Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have been dealing with this case since last November so the Department is well aware of the details of the case. For the purposes of clarification, I sent on all of the relevant information to the Department again today in order that the Minister would have the details before coming into the House this evening. The Department already has all of the details. James has already been assessed and it has been recommended that he attends an ASD unit. All of that part of the process has been dealt with already. I welcome the fact that additional places will be provided but there is still a serious level of demand in the constituency. All of the schools that I mentioned have waiting lists. If James is number nine, ten or 11 on a waiting list, there is very little possibility of him getting a place. It is not the case that his parents have tried only one or two schools. They have approached as many schools as possible in their area that have ASD units. The last school that they approached was the School of the Holy Spirit. If I send the details on again in relation to that school and to the option of James starting school a year later, on the condition that he would be given a place in an ASD preschool, will the Department examine the case and come back to me on it? I have been trying to get an answer from the Department since November 2017. As I said earlier, that is why I have raised this as a Topical Issue. To be honest, I do not really wish to be obliged to come into this Chamber to talk about people's personal details. I do not think it is very fair on them but I was pushed to do it because I could not see any other way of getting an answer. I am asking for a commitment that the Department will look into this specific case and not come back with a general response to the effect that it is up to the NCSE. This child has a right to an education and a right to a school place. His parents did not put this on the long finger, in fairness to them. They have been trying since last September to get him a school place. We are now in March and before long, it will be Easter.

Soon it will be summer and then the new school year will start in September. It is not fair on this child who will also need some time to adjust to where he will be going to school and to get into a routine and know the process around that. I am asking for a commitment from the Minister to examine this case and to come back to us in a timely fashion.

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