Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this initiative, A Better Normal, from the Ombudsman for Children, in which there are many positives. In that context, I read the Government policy document Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures which refers to making "investment in early years care and education, including maintaining the free preschool year and implementing measures to support and regulate improvements to the quality of Early Years and childcare services". This is all great but it means absolutely nothing for parents of children with autism.

In June, I asked the Minister for Education if she would intervene in the case of the new Shellybanks Educate Together National School in Sandymount which refused to open an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class in September 2021, despite having the resources and capacity to do so. No classes opened in the school despite demands on behalf of children with autism. Children are still being bussed out of their community, even though there is space in the school for children with autism. What is missing is the will of the board to open ASD classes and include neuro-diverse children in this school. The two classes have been identified since last March after the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, visited the school. No infrastructural changes are required. I give credit to the Minister and the NCSE for pledging to provide all established additional supports necessary for the school to open these classes in September 2021. Since then, the management committee of the school pushed back against this recommendation. The only reason it has offered for doing so is that the classes are not ready yet and will not open until 2022.

Unfortunately, many parents of neuro-diverse children do not have this luxury. How can such a situation still prevail? How can a school and its management board, despite the Department having cleared every obstacle for them, just say "No" and now is not the time? The Minister has failed to compel the school to open the ASD class, despite advice from her officials. We can have all the reports and plans we like but unless the will is there, children with autism will continue to pay the price.

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