Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

I will raise the issue of the Government plan for special education centres as an emergency response to the shortage of appropriate school places reported in The Irish Timeslast night. It caused significant alarm to the organisations representing parents and children with special needs, and the parents who have been campaigning very hard to get their children the places in school they need, which may be supports in mainstream classes or special classes in mainstream schools. The idea people will just be put into these special centres caused a lot of alarm. There is also the worry that will be they will be forgotten about and this will be institutionalised. There is a meeting with the Minister today that includes groups such as AsIAm. I am interested in hearing about that.

I will go through the concerns the groups and I have. The first is there was no consultation before this was announced. It seems very strange. It has been only a matter of weeks since we had an indication from the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Madigan, that we would be going the route of section 37A of the relevant Act by directing the schools to open classes. That was generally welcomed by parents because that is what they feel needs to happen, but all of a sudden these special education centres were announced, which seems to be a 180-degree policy turn with no consultation.

The second major point is the real concern that what is presented as an interim measure becomes permanent. We know of circumstances like that too often in this State. Many things still with us today - direct provision is perhaps one of the worst examples - were interim measures. There is also concern about the numbers included in the plan. It states there will be five schools with 24 pupils each, which amounts to space for 120 pupils, but there are 80 children in Dublin waiting for a special class at this stage and those numbers relate to Dublin. That also gives rise to alarm about why we have an extra 40 spaces. Is it because they will be filled over a number of years? Is this how long it is planned to be for?

Another important point is the danger this will be a move away from integrated education for students. Where will these buildings be? Clearly, if they are meant to be in use by September, they will not be new buildings and they exist somewhere. If they are not existing schools, we will not have potential for integration time for students without additional needs. That is a very important and recognised thing that is necessary for students. The Tánaiste stated earlier that some students need special schools. I acknowledge that and have no problem with it, butThe Irish Timesstory certainly does not refer to those students and their needs; it refers to those children who are waiting for a special class in Dublin, that is, a special class in mainstream schools. That is what has been diagnosed for those children as most appropriate for them and that is what would represent a vindication of their rights.

The fundamental point I will make is this is a way of not doing what is necessary to vindicate these children's rights, including under the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities and the route of going down section 37A by directing schools to open places. It is then about resourcing the schools appropriately, but that is what is necessary. This is a way of getting away from the pressure by saying at least people have a place - it may not be the best place but at least they have a place - and we avoid this question of needing to get many more special classes opened in mainstream schools in primary and post-primary education.

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