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

First, I commend my colleague, Deputy Tully. I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I was not present for the start of the debate. I have two minutes so I wish to be focused.

As other Deputies have said, it is very frustrating when parents are waiting. Even if it is not for the assessment of needs, it can be for speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. I am encountering many parents who are trying to borrow money, perhaps from a credit union but often, worryingly, from moneylenders or from family members, to try to pay for these therapies privately. What is becoming a major issue, and I wanted to mention this especially, in the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny and particularly in Kilkenny is the lack of ASD class places. I know this is a matter for the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, but I want to take the opportunity to raise it. I can immediately think of ten children who do not have an ASD class place for September. These are children who are turning six years old, so they are out of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, system.

Parents are at their wits' end. The same parents are saying they have had to battle and fight for everything. They have had to pay for a large amount of the services, be it private assessments or therapies. Now they are not even being provided with school places. Ironically, in the same week that children who are starting in junior infants are getting their letters and know they will be starting school in September, we are treating children with additional needs as second-class citizens who do not know where they will be going. Some of them might be facing very large distances if they get the opportunity to get a place. I wanted to raise that issue. Again, I commend Deputy Tully on her work in this area.

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