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

My question is in regard to DEIS status for Scoil Mhuire Lourdes, which is a girls' school in Tullow, County Carlow, its application for additional accommodation to expand facilities to support its learning, the reason it does not have an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, class and what measures are proposed to rectify this problem.

I had a meeting recently with the principal of this school. It does not have DEIS status but there is an urgent need for it to be given that status. I would welcome some feedback from the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, in regard to how the school should go about securing it. I am not sure if the Minister of State is familiar with the Tullow area. It is an area of high deprivation. It is important that consideration be given to this school being awarded DEIS status.

In regard to the ASD class, I was surprised to learn this school wants to have an ASD class. It should be commended on that, but its application in that regard has not been granted, apparently because it is deemed not to be a need in the area. There very much is a need in the area for an ASD class. I will give some details in regard to the school. There are children within the school from families where one or two of the parents are unemployed, and 33% of the families are headed up by lone parents. As we know, there are issues of poverty within lone parent families. It is important to emphasise this is an all-girls school. Some 35% of the families are being supported by the school completion programme, which is an excellent programme and one I regularly try to speak about in this House. There is a high level of need within this school.

The principal is an excellent advocate for the school. She has been pushing hard for all of this and she is really passionate about it. In regard to the ASD class, in one family where there is a lone parent, one child is attending this school but the other child needs to go to an ASD class and will have to travel outside of Tullow to access it. During a meeting we had with that lone parent, she made the point that, in terms of climate, the green agenda and people changing their ways in regard to transport, it makes no sense for her child to have to travel by bus to another school because the facilities are not in place in this school to accommodate her child. It is important we get this right.

The condition of the school is an issue. DEIS status is also an issue.

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