Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of school places. I was sent a picture by the parents of beautiful and amazing 13-year-old Dara who was on "The Late Late Show" three years ago advocating for autistic people and promoting awareness and understanding of autism. He is about to complete his eighth year in primary school. He has submitted seven application forms and attended seven open nights and has received seven rejection letters. There have been seven closed doors in seven months of agony waiting for the NCSE to find him a place in a post-primary autism-specific class. He lives in Dublin 15. Some people have applied to up to 40 schools and still have no place.

Daniel's mam Germaine is distraught. Daniel is autistic and has an intellectual disability and many other special needs.

Daniel's mam has had more than 20 refusals for autism units and six refusals for a special school placement for autism and intellectual disabilities. Days are extremely hard with Daniel and he relies on a strict routine. With no school place, Daniel, like Dara, is looking at serious regression. The system for applying for an autism-specific class in a mainstream school is not transparent. It is unfair, too bureaucratic and certainly not inclusive. These parents have no option but to apply to multiple schools. A school of choice does not come into the equation. Schools are supported by various admission policies for autism-specific classes that are operating on a different wavelength and are laden with barriers to access. The sibling rule also has been a barrier to accessing a school place. In Dara's case, the feeder school rule proved problematic because after two years waiting for a primary school place, they took one in a different area. Of the three schools it feeds, two are full and the other has no autism-specific class. Dara's dad said that two years ago they attended a public meeting and data on this matter was divulged to the NCSE. It has now had seven months to help. They are in regular contact with their SENO but there seems to be nothing happening. They were assured by senior officials that there was no crisis in Dublin 15 although we had a public meeting several weeks ago where dozens of parents were saying they had no school places. They were assured Dara would have a place in September. It has not happened yet. He has heard nothing. A child with Dara's diagnosis needs a comprehensive transitional programme to post-primary. All the parents fear their children will regress as a result of not knowing where they are going next. Every day they ask. Every day, there is no answer. Every day their hearts break. Dara and Ellis and all the other children in Dublin 15 who have no school places need to know now. They cannot wait any longer. It is June and they do not know where they are going to be in September. This is just cruel and it is wrong.

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