Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I recently asked a parliamentary question regarding how many section 37A notices have been issued in counties Kildare and Laois in the past two years. The answer I received indicated the legislation has been used twice to date: in the Dublin 15 area in 2019 and the south Dublin area in 2020 in respect of primary school provision only. The legislation has not been used in Kildare or Laois. I am told it has recently been announced the process has been initiated for a third time in respect of the provision of special class places at primary and special schools in the Dublin region. The reply further stated that: "All parties would prefer to see schools volunteer to provide more places rather than places being secured on the back of an order or a direction from the Minister."

As far as I can see, there has been little effort to engage constructively with schools regarding the provision of places and no effort to listen to their concerns about why they feel they have difficulty in providing extra places. The dogs on the street will tell us that this is due to a lack of resources. Much more must be done to ensure there are enough students in training, enough staff in place and enough money to provide facilities. It very much looks like the Government is firefighting and keeping its head down until there is a crisis, then throwing inadequate solutions at the problem in the hope it will go away. It simply will not. Nobody is looking at the bigger picture. We need a comprehensive review of special needs education and a credible plan to address the concerns of schools, students and their families.

Two weeks ago, Sinn Féin tabled a motion in this House calling for a number of actions relevant to this debate, including the publication by the Government of the data it holds on the true number of children without an appropriate school place in September. It also called on the Government to bring forward emergency legislation to expedite the section 37A process. I am glad it has been shamed into action. I did not think the Government had any shame, especially after the segregation proposal. All children with special education needs must have an appropriate school place within a school community this September. The Government must undertake appropriate forward planning before the end of 2022 to ensure we are not again faced with children who have no appropriate school place in September 2023.

All children have a right to go to school. It is an all too common situation that, every summer, families are left with no school place for their child. Half-baked measures at the eleventh hour and proposals to segregate children into special education centres are an insult to students and their families. It is completely out of touch, it is failing them and it has to stop.

See this speech in context