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

I thank the Minister for acknowledging my work in this area. As he is aware, it is something I consistently raise and it is an area about which I feel strongly and passionately. I also welcome his honesty and frankness. It was refreshing to hear the Minister go off script and speak from his own experience about the issue. This must be matched with actions but I do welcome that and think it is a positive and welcome development.

Sinn Féin is supporting the Fianna Fáil motion. I thank Deputies Thomas Byrne and Murphy O'Mahony for bringing it forward. On 2 April, Deputy Ó Caoláin and I tabled a Private Members' motion to mark World Autism Awareness Day in which we called for the development of an autism empowerment strategy. This was unanimously supported. Key aspects of that motion involved acknowledging the inequity within our education system for autistic children and the fact that we have created a two-tier system that has led to so many children falling through the cracks. I remind the House, and possibly the Minister, that we are still awaiting the establishment of an all-party committee on autism, as recommended in our motion on 2 April. This is a matter we will continue to raise.

We support the measures in this motion and feel they must be acted on to tackle the challenges embedded in our education system children with additional needs face. Without appropriate training, how can teachers enter classrooms confidently and teach all children equally? Trainee teachers are consistently stating that they do not feel prepared and do not have adequate skills to teach children with additional needs. This should never be the case. A recent report based on a National Council for Special Education, NCSE, public consultation highlighted the fact that there is a great deal of concern regarding the level of training and knowledge of teachers who work with students with autism spectrum disorder, ASD, particularly as knowledgeable and experienced teachers are required to work with such children. There is also great concern about non-experienced teachers being given special classes and resource teaching hours and about the practice, especially at post-primary level, of using resource teaching hours were to fill subject teacher timetables, which is completely unacceptable. We fully support the recommendation in the NCSE's report to the effect that an ongoing programme of continuing professional development be designed and delivered for principals and deputy principals to allow them to focus on providing leadership in the context of the education of students with special educational needs in schools.

We have spoken about the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018. I understand from where the Minister is coming in that regard. However, rather than using an approach that punishes schools which do not implement this, although I get frustrated when I see some of the situations that parents and students face and the complete lack of empathy on the part of certain schools, perhaps we should implement a system of rewarding the schools that strive to be good examples, that are out on their own when it comes to this matter and that go above and beyond because this might lead to other schools coming on board if they realise that there could be a benefit from doing so. It is unfortunate to have to say this but sometimes, that is the reality. There is a lack of urgency when it comes to establishing the number of ASD classes required to meet demand. As a result, children are being left at home and left behind. I raise this issue on a regular basis. In the past two days, figures emerged in my constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny which show that many children are awaiting home tuition, which would indicate that there is no ASD class for them. In the context of social aspects and seeing brothers, sisters and friends going to school, how does a parent explain that to his or her child? It is neither fair nor right. I do not care how often I have to say it. We have created a two-tier system and, as a society, we have nearly accepted the argument that children with additional needs and their parents should be happy to wait and battle for everything and that if they get what they need, even if it is October or November and school has started, that is fair enough and they should be grateful. We need to change that attitude.

I want to touch briefly on today's announcement that, from September, the rehabilitative training allowance, which is worth €31.80 per week per student, is to be scrapped for new entrants. This beggars belief and I cannot understand how anybody could stand over this type of move. The HSE stated:

This decision will bring equity to all persons attending HSE-funded adult day services and will be in line with mainstream vocational training services ... New entrants to training after September 1 will not receive the allowance. They will not be affected because as they will never have received this allowance.

However, if people know allowance is there, they will factor that in. It has been proven time and again that there is a cost involved if one has an additional need or disability. Even if one looks at our public transport system, one can see how people cannot access it if they have additional needs or disabilities. In such circumstances, it is unbelievable that the HSE could make a comment of this nature. I ask the Minister to look at this matter. I know it does not directly fall under his remit but he is a Minister and I ask that he examine this issue and bring the message back so that, one hopes, this decision, which will create financial inequity among school leavers with disabilities and which has been described to him as a slap in the face for school leavers with disabilities who are due to enter training this September, can be reversed. Adult learning improves health and well-being and equality of access to education is vital for health equality and life outcomes. Supports for adult learning are an investment, not a cost.

I also want to mention reduced timetables briefly. I am of the view that everyone, including the Minister, agrees that what is happening in this regard is not acceptable. Where there are difficulties or struggles, it is not right to almost punish a student by telling him or her that he or she can only come into class from 10 a.m. until noon. In many instances, children are leaving early or coming in late and straight away they are labelled or people wonder what the issue with them is or why they are always arriving late. The children then have a fear of going into school and do not want to do so. This creates so many issues. There must be a far better way of dealing with that, possibly through working with NEPS and CAMHS to address issues.

As stated, I welcome the Minister's comments. I am of the view that he has a genuine interest in this matter. We will support the motion.

See this speech in context