Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

First, I want to focus on special education from the perspective of teachers who have contacted me. A letter was sent to me by teachers in a school in my home town of Cashel. They say they believe that disability should never be a barrier to achievement but it is becoming increasingly apparent, with the increasing scarcity of resources and lack of services, that their school community is suffering. This is a brief reflection of what schools are facing at the moment when it comes to dealing with the current demand, let alone dealing with the increased demand they and other schools are facing with the approach of each new school year. The first obstacle is dealing with how pupil-SNA ratios and teacher allocations are determined in accordance with the SERC report of 1993. It is outdated, especially considering that as part of that report, a class for those with mild general learning disabilities is resourced with one teacher and a quarter SNA post. With today's demands, this is completely inadequate to meet the real needs of students and will more than likely result in schools having to meet the additional needs of students by applying for additional supports. This results in an arduous process that is often hampered by a lack of HSE documentation such as therapy reports to back up these applications. If schools cannot get the resources and therapeutic interventions needed, how are they supposed to provide the services the teachers and staff want and need? This needs to be urgently reviewed. Schools are saying this and the Minister of State must listen.

I have often spoken of the shortcomings when it comes to parents accessing school places for their child. The latest case I have been presented with is a parent who had to get private assessment for her son because he could not get one with the local CDNT. Now they are faced with the challenge of getting their son into a suitable school. Because they are aware of the mess the Government is making of the provision of suitable spaces, they have tried to book into the school for the 2025-2026 academic year. They have been told this will happen only if one of the six already enrolled drops out. The system is set up wrong. This parent is looking a year in advance and cannot make plans. Then there are the parents with immediate needs. There is widespread failure going on here. No amount of spinning or replying to suit the Government's own purposes will change it. Only political will can do that and at present the Government is falling far short. The issues are presented to the Minister of State here today. She must not ignore what I am telling her; she must act now.

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