Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move:

That Dáil Éireann: recognises that:

— every child has the right to education;

— this time of the year is characterised by stress and panic for many parents as they fight to secure an appropriate school place for their child next September;

— the battle to secure an appropriate school place is too often followed by further battles to secure the supports and accommodations required by their child in the context of a real fear of reduced timetables or potential exclusion from school; and

— the summer months can be very long and difficult for some children with special needs and their families as routines are disrupted, behavioural difficulties can deteriorate, social isolation can increase, and the structure and respite afforded by school to the child and their family is lost;

agrees with the conclusions of:

— AsIam - Ireland's Autism Charity, that "increased investment is simply not keeping pace with need";

— Inclusion Ireland, that while the budget increase is "often presented at a national level by Government to positively present its action ... There is a mismatch between what is presented publicly and the lived experiences of children in our schools."; and

— Down Syndrome Ireland, that the Government's recent decision to remove "complex educational needs" from the criteria for the allocation of special education teaching hours will have a "potentially devastating effect on many pupils with down syndrome" and on other children with complex disabilities;

condemns:

— the random lottery that seems to dictate whether a child's right to summer provision is delivered or not;

— the Government decision to cut the capitation payment from €45 to just €30 per week, which seriously undermines the quality and type of activities that can be offered to those children that do manage to access a summer provision placement in a mainstream school; and

— the serious shortage of school-based summer programmes, as home tuition is not suitable for many children and places too great a burden on parents to find a tutor; and

calls on the Government to:

— immediately reverse the funding cut made to the summer provision capitation payments;

— commence action now so that far more school-based summer provision is made available in future; and

— revise the model for allocation of special education teaching hours, so that regard is had to complex needs as a criterion, because failing to do so will exclude children with complex needs from receiving the special teaching supports they require which will drive more into special schools, counter to the agenda of equality and inclusion.

Countless parents and children throughout the country face a very long summer without the much-needed summer provision. These children deserve better and their parents deserve better. Summer for children with additional educational needs or profound disadvantage can be very long, disruptive to their familiar routines and, without better supports, can be stressful and isolating. Social media groups and websites are inundated today with posts by parents in search of a tutor for their child for this coming summer provision, as parents scramble to find tutors wherever they can. It is a logistical nightmare for parents to organise and it is very unlikely there will be enough supply to meet demand. This is an unacceptable level of stress caused to parents whose children were not offered a place in a school-based programme, or where their school did not provide a school-based programme, and who must find an alternative at very short notice.

Sinn Féin understands the summer months can be long and difficult for some children with special or additional needs, and for their families, as their routines are disrupted. Behavioural difficulties can deteriorate, social isolation can increase and the structure and respite afforded by school to that child and their family is lost. The impact does not just last for the summer. It can also have an impact on that child refamiliarising back into school come September.

Many parents and children now face this long difficult summer and year ahead as a direct consequence of poor decisions made by the Government, whether it is a cut in funding or simply not enough school-based programmes. All of this will have a devastating effect on the child and their family. It is not only us on this side of the House saying this. AsIAm, when commenting on special education provision, has stated increased investment is simply not keeping pace with the need. Inclusion Ireland has said that while the budget increase is often presented at national level by the Government to positively represent its action, there is a mismatch between what is presented publicly and the lived experiences of children in our schools.

Parents, children and stakeholders have been highlighting this for many years and it has got more difficult. It has got worse. I have engaged with families and stakeholders for a long time and I have listened to their experiences. I know these same experiences. This needs to be taken seriously. The Government needs to get its act together now. Our motion calls on the Government to ensure there is more school-based provision in future. We want to alleviate the stress and ensure children with special educational needs and children who are at disadvantage get the most out of their summer and are not put in a position that could potentially cause them to regress in any way.

I will refer to a letter, with the mother's permission, which was recently in a national newspaper. It is about a young boy, Jack, who by all accounts has a lot going on in his world. His mum's name is Aisling and this is what she has to say:

It's that time of year again where exhausted parents of children with additional needs wait with bated breath to see if their child will be lucky enough to get July provision.

My son attends a fabulous special school with lovely caring staff. But every year summer provision is an issue. It can only go ahead if enough familiar staff will volunteer their time. They don't all want to for various [...] reasons.[...]

This year our school wished to offer one week to eight classes but the Department of Education said they must do two weeks, so this unfortunately means they will do two weeks for four classes.

There are 16 classes in our school so four will get two weeks of summer provision and 12 classes will get nothing, including my own son.

The summer is a long time without routine, structure and stimulation.[...]

Home provision is not suitable for many, including my son, as he needs a nurse and a familiar teacher or SNA who is qualified to do it.[...]

The children who need it most are forgotten. Again.

I'm so sorry for everyone who will miss out this year. It's not okay, it's totally unacceptable. For four classes out of 16 to be offered two weeks of summer provision in our school alone and nothing to the other 12 classes is actually unconscionable.

I hope our new Taoiseach Simon Harris and new Minister of State for Special Education Hildegarde Naughton are going to change things for the better for children with special educational needs. It's high time!

I for one could not agree more with Aisling. It is beyond high time. This needs to change. These children are desperately in need of this summer provision, yet year on year we see parents scrambling to find tutors which the schools simply do not provide. There is a solution and the Government needs to find it.

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