Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a labhair air seo. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus an Aire Stáit as fanacht leis an díospóireacht iomlán. Táim buíoch díobh as an méid sin ar a laghad agus táim buíoch de gach Teachta a thacaigh leis an rún. Ní ghlacaim leis an rún malartach atá ag an Roinn. Ní thugann sé aon earraí ná aon rud nua dúinn. Ní thugann sé aon ghríosú dúinn ná aon mholadh a gcuirfidh réiteach ar an bhfadhb phráinneach atá againn. Ní fheicim aon phráinn ó dhearcadh, ó mholtaí ná ó óráidí atá ag an Aire agus an Aire Stáit.

Listening to the speeches by the Minister and the Minister of State, I am struck by what seems to be a lack of urgency on this matter. I have engaged with many parents across the State in recent weeks and months, including parents in Dublin 4, 2, 6 and 6W, Kildare and Cork. I am meeting with groups from Clondalkin and Dublin 8 in the coming days. I hear the same story from all of them.

The Minister's amendment refers to money and the investment that has been made. In the past, including at the time of the budget, I have welcomed investment in special education. However, this is far from just being a monetary issue. Of course money and funding are necessary for the provision of staff, accommodation and so on. The real issue, however, is lack of planning and preparation. There is almost a stubbornness in this regard from the Department of Education and the NCSE.

All the parents in all the groups tell us the same old story. They are not just worried about this coming September but also the following September and the one after that. They do not trust the Department and the NCSE to plan properly. Parents go to the NCSE in September and are told there are enough places before going back, getting the famous list from the special educational needs organiser, SENO, and being told to ring all the listed schools and they will find a place eventually. The NCSE tells them again in October that there are enough places. The Department's attitude, likewise, is that there is enough space in the system and their child will be accommodated. However, every year for at least the past four or five years, when it comes to April or May, it is panic stations when the NCSE and the Department realise there are, in fact, not close to enough spaces. There certainly are not enough spaces this year, with 120 children across Dublin and well over 250 across the State, at a minimum, in need of provision. Those figures do not even include the pupils in home tuition who should be in a special class or those in a mainstream class who should be in a special class. There are not anywhere near enough places and we get nothing but eleventh-hour responses.

I am more worried now, after this debate, than I was beforehand. The Minister's amendment brings nothing new to the table. It merely regurgitates the same old measures we know are not working and expresses the hope that the schools that have been requested politely to open will, in fact, open. The review of section 37 of the Education Act is being lumped in with the review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, which is a lengthy process that has already been under way for a year. There is nothing about ensuring the ongoing problems are prevented in the future. I had parents coming to me five years ago and throwing down the various letters showing their child had been refused a place, put on a waiting list or been asked to contact the particular school in September two years away. I had a message today from a parent detailing the list of schools she had contacted. Again, she had a collection of letters indicating either that her child had been refused a place or was on a waiting list. It is now June and that child still does not have a place when all the schools are closing for the summer. That is where we are at and I do not see an adequate sense of urgency in addressing it.

As I said, it comes down to a lack of planning. We need a solution for September and there must be urgent action in that regard. Above all, we need there to be no further repetition of this problem. If that is to happen, there must be a culture shift in terms of planning from the Department and the NCSE. The proposal around centres of special education shows clearly one aspect of the problem and the dysfunction that exists. The Minister is coming out with this proposal while the Minister of State walks away from it. I do not know who is responsible for the absolute fiasco that has occurred but we need a clear statement that it will not happen again. The Minister, the Minister of State, the NCSE and everyone in the Department must pull in the same direction, with schools, to ensure we get what the Minister has said she is committed to, which is an appropriate school place for every child for this September. That provision is a constitutional right. This is not a bald assertion; it is a fact long established in court. It is these children's constitutional right to have an appropriate school place. We must ensure we are not failing them come September and, certainly, the following September.

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