Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am honoured to speak as Sinn Féin's newly appointed spokesperson for special education. As a former múinteoir, I have cried tears of anger and frustration with parents when their child was denied an appropriate school place. Entire families are left feeling hopeless, as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and concerned that their child will be left behind because of a Government that does not really seem to care. We need a system that prioritises our children's rights and that gives every parent the peace of mind they deserve. It is utterly heartbreaking to hear the stories of the parents here today and the parents in my area in Kildare. Too many families face an uphill battle simply to secure an appropriate school place for their children. Families are left overwhelmed and distraught not by lack of effort or love on their part but by the failure of successive governments that have left our most vulnerable children behind.

I recently spoke to a mammy from Newbridge who applied to more than 30 schools for her child.

She was given no support. She only found the information she desperately needed off her own back through social media and peer groups of other parents. She then had to pay for a private assessment to access the necessary report. She was left to navigate this alone. Her only guidance from the SENO was simply to apply everywhere. She did. She applied everywhere, even as far as 80 km from her home, in the hopes that her baby would get an appropriate school place somewhere, but there was another cruel twist. They were pushed to the bottom of the waiting list because they did not come from that local area. She is not alone. This is a daily reality for far too many parents. We met eight different families only hours ago who are here today and who shared their individual stories. Let us be clear that this system is not working. No parent or child should have to endure the stress and uncertainty of not knowing if their child will have a school place. Ní mór don Rialtas a chinntiú go mbeidh rochtain ag gach páiste atá gan áit scoile oiriúnaí faoi láthair, agus ag gach páiste a bheidh ag dul ar scoil, bíodh sin bunscoil nó iarbhunscoil, i mí Meán Fómhair 2025, ar áit scoile oiriúnaí laistigh d’achar réasúnta ón mbaile.

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