concerned parents seeking to secure a place for their son or daughter next September. We must establish clear mechanisms so parents are not faced with this uncertainty every year.

In conclusion, I welcome the provision of the 500 additional posts, while acknowledging that it will make budget decisions even more difficult in the future. However, we must never lose sight of the fact that these children only have a brief window of opportunity to address these educational difficulties, and talk of banking collapses and financial crises will not give any solace to them when they reach adulthood. If there is to be a social dividend from forthcoming budgets, it must always be targeted at the most vulnerable people in our society, including children with special educational needs.

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