Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute on the debate. I thank the Labour Party for this motion. I also thank my colleagues across the House for their meaningful contributions. I welcome parents and guardians to the Gallery. I know the challenge, anguish and difficulties they are facing to try to ensure that there are places for their children in September.

Long before I took on this role, I worked extensively with people with disabilities, but from a personal level over recent years, I know full well the challenges that many families are facing. I want to bring that personal story. I want to bring the passion that I have in this regard to the job that I hold.

Many contributions have been made about providing education for our children. We have to make sure that we are driving as hard as we can, that we take the pain, suffering and challenges from the families, that there is certainty in it. In the role I have had over the past number of weeks, I have worked extensively on the 400 extra classes. Section 37A was mentioned earlier. We have agreement on 399 classes and one is outstanding. That is the one in which we will have to go with section 37A because we were unable to get agreement. These are places that will be additional from 1 September.

We have a huge amount of work to do regarding special schools and to ensure that people have places in it. I am committed. I do not say it lightly, but since I got this role, I have worked night and day on this. I have had many sleepless nights thinking of the challenges that are faced by families. I assure the House, the people listening in and the people in the Gallery that the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I are working as hard as we can to ensure that we have the proper services and education systems for the children of this country that they so badly need.

I want to put a number of issues on the record. The Government has been working hard on a number of issues. Building on my colleague, the Minister, Deputy McEntee's earlier contribution, I want to welcome and outline the Government's unwavering commitment and to highlight some of the significant steps that we have taken in recent times to ensure that children and young people, particularly those with educational needs, are genuinely supported to reach their full potential. I refer to the 1940s, when Maslow's hierarchy of needs was written. It has been 80 years or more since that was conceptualised. That theory showed that it was not just not food and shelter that we needed, but an education system that would develop us to our full potential. I believe that we need to have a system in place that will fulfil the full potential of children with additional needs in order that they can become members of their communities, whether those be urban or rural. It is vital that we recognise the importance of resourcing this area, as it is with resources that we will make sure that there is improvement throughout the system.

I emphasise that we have made significant financial commitment. I know Members have said that they do not want to listen to statistics, but we have. More than a quarter of the Department of Education's budget is now dedicated to supporting children with additional needs. That is simply how seriously we are taking it. I know the Minister provided important updates on special educational places, the common application system and teacher training. Of course, there are now new therapists going into special schools and special classes. That is an important piece that was agreed by the Government recently.

Special needs assistants were mentioned. The school communities that have engaged with special education have been completely enriched by it. All students have embraced special education and it will build into society and life.

These special needs assistants have been a huge resource right through. Unfortunately - or fortunately, I am not sure - I am long enough in this House to remember when the special needs assistant was a community employment, CE, worker, way back in the day before special needs assistants were established. The work these special needs assistants do in every school community the length and breadth of the country is simply breathtaking. It is on their backs we have built an integrated special education system in special classes. The work that is being done by the special needs assistants, but also by the teachers and the school leadership, has to be recognised.

I chaired the disability matters committee in the previous Dáil and I used two words regarding the challenges that were facing people with disabilities, namely, "culture" and "attitude". Unfortunately, there is still a level of culture and attitude out there that we have to break down and continue talking about. Sitting here over the past two hours and listening to the genuine passion and concern shown by Deputies of all colours and creeds has been refreshing. I encourage in every way, shape and form that they continue to do that, not just here in Dáil Éireann, but across the country because we have to continue breaking down the barriers that are still out there in terms of disabilities and the attitudes towards disabilities.

Over the past number of months, we have worked with the National Council for Special Education. As the Minister said, we have met weekly to ensure that the special classes are in place and there is a weekly progress report on special schools and the identification of the challenges we face. Needs have been identified to the National Council for Special Education and it has been working through those. We have been trying to provide places in the areas where the need is greatest, in so far as possible.

There are a number of matters. We are looking forward to the SNA workforce development. A lot of work has been done by the Department, education bodies and education partners over the past while in that regard.

Mention was made of the EPSEN Act. We are looking forward to the review of that Act. That will be fundamental to education.

School transport is an important part of this. All the Deputies will know that parents of children with additional needs who have school transport, be it through a transport grant or a transport place, will be contacting Deputies to engage with the Department. We must do an awful lot better on it. Sometimes, when transport is provided for a family, it takes a number of months for that to be put in place. That is hugely frustrating and challenging. We have to make sure that we and the school transport section of the Department are working hard to ensure that it takes less time and is dealt with in a timely manner.

A number of issues were raised about several schools. On Danu Community Special School, work will commence in May this year. Members spoke about the assessment of need. I know from my previous role that the Government is buying private services. I believe approximately 2,500 private assessments of need have been paid for over the past while, but I will get those facts to the two Members who raised the issue.

All I can say in the minute that I have remaining is that I am deeply committed to my role. I am deeply passionate about it and I believe we have an awful lot of work to do. We are almost at May Day and we still have families who do not know where their children will go in September. One of my driving forces is that, over the past year or two, I met a family whose child was finishing up in primary school. I met them at the school gate and they did not know where their child would go in September. As a parent first of all but as a public representative, I walked away from that saying we had to do an awful lot better. It should not be the case that the family did not know. They had to fight right through the summer. Everybody else knew in September or October of the previous year where they would be going.

My commitment to this is extremely strong. I will work with all Members of the House on any queries or challenges they have. The Minister and I will work night and day to ensure we have the best possible education system for people with special needs into the future.

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