Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As we know, childhood is short, and children being failed by the State today do not have the luxury of time. There are massive negative consequences for any child who receives inappropriate schooling or, worse, no schooling at all, yet across the State we see systemic failures in provision for children with additional needs.

That is why, once again, we in Labour will be using our Private Members' time tomorrow morning to propose a motion on special education. That motion has nine sensible, simple and strategic asks to address the ongoing failure of this State to provide school places for children with special or additional educational needs. We are all aware of this crisis because across the country we have all heard the immense frustration from parents, grandparents, siblings and teachers who are desperately trying to do all they can to ensure the children in their lives are provided with appropriate education. Parents are writing to all of us TDs. They are sleeping out in the streets in protest and some are going to the courts. All this is in an effort to move the Taoiseach's Government to provide for that basic right to an education. I quote the brilliant young activist, Cara Darmody, whom the Taoiseach has met. She has asked how Cabinet Ministers can expect the children of Ireland to grow up to respect the law when they see flagrant law-breaking by their own Government. It is a fair point because the simple fact is the State has a legal obligation to vindicate the right of all children to an education, yet it is being taken to court for failing in that duty all the time. While sometimes the State settles or the issue is resolved, at other times we see the State adopting an approach to litigation like something we would expect from a faceless private corporation. This shows contempt for children and their families, because they want nothing more a diagnosis and to be able to get a suitable school place in their community. It is not a tall order, but those who take the cases feel they have no choice but to do so.

It is not just children and their families who are crying out for help. We are also hearing the frustration from teachers, principals, SNAs and school staff. The Taoiseach is hearing it, as are his colleagues in government. During the Easter recess last week my colleague, our education spokesperson, Deputy Kenny, attended the different teachers’ conferences around the country. He engaged with and heard directly from teachers about their frustration on this issue. A recurrent theme he heard about was desperate experiences. One primary teacher he spoke with had 28 pupils, several of whom had learning difficulties, and just one SNA in the class. There was another teacher who was told that no special class in the school would be sanctioned, despite it having more than ten children on a provisional waiting list. Ours is supposed to be the land of saints and scholars, but how can teachers be expected to teach when they are also expected to carry out the roles of a therapist and an SNA, and our SNAs are so overburdened? The Taoiseach often asks where the solutions are in this House. I have a set of solutions here for him. We have our motion. It is before the House tomorrow. I am asking the Taoiseach to commit to passing our motion and to giving parents and children the certainty and clarity they need.

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