Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am conscious and thankful that the Minister has given a commitment to try to have the July provision in place for special needs children. However, I want to emphasise it will be essential for these children as, otherwise, they will have been six months outside the school system and when they get back into a classroom environment, they will flounder.

Notwithstanding the challenges it has presented, Covid-19 has given many organisations an opportunity to reflect on how they operate and, more importantly, on how they could do better. One would certainly hope that, at present, there is a team within the Department of Education and Skills reviewing special education, identifying the issues and earmarking what additional supports need to be in place when our children return to education. The House is aware of the challenges in special needs education but I fear these challenges are much more pronounced in my county of Longford after nearly a decade of neglect. In many instances, the problems in Longford are, unfortunately, masked by the fact its figures are included with County Westmeath, which has much better performing metrics. On the one hand, schools in County Longford simply do not have the most basic of resources even though exceptional staff and management are providing an outstanding service. On the other hand, parents are frustrated and fearful of speaking out as they fear they will lose out on the most minuscule of supports.

Unfortunately, there has been a dismantling of services for children in Longford, specifically in the area of health and education. For example, all eye and ear services in the county have been withdrawn and, at present, children have to go to Athlone for testing. Invariably, this means they miss out on a day in school, assuming their families can afford to get there in the first place. Several principals in the county to whom I have spoken in recent months, as well as teachers appointed from other counties, have highlighted that special needs services are significantly better in adjoining counties. For example, the autism unit in Ballymahon national school will have pupils travel from County Roscommon and staff and management of the school will regularly see services and support brought over from Roscommon to work with these pupils. While a number of local schools have dedicated autism units, there is, unfortunately, huge pressure on the adjoining smaller schools, which have to take the overflow of students who are unable to access the units.

Our party leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, has been on record throughout and since the election campaign regarding his commitment to special needs education. How it ultimately features in this programme for Government and, specifically, how the incoming Minister for Education and Skills addresses the deficits in special needs education in counties like Longford and elsewhere might well be the acid test for his or her tenure.

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