Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Táim sásta labhairt anocht ar son an rúin seo mar go díríonn se ar chuid mhaith den mhí-chothromaíocht atá sa chóras oideachais seo againne, mí-chothromaíocht gur féidir leis an Rialtas a leigheas go héasca má chinntíonn sé infheistíocht do na hearnáil áirithe seo. I commend Deputy Thomas Byrne on bringing this motion before the House. The Green Party will be supporting it.

Psychological services in our schools have been at crisis level for many years. Today, a total of 397 schools are without access to NEPS. These schools are at an extraordinarily unfair disadvantage and face unacceptable delays when it comes to access to assessment for special educational needs or behavioural difficulties. All schools need access to a full educational psychological service that facilitates early intervention work and appropriate screening programmes as well as vital assessment services and systems to ensure the necessary supports and resources are available to all children in need of same.

The sad reality is that for many years parents from more affluent backgrounds have easily accessed the necessary educational psychological assessments for their children by paying for them privately. These reports are then utilised to assert the rights of these children to extra resources. However, children from more disadvantaged backgrounds have to take their place in an endless queue. The resulting delay means needs are not identified, appropriate resources are not provided and children fall behind in an educational system that moves quickly.

It is a vicious cycle. The most disadvantaged become even more disadvantaged. This is evidenced by the fact that at present 131 DEIS schools are without access to a NEPS psychologist.

I welcome the Minister's announcement of a new model of allocating teaching resources for special needs. I look forward to the new model being rolled out in September and I look forward to seeing how exactly it will work on a practical level. However, the key point is that the specific needs of all students are not only appropriately identified but adequately responded to with the necessary supports and resources as well.

The provision of crucial services to students should not come down to luck of the draw in respect of where a school is based. All schools and students should have access to all services that NEPS provides, especially in the event of a crisis or a tragedy.

The chronic shortage of places for students with autism spectrum disorder is addressed in the motion. Currently, schools can refuse to set up ASD units despite an obvious need for same identified in the locality. Herein lies the ongoing appalling discrimination on grounds of special educational needs taking place in many schools. However, it is not being addressed by the Government. The school inspection system does not help. Schools which have ASD units and many students with special educational needs are often questioned and criticised at the end of a school inspection in respect of why they do not attract more academic students. At the same time, schools that do not have ASD units and have few children with special educational needs are never asked at the end of an inspection why they have so few children with special educational needs.

One of the main reasons for the shortage of ASD units in schools is the ability of a school to groundlessly refuse to set up an ASD unit. Representatives of these schools often suggest to parents who request such supports that they should try the school down the road or that the child would be better off in another school. This practice must stop. I will be submitting an amendment to the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill to give authority to the NCSE to compel schools to set up special classes where a need is identified. the Department of Education and skills must ensure that these classes or units are then adequately resourced.

John F. Kennedy once said that not everyone has equal abilities, but that everyone should have equal opportunity for education. As legislators, we must ensure that equality of access and opportunity is always front and centre and at the heart of our educational system. Unfortunately, this is not the case at present. However, it is essential that it becomes the standard, the norm. It should never be compromised. Actually it must be a fundamental and overarching principle. It must be a priority underpinning all levels of the Irish education system.

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