Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Returning to the issue of special education, the language is not the problem. The problem is the policy and the scandalous fact that in late May there are 80 children in Dublin and many more across the State who do not yet have special classes assigned to them for next September. The problem is that the Government has not planned to put in place the measures that would fulfil the parents' wishes that these children with disabilities will be part of the school community rather than some anonymous special education centre, which now appears to be proposed. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and the Department have the data on the number of children with special educational needs, they have the budget and they have the powers to put these special classes in place. Those classes need to be provided. The Tánaiste needs to say very clearly today that any proposition that children with autism or other disabilities be segregated in the manner that has been suggested is unacceptable.

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