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

Absolutely no aspects of supports for children with additional needs are working. There is absolutely no section of it working. I have with me a letter given to me by a constituent of mine just before the summer recess which confirms there was a 72-month waiting list for services in the CDNT in Dublin 15. That is a six-year waiting list. That is absolutely and utterly shocking and shameful in this day and age. The parents stood in this building, and outside this building, just before the summer recess campaigning for school places. They met with the two Ministers of State on several occasions and were assured that, first of all, the NCSE would have their details, be in regular contact and help them get a school place. It turns out that is not quite what happened for all of them. What was feared at the time was that some would get places but others would not. That has come to pass. There are approximately 120 children across the State with no school places as we speak. Unfortunately, these children have been let down time and time again.

I was contacted by parents who received school places over the summer. While they were absolutely exhausted, they were joyful they got school places. They were deeply angry, however, because they knew there were others who were not going to get school places. They stood side by side with the parents, some of whom are here today, and they will continue to stand side by side with them to ensure no child is left behind.

What is really shameful about all of this is that it was predicted. In 2019, I stood with hundreds of people in the Carlton Hotel in Tyrrelstown when we were campaigning for a special school, Danu Community Special School, which was eventually opened. One of the key demands at that time was that although this cohort of students are going to be sorted, we should not forget the ones who are coming behind them. That was in 2019. Every single year since, those children have been let down despite promises that would not happen. The NCSE and the Government failed to plan.

I was glad to hear the Minister of State say there is a task force and parents are going to be involved in it. Do we really need a task force, however?

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