Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim míle buíochas le Páirtí an Lucht Oibre as ucht an rún tábhachtach seo a chur os comhair na Dála inniu. Tá sé thar am dúinn éisteacht le guthanna na dtuismitheoirí atá ag fulaingt i gcóras a bhfuil ag teip orthu. Tá mé tar éis bualadh le han-chuid tuismitheoirí thar cúpla mí anuas, go háirithe North Kildare SEN Action Group, agus tá obair na gcapall ar siúl acu ar son a gcuid páistí. Inniu, I would like to share with Members the voice of a mamaí in Kildare whose words speak for hundreds, if not thousands, of families around the country. Her daughter attends Scoil Mochua in County Kildare. Her four-year-old autistic son hopes to one day attend school alongside his sister and within his community and with his friends. He is currently 12th on the list for a school don chéad scoilbhliain eile. His mamaí is not confident that he will have a place come September.

Scoil Mochua in Kildare was approved for two autism classes for 12 children with additional needs in 2021. Right around this time, this mother's son was born. It would have been a perfect place for him to attend but, almost four years on, those classes still do not exist. That is not because of a lack of will on the part of the school but because of a Land Registry issue that remains unresolved. While the Government claims it is doing everything in its power to ensure no child will be left without a school place in September, 12 children are being locked out of special education places in Kildare, and locked out of educational rights, and their human rights. How can we claim that special educational needs placements are at an emergency level when red tape is allowed to stand in the way of children's rights to an education?

This mother's family has been forced into debt as a result of paying €220 week privately on therapies because the CDNT failed to deliver early intervention. Tá sé de dhualgas ar an Stát tacaíocht cheart a thabhairt do na daoine is leochailí sa Stát, ar nós na bpáistí seo. Ní hé sin atá á dhéanamh, áfach. This mother told me her little girl asks her every morning why her brother cannot go to the same school. She does not understand, because there is nothing wrong with her brother. She is right. There is nothing wrong with these children, it is the system that has wronged them.

Now is the time for action. We need immediate transparency on school buildings and classes. We need a real emergency response team to cut through the red tape and the reform of the CDNT model, which is failing far too many children. These families do not want special treatment; they want fair treatment.

What is being done for this family and for Scoil Mochua in Celbridge, County Kildare, and many other schools that are in a similar situation across the State? Ní féidir leis na tuismitheoirí nó na páistí seo fanacht a thuilleadh.

See this speech in context