Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing this motion for debate. It is important at this time of the year. It is the same every year. Parents are worried and anxious, ready to tear out their hair because they cannot get a place for these children with special needs. It seems to be a continuation. Some schools have benefited but more have not. I could give examples of many worried parents throughout County Kerry who are at their wits' end and simply cannot find a school place for their son or daughter with special educational needs.

When a child develops a problem it is a serious burden for parents. They need help and should have the right to full-time education. The State is not meeting that obligation to educate children with disabilities. This represents a gigantic failure on the part of the Government to address this long-standing issue.

I believe there has been an increase in cases of autism. Our medics should look to see what is causing that because these vulnerable children are being discriminated against. The whole situation is damaging for the health and well-being of all the families affected. Meanwhile, many other cases throughout the country involve parents being forced to fundraise to finance the salary of an SNA. This is unacceptable.

While I have the Minister for Education here and given that she is from Kerry, I have to raise the issue of Ballyduff National School and Tarbert National School. These schools are set to lose teachers this year because at the end of September last year, when assessing the number of teaching staff required, they were down perhaps one child.

Since that, they are catering for 16 extra children from Ukraine whom they are delighted to have and they are doing their best to see after them. There are language barriers etc. and they are trying to overcome them. They are doing their level best. Surely, we must do something. I expect Deputy Foley, as a Minister from Kerry, surely to see after Ballyduff and Tarbert national schools to ensure that they do not lose a teacher. Every parish has a hollow, maybe, where they go down a few children.

Of course, I must ask the Minister about the Black Valley school, which is the only school in the Black Valley. It is a proud community. Like that, they are suffering. Numbers are declining a bit. I believe that if they could get over this hump and if the school could remain open this year - I appeal to the Minister to do her level best to ensure the Black Valley school is not closed on her watch as Minister for Education - when we go on there will be plenty of children but if it is closed, it will never again open.

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