Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Every child has a fundamental right to education. It is a right that all children should enjoy equally. We must, however, face the reality that in Ireland in 2025, it is not the case. Some of the most vulnerable children in Irish society are being left behind. Parents are left waiting years for an assessment and are left battling to find a school that can provide the correct resources for their children. That simply should not be acceptable but has become the norm across the State.

The Government needs to face the fact that under the watch of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, children with additional needs are being left behind. Their parents are pushed to breaking point. Early intervention is crucial to allow a child to reach his or her full potential and to prepare for life. Early intervention can dramatically improve the social, academic and emotional outcomes for children with additional needs.

This crisis has not appeared out of nowhere. It is a clear consequence of decades of underinvestment and poor planning by successive Governments. Year after year, demand for special education has grown but we are left with a disjointed system and poor co-ordination between the Department of Education, the NCSE and schools. No family should be left facing the beginning of the school term without a guaranteed place that can provide the correct support for their child. Parents of children with additional needs in Carlow are, sadly, facing that situation. There is an utter lack of space in autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units in schools across Carlow. Where parents do find a place, they are told they cannot avail of it because they do not live within the school's catchment area. In Kilkenny, some families are dropping some of their children to the local school and then driving as far as Waterford to drop off their children with additional needs to a school with ASD places. A child's education should be provided for in their community, first and foremost, and they should not be forced to travel so far simply to attend a school with an appropriate facility. It is pulling apart the social fabric of communities. We need to face special education with drive and ambition because with anything less, families will continue to struggle and children across the State will be left behind.

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