Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)

We need to cast our minds back five years to Covid and look at what we were able to achieve when people came together, in a very short period. All of the norms were overturned in a weekend to do what we needed to do to keep people safe, yet we come in here on this issue year after year. I am here six years now and we have raised this issue for six years and before that. I have been with parents on the protests, sometimes week after week, and I see some of them here. We brought up the issue in Dublin 15 in 2017 and 2018. There were big protests, big meetings, the same issues, questions and excuses. Year after year we see newer parents coming in and asking why their child does not have an appropriate school place. There is no reason whatsoever that this State, with billions of euro in the coffers, cannot provide a child an appropriate school place.

I appreciate the motion that came forward again. We have brought this to the House time and again, as have other people. We, all the parents here and all the children, are asking for students to have an appropriate school place; for the schools to be supported when they are providing the special classes and special schools; for the students to have an appropriate wrap-around service; for the assessments of need to happen when they are needed; and for the supports to be given when they are required. Those are the simple requests. There is no need to go around in circles time after time.

We have the answers. We need the Government to do it.

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