Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome these statements on special educational needs. The need for investment in special education has been highlighted time and again in my constituency. We have made significant progress in recent years on increasing the number of places in special classes and special schools as well as the number of special education teachers and SNAs to record levels. I compliment the Minister of State on her work in this area, including in the Department.

In my county of Mayo, we are fortunate to have recognised special education schools, namely, St. Anthony’s, St. Brid’s, St. Dymphna’s and the St. Nicholas school. I thank the Minister of State for her visit to St. Brid’s and St. Anthony’s when she came to Mayo last year. A number of additional accommodation announcements have been made recently by the Department in respect of schools across Mayo. I acknowledge the allocation of funding for additional autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units and special educational needs classrooms throughout the country. It is welcome.

In my town of Castlebar, Davitt College, which is part of the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, ETB, has received confirmation from the NCSE that it can proceed with plans to open a special class in September for children with autism. This is important and welcome and sends a strong signal that the Department and the Government are prioritising the establishment of special education classes within our secondary school environment so that there is progression from national school. The major building project at St. Brid’s Special School is also under way and will be delivered under the Department’s ADAPT programme. The tender process for appointing a project manager is nearing completion. I hope that this project will soon progress to construction and be delivered. It would be welcome.

St. Anthony’s recently ran a major fundraiser to develop two sensory rooms. I compliment its principal, Ms Fiona Byrne, and her staff on the considerable work they do to progress the school. The two additional sensory rooms will be critical. However, I wish to discuss the allocation of an eighth teacher for the 2022-23 academic year. In terms of its autism profile, the school is increasing its enrolment from 21 children with autism to 26, yet no SNA staffing resource has been allocated to support the new classroom establishment. According to the NCSE’s website, 18 special schools in the country were allocated additional teacher posts, with 17 given at least one additional SNA. For some reason, St. Anthony’s was never given this additional resource. I know that the Minister of State is working on this issue in her office, but I ask that it be reviewed with the NCSE.

In addition, St. Anthony’s has 33 pupils with a variety of special educational needs who require their own support. With 26 pupils with ASD, the school is entitled to access the requisite level of support to match that profile irrespective of the additional needs that they may have. Come September, the school will have a new student with a history of needing and having intensive one-to-one adult support provided at all times across a variety of settings, including school. This will be challenging for the classroom teacher. Ensuring that a full-time SNA is allocated will be an important step forward. Granting the school's request for resources and supports will ensure that St. Anthony's 99 pupils in September, including 11 new pupils, achieve success and are able to access the best education that can be provided.

I compliment the school on the tremendous work it is doing. I wish to highlight the lack of SNA support.

It is an oversight from the NCSE's point of view and hopefully it will be rectified before the next academic year.

I wish to highlight another issue. As recently as yesterday, I was contacted by the family of a young child with special educational needs who needs to attend an ASD-specific preschool. The parents were contacted by a local unit with a view to enrolling their child for the coming September, only to be advised that the child was ineligible due to its age. The age requirement under the school's policy is three years and six months but this child, unfortunately, is three years and four months. The child is two months younger than the age in the school policy, even though enrolment will be in September. There is an issue with this refusal. The school has explained that children will be put on a waiting list but the child in question will be four and a half years of age before it reaches preschool. This is disappointing for the parents. It is crucial that they receive early intervention and support and that the child does not miss out on early intervention in its most vulnerable months. The special educational needs organiser, SENO, senior manager has stated that the school policy is not a legal document and it should be challenged. However, schools are implementing a policy that is impossible for parents to adhere to. I know the Minister of State is aware of this. Decisions such as these should be left to the Department of Education, not school principals. The NCSE and the SENO should have the authority to advise and allocate places for children on the basis of the critical diagnosis provided in cases such as this and for other children going forward. That should be the deciding factor.

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