Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity)

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, states parties shall ensure that persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which they live. Think of the multiple ways in which those rights are denied to children in this State. I refer here to the 100-plus who were left without school places last September, the many who were pressured to take inappropriate school places, those who were pressured to do extra years in preschool, the 20,000 children who were transported every day outside of their own communities and those who were forced into home tuition. It is a scandalous failure of children in this State.

The Government is under pressure on this issue. There is no question about that, which is good to see. It is because of the action of the parents in the Gallery and the many thousands like them across the country. That is why we have the promise of the 400 classes in September, but it has to be met. We have to see it happen. It has to be in September; it cannot be later. The parents will not give up.

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