Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Taoiseach knows, the EPSEN Act came into law in July 2004. He was the Minister at the time. With its signing into law came great hope for children with special educational needs and their families. It contained many useful provisions but the reality is that in 2022 we are still waiting for the Act to be fully implemented. Children born in 2004 will turn 18 this year. Some of the supports they might have expected during their lifetime in school they will now not receive and they will have finished in the education system. It is a failure of the political system.

One of the key provisions that was not implemented relates to individual education plans. These play a vitally important role. They are being provided by many schools but there is no obligation on them. It is not mandatory and many schools do not provide them. The other element of this is that the quality of such plans varies significantly, as do the standards involved. It is a vitally important tool in these children's progression, in transition, and in being able to tailor their educational needs and the plans that are necessary over their lifetime.

The Government has a long way to go to heal the relationships between families of children with special educational needs in the State. When I speak to them it is always the case that they have to argue and fight for everything. They have to fight for an IEP as things stand; they have to fight for an assessment of need; and they have to fight for an adequate school place. Everything is a fight. Everything is a battle.

I urge the Government to support this Bill to provide children with special educational needs with a thorough and timely individual education plan and to go some say to healing these relationships and to make that uphill battle for educational resources a thing of the past.

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