Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the work Deputies Tully and Guirke have put into this important Bill. All children who need an individual educational plan should get an individual educational plan. The EPSEN Act was enacted in 2004 to provide education in an inclusive mainstream setting. That is unfortunately not happening. There is a situation where neurodiverse children are bussed out of their community at a huge expense to the Exchequer. Taxis and buses cost a phenomenal amount. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure it costs about €70,000 a day for southside neurodiverse children to be bussed out of their community to schools further out.

The 55 or 58 school building projects which have been held up were mentioned. My constituency has Harold's Cross Educate Together National School, Harold's Cross Educate Together Secondary School, Shellybanks Educate Together National School and Sandymount Park Educate Together Secondary School. They have all been delayed. That will have a significant impact on children. I was contacted by Involve Autism, which I know the Minister of State has worked closely with, and Neurodiversity - Irishtown, Ringsend and Pearse Street. They are distraught that this will have a huge impact on them. Places for neurodiverse children are already short. One just has to talk to Involve Autism, which will say that there are almost no school places for neurodiverse children and children with autism in Dublin 6 and Dublin 6W. That has to be addressed. The hold-up of the schools building programme will have a significant impact. Like I said, parents have already contacted me to express concern. We need to ensure these families can get some solace. I know it is not all in the Minister of State's Department. The Department of Finance also has an impact.

Children who are the most vulnerable in our society and who have been neglected and abandoned for many years now face more uncertainty and have no clarity about whether they will have school places in the coming months and years. These schools, including Harold's Cross, Shellybanks and Sandymount Park, have huge waiting lists not just for neurotypical children but for neurodiverse children. We have to address that. The Government is adding further concern to the already significant concern that parents of children with autism have. We can have all the plans and reviews but if we do not have the schools, it is academic. I ask that the green light be given to the schools I mentioned.

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