Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The reason we are holding this debate today is People Before Profit-Solidarity asked the Business Committee to put it on the agenda and asked the Government to facilitate the debate. The reason for this is at the beginning of the school year I received communications concerning this issue. It was obvious, though, that Deputies all across the country and from all parties were receiving similar communications and that we have a major problem.

The particular issues brought to my attention started with the Enable Ireland-run special school in Sandymount, where five days before the new school year was due to commence there was a shortage of seven buses to provide the school population, most of whom are wheelchair users, with transport to school. There were three or four children, mostly wheelchair users, on each of those buses. The basic right, therefore, of these children with disabilities to get to school was prevented from being exercised and the parents and members of the school community were only informed of this five days before the school year began. I have raised this specific case on several occasions, as has the parents' association. I have a letter from the chairperson here describing the stress and hardship imposed on the families in trying to get their children to school. A month later, however, that school is still without two of the buses it needs and some kids are simply not able to get to school because their parents cannot drive, they cannot make other arrangements, etc. Children's basic right to go to school, therefore, is being denied. In this case, these are very vulnerable children.

The second communication I received should be of interest to the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, as it is from St. Mary's Boys National School, where we both recently attended the opening of the autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit. The school applied for transport for two children in July 2023 and it has still nothing. In fact, it has been informed that none is available. One of the children for the autism class is coming from Dún Laoghaire and the other child, who has cerebral palsy and a co-occurring diagnosis of developmental language disorder and speech disorder, and has a foldable wheelchair and needs a walker at all times, cannot get transport. It is outrageous that this is the case.

The third communication is from the parents of a young girl with special needs who attends the New Court special education school in Bray, County Wicklow. Again, despite contact having been made with Bus Éireann, the school and so on, no school bus is available to take the daughter of these parents to school. They have to leave their elderly mother, who is not well either, alone without assistance to try to get their daughter to school, but it is extremely stressful for them all.

Those are just three examples but it is completely unacceptable that this should be the case. Clearly, this issue is occurring right across the country, most egregiously to children with special needs and disabilities, but all children have the right to get to school and for the State to ensure the access to transport required in this regard is provided. I ask the Minister of State, therefore, to examine the examples I have given and address them urgently, but also all other issues raised by Deputies. We have a responsibility to children and young people to ensure they can get to school, which is their right.

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