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

It is a little like Groundhog Day here as we discuss the issue again of the two-tier system that currently exists in our education system for children who have additional needs. I have two boys and if I decided not to send them to school, the educational welfare officer would contact me after 20 days to ask me why I had not sent my kids to school. If, however, a child with an additional need is not given a place in an ASD class, or does not have the adequate SNA or resource hours and is told that he or she cannot attend school, nobody is held to account be it 20,30 or 40 days or half of the school year later. There is a two-tier system in our education system. We cannot address the problem unless we first acknowledge that there is a serious problem.

I do not know how many motions or Private Members' Bills will have to be tabled, or how many Topical Issue debates or stories will have to be told - people's very personal stories and lives are thrashed out here in the Dáil - before something is done about it.

Deputy Ó Caoláin referred to Sinn Féin's motion on 2 April on World Autism Day, which related to establishing a committee. I am delighted the Ceann Comhairle is in the Chair and I appeal to him and to the Minister, Deputy McHugh, to please try to get the proposed committee up and running. Five months have passed and still we have had no word on what exactly is happening in that regard. It would be a small step, but an important one that we need to happen. It would be a cross-party committee that would include everybody. As Deputy Ó Caoláin said, it would take the politics out of the matter.

There is no data or information available on how many children are on reduced timetables, how many children do not have a school place or how many children have issues with school transport. I believe that not having the data is deliberate; if the data were there and we were able to see the figures and see the reality of how many kids do not have a school place, or do not have a full school day, or how many are trekking to and from school, the Government would have to do something about it. I appeal to the Minister to speak to the NCSE about getting the data and the information together. The issue is raised in the Chamber time and again. The Minister cannot get away with saying there is a problem in one constituency, one county or one area; it is a nationwide problem.

There are difficulties everywhere. It has got to the stage now where people are contacting me about next September because they are so panicked. They know exactly the battle that is in front of them. When one hears that a child gets a place in an ASD class, one is delighted, but that this is just the start of the battle. It might not always be suitable and it might not work out. There will still be serious issues ahead for parents, children and teachers. There is the issue of access to occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. In many areas - when one finally gets access to these services - a family could find that an occupational therapist or speech and language therapist might go on leave and not be replaced. The child may go six to eight months without access to that service and regress, which is a serious setback.

I say this time and again - and I am sick of hearing myself saying this, so I am sure that everybody else is sick of it too - that we have consistently failed children in the State. We all know the stories of the industrial homes and the Magdalen laundries and yet here we are failing children again. I believe that 20 or 30 years down the road everybody will wonder, "How did we let this happen?" We are letting it happen and we need to decide if we are going to do something about this and address it. The Minister will say that funding is in place but on the ground, people cannot access school places, school transport or a bus escort or SNA and resource hours. The two things do not match up. We need to be much stronger, not only in providing ASD class places, but also ensuring they are resourced with teachers who have training, have the interest and who want to be there doing that job.

There is also significant responsibility on some schools that we all know, unfortunately, are trying to turn a blind eye to this issue. This is another reason so many kids are on reduced timetables. It is time we started to use the legislative powers in place to ensure that ASD classes are built. The Minister may say that he does not want to enforce schools to do that, but I believe it has come to the stage where we have to look at that and say to those schools that it is not acceptable. Members will be aware of various new school builds in their constituencies. These schools must have ASD classes and it should not be up for negotiation. They should have to have an ASD class. Many new school builds currently do not have an ASD class in their plans, which is unacceptable.

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