Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I know all that. Let me describe one situation. In north Kildare for the past 15 years an excellent workshop has been run by the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. The principal in the school was very supportive and the classroom was rented at a nominal rate because the heating and security was provided for other things that were happening. A new principal came in and, instead of it being €500 a year, it became €5,000 a year to rent the classroom. This is a publicly funded school that increased the cost for children with dyslexia.

It is not just a question of support regarding dyslexia, where there is a benefit to the children, but also a question of self-esteem and all that goes with that. Parents already have expenses such as, for example, often having to get a diagnosis themselves. This is not a dancing class we are talking about or some sort of added extra. It is an educational support in a publicly funded school and the issue needs to be addressed. The schools themselves need to see some sort of value in this and not have a situation where almost a commercial rate is sought when an educational support is being provided. That is the point I am trying to make.

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