Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A common theme that I hear on education is the allocation of special classes in schools locally. I have raised it here in the Dáil on a number of occasions yet the situation does not change. The parents of children with special needs still have to contact schools far outside their areas while at the same time they are told that there is no need for such classes in the areas where there clearly is a demand.

One area that needs such a class is Carrick-on-Suir in County Tipperary. In September I raised with the Taoiseach the fact that no ASD unit or classroom was available for primary school children there. The Taoiseach told me that there was no issue with resourcing ASD units, that extra classes were being opened and that schools needed to apply for ASD units. In the middle of February, parents were informed that is not as easy as the Taoiseach made it out to be. An application made by Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire was unsuccessful. It was told that current demand appears to be met from the current established classes in surrounding areas. In an email I received last week, I was told that there are five children travelling from Carrick-on-Suir to a new ASD class that is opening in Portlaw, County Waterford. Six children will attend this class and three other children with special education needs will start in mainstream in Portlaw. Some are starting in the Presentation Primary School in Carrick-on-Suir with access to shared SNAs. Carrick-on-Suir has needed a dedicated ASD class for years yet it is not getting it. I have been told that more than six children will be looking for an ASD class in September 2023. If the Government does not want to hear from or chooses not to believe the parents of Carrick-on-Suir, maybe they will listen to AsIAm whose survey of parents over the last two weeks revealed that at least 267 children do not have an appropriate place for this September. Under section 37A the Minister can compel schools to open special classes. It is shocking to see the Minister is only now issuing these notices to schools. We call for the process to be streamlined to ensure additional special classes are opened in time for September. There is a programme for Government commitment to ensure that every child with a special education need has an appropriate school place. Carrick-on-Suir and other places in need must be on the Minister's list, and not the shocking idea of segregated classes.

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