Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Byrne for putting down this motion. My heart sinks when parents of children with special needs who are at the beginning of their journey come to my office - not because the child has special needs but because I know the battle that they are going through to face every step along the way in getting that to which their child is entitled by way of education and special supports.

There are not enough school places, particularly in areas of rapidly expanding population. Children in Cork are being forced to go across the city at peak traffic time in the morning, travelling for between 40 minutes and an hour to get to an appropriate school place. That is a terrible start to the day and should not be happening.

The ASD waiting lists are appalling. The waiting times in Cork for an assessment are unacceptable. Many children are waiting two years or more and, at the end of that, they find that there are no services. Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy are virtually non-existent for children with autism in my constituency in Cork South Central. That is completely unacceptable.

Home tuition is not a substitute for an appropriate school place. The child is missing out on the social skills, mixing with other children and all the benefits that come from that. The Minister must bear in mind that home tuition is not a solution because it can be very disruptive in the home environment as well but, principally, it is not right for the child.

I know of many schools in the area of my constituency that do not have adequate facilities. One example is St. Gabriel's special school in Bishopstown, a remarkable school with outstanding staff and special children. The circumstances in which teachers have to teach and children have to learn are simply not acceptable.

The system is not working. The Government is putting the money in and resources are being provided but the child is not at the centre of what needs to be done in special education. I ask the Minister, in whatever time he has left in this Dáil, to deal with these issues.

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