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

I agree that where ASD units are operational they are, in the main, successful. That, however, is the reason I raised this issue. Greater access is needed for students. There are many different examples of where that is needed and I am not the only person who could cite examples; every Deputy could probably do so. Some students cannot start school. They have to go to a special school and were supposed to start in September 2018 but they cannot start until September 2019 because of the lack of access. Those students cannot get access to any more pre-school provision because they have used up their two years. That puts a child with an additional need at a disadvantage. Parents are also being told that their children can have a place in an ASD unit but the unit is miles from their home. They will have to spend an hour and a half on a bus before getting to school. That again puts a child at a disadvantage. In the main, that is not the case for children attending school who do not have an additional need and that is what we need to focus on and tackle.

We seem to be okay with treating children who have an additional need differently and saying to them that they have to wait, that they might not be able to start until October because we do not have a place for them and they have to put up with being on the bus for an hour and a half. In my opinion that is not good enough, and I am sure it is the opinion of the vast majority of people. That is why we need to ensure we have places. This was one of the good parts of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. I hope that we will put the pressure on schools that want to turn a blind eye or direct people to the school down the road. That attitude has to change.

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