Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí ó Fhianna Fáil fáchoinne an seans labhairt ar an díospóireacht seo inniu, go háirithe leis An Teachta Thomas Byrne fáchoinne an obair atá seisean ag déanamh ar son na rudaí speisialta fosta. Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach ar an gComhchoiste um Oideachas agus Scileanna, an Teachta O'Loughlin, fáchoinne na rudaí cuimsitheacha atá déanta sa choiste fosta. Gabhaim aitheantas leis an Teachta Funchion agus an Teachta Burton fáchoinne an obair atá siadsan ag déanamh ar an díospóireacht fosta mar thosaigh an díospóireacht tríd na rudaí speisialta ag deireadh na bliana seo caite agus ag tús na bliana seo nuair a tháinig mise isteach i mo phost nua. Tá sé iontach tábhachtach an chomhpháirtíocht agus an chomhobair atá le feiceáil sa Teacht seo agus tá sé iontach tábhachtach ar son an ábhair seo.

I thank Fianna Fáil for bringing the motion before the House. It comes here on the back of a great deal of good work that has happened in the House over the seven to eight months since I took up my current position. I thank the other Members who spoke, in particular the spokespersons, Deputies Funchion and Burton, for their continued vigilance on this issue. This is a challenging area. While we may say it is a challenge politically, financially and with respect to resources, it is a particular challenge for the parents of young people with special and unique challenges themselves. They are very bright, capable young people and autistic children and all their parents are looking for is a level playing field, fair play and the opportunity for them to realise their potential. I know that is exactly what everyone will articulate tonight. It is something that has been echoed by those Deputies who have already spoken.

Every time I speak publicly on this issue, we talk about the resources we are applying. We are putting in almost €2 billion out of an overall budget of €11 billion. However, while €1 in €5 is going into special education, there continue to be many things we are not getting right. There is a great deal of work that still needs to be done. There is a communications issue for parents on the ground as to what schools are available and the way the model is established places the onus on parents to do all the running. When one is a parent, a great deal is going on in doing the job of parenthood already without having to do extra work when one's neighbour may not have to do the same running. That is why I want strongly to pursue the school inclusion model. We have established a pilot scheme and will invest €4.75 million in September to develop a model whereby the HSE will no longer work in parallel to the Department of Education and Skills. I want to see properly inclusive education in the classrooms.

We will see it in 75 schools in west Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare from September when occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, behavioural therapists, special needs assistants and special education teachers will start to work together to realise the full potential of students with special challenges. It is a challenge. We will evaluate the pilot and it will be up to whatever Government is in office at that stage to decide how to extend it and move forward. Having witnessed the model in practice and seen occupational therapists working together with classroom teachers, it is the way forward. That is not to say we will not get it right on the first attempt. I was at Robertson national school in Stranorlar recently and met a mother whose son is in a wheelchair and is attending the school, which has a great and inclusive model. However, when I started to explain how the pilot would work, she asked about the idea of including a physiotherapist as well. As such, we have to look at the entire cohort and that may include clinical nurses for complex medical challenges. That is where we are looking to go but we are not there yet. The only way we will get there is by working together to figure out a better way. For example, we are spending €207 million on school transport annually, of which 50%, just over €100 million, is applied to transport for children with special educational needs and one of the speakers earlier asked whether we were getting that right. There are students travelling one and a half hours to school, which makes for a three-hour round trip every day and we have to look at how to improve the system for them.

Legislative powers have been provided for and we have an Act that has been invoked in Dublin 15. Having worked with the schools in that area, I am of the view that we will make progress. For example, there were 88 pupils who were not going to get places last April. Since then, we have worked closely with stakeholders, parents and the local education and training board and have managed to follow through and ensure we have a special school in place. A principal has been appointed and the school will be set up in September. It will be at least a start to identifying the need. There are 40 other students on the waiting list and we have written to 18 schools in respect of them. One school has agreed to provide a classroom and we are engaging with two others. Another school has written to us formally today. If we can get those three schools over the line, we will meet the needs of 18 students and will be nearly halfway there. Hopefully, we will have another three schools buying into that opportunity, which is what this is. The schools I visit, such as Coláiste Gleann Lí in Tralee, that have special education at the heart of their learning and teaching are richer for it. Deputies are in and out of schools all the time and will know that. That message has to get out there. I am not a believer in the big stick approach to politics whereby we compel schools to build a classroom and give them a date and timeframe by which it must be done. It is not the way to go because schools will have reasons as to why they are not buying into this model. Those reasons may relate to continuing professional development for teachers and ensuring teachers have the proper training and support to carry out the job effectively. We are trying to meet those schools and to figure out the best way to ensure they get the proper supports. That engagement is ongoing. As far as Dublin 15 is concerned, the legislation has been invoked but there is a process to follow which is fairly detailed. The first part of that process is that the National Council for Special Education writes formally to me. Dublin 15 is the only area in respect of which I have received a formal letter from the council. I am aware that there are challenges in Cork and Kilkenny too. There are challenges in all these different areas. However, we are working on the basis that by September, we will have provided an adequate number of places for the children who are demanding them.

I refer to the legislative proposal for reduced timetabling, in respect of which important work with Tusla is ongoing.

It is very important work. Legislation may or may not be required. It is too early to tell but I know that is framed in part of the motion as well.

I am happy to support this motion on the understanding that we continue to make this a proper, all-inclusive conversation. I will do my best in that regard, through the relevant channels, my office and the officials who work with me in respect of this matter. There is no magic wand and no template from which we work because Ireland is actually leading the way. Canada is very much focused on putting special education at the heart of its inclusive education agenda but we are leading the way. When I was in Finland recently, I saw how it is looking at the Irish model. However, we must also think all the time about the parents who feel they are the ones who must push for this. We will do away with the idea of parents having to come up with a clinical diagnosis. This is behind having the school pilot model and looking at preschool through to primary school in order that we have the information as we go the whole way through. The Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills has been looking at this matter for some time.

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis na Teachtaí arís fá choinne an díospóireacht seo. Níl an díospóireacht críochnaithe. Tá an t-ábhar seo iontach tábhachtach do na daoine óga agus na tuismitheoirí fosta.

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