Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairman for facilitating my contribution. The debate on the Bill has moved more quickly than I expected.

This is a very important subject and it is welcome that both the Minister and the Minister of State are in the Chamber. The Bill, which Sinn Féin supports but which it will seek to amend, is welcome. The idea of children with a certain level of special needs being segregated is not on, but if we are going to have them in mainstream schools, we must make provision for that. There are shortfalls in staff and accommodation and those need to be met. I welcome some of the proposals in the legislation regarding the admissions policy, making provision for special classes and disability access and board of management co-operation, and the fact that the Minister has the powers. That is positive. However, I come back to the issue of resources. We can give directions as much as we like from this House and from Government Buildings but if schools do not have the resources to carry them out, those directions will be of little use. Overall, the Bill is welcome and the schools will have to comply and to have it in their admissions policies, which is positive.

With regard to special schools, progress has been made with SNAs, but the status of SNAs and the recognition of qualifications, their pay grade and so forth has been raised for a number of years. It is an issue that must be addressed. We cannot continue to put it on the long finger. SNAs provide a vital service in schools and there has to be support for that by providing a level of qualifications along with recognising the experience those who have been there for a number of years have brought to it and developed and who came in at a different level.

I wish to raise an issue regarding provision. A problem often arises when children move on to second level. I have a case in County Offaly. The child has now finished primary school. His father works 130 km away and uses the only car the family has. He works that distance away by necessity because he was transferred there recently. He has to travel 130 km to work and 130 km home or stay over for a couple of nights a week. If the child has a meltdown at school - perhaps that is not the appropriate word but it is the one I will use - there is no way to pick him up because the family has been told that the nearest school place is in Portlaoise College, a quarter of a mile up the road from my house. Logistically, this is a nightmare for the family and they are desperately trying to source a special needs place for the child in a second level school in Offaly. I am also dealing with a woman in Portarlington whose son is autistic. He has been told he has to go to Portlaoise, which is 19 km away. She is a single parent and has no options.

The Minister has told me she is taking a special interest in the Kolbe Special School. The building is desperately needed, but there is a situation there with regard to staff. The school is in contact with the Department regarding SNAs and therapists. I was contacted again by the school this morning and I want the Minister and senior officials in the Department to try to do something about the issue.

The last matter, which is off the subject of the Bill, relates to the school transport section in Tullamore. We used to be able to contact somebody and talk to a human being. One might have to contact the person five or six times a year or perhaps only two or three times. I spent a large amount of last Monday trying to reach somebody there by telephone. It was not possible. There is nobody to answer the telephone. No telephone is answered, there is no voicemail and there is no way of making a connection with a human being. That is not acceptable. The public cannot do it and Deputies cannot do it. I ask that somebody make an inquiry as to what is going on there. We need to be able to talk to an official there when there are serious matters.

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