Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill, which seeks to truncate the section 37A process. In recent weeks, we have seen the build-up to this legislation coming before the Dáil on a Friday afternoon. We have also seen the challenges that are out there. It took huge pressure as families went public to say they did not have a place for their children in September. This has been a challenge across the spectrum in recent times. This is enabling legislation and it is important to have these measures placed on a statutory and legislative footing. However, we need to step back and consider the challenges that were in the system, which did not have sufficient places.

We are duty-bound to ensure the Department looks at the system for meeting special educational needs and so forth, which has been built up over the past 20 to 25 years. We must ensure that when new schools and school extensions are built, special education units, places and facilities are put in place. We must target this and ensure people with additional needs and special needs are welcomed into the education system with open arms. The SENO support service and the NCSE grapple with this daily. That is hugely important and a spotlight should be shone on it. We have seen many instances where school authorities, which have built up substantial teaching expertise over the years, know that a child has additional needs but the child is not allowed an SNA because of the system. When they appeal those decisions, they are asked for new information. The school authorities and parents must fight throughout the year to get additional needs within the school services. They know that additional support is needed in particular classrooms. It should not be the case that schools have to fight right through the year to get services and maybe have an appeal finally granted in March or April. That system needs to be streamlined.

In some instances, there is an attitude in the system. Members of this House are duty-bound under the Constitution to provide proper educational facilities right across the spectrum. There are many challenges as regards therapies and so forth that are needed. This is an enabling Bill to make sure we have school places. We should look at the NCSE to see if more staff are needed to make sure there is a more streamlined system and that decisions are made and appeals dealt with in a timely and appropriate fashion.

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