Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this very serious issue. A number of ASD units were approved for three secondary schools in south Tipperary. Three principals and their staff, boards of management and parents of children with special needs were waiting for places and expected them to come on stream. In fact, the SENOs asked them to generate space and accommodation and all of the resources needed to deal with an extra class this year. However, they got shocking news from the Department a couple of days ago to the effect that the classes would not go ahead because the number of special classes in the national tally have been rolled out, which is a total of 399 classes. This is a shocking indictment. To think that some civil servant or some person in the NCSE has decided that we have met a target, the job is done and the box is ticked. This is a body blow to the parents, the children with additional and special needs and the principals of these schools. One of the schools affected is Coláiste Dún Íascaigh and I have permission from the principal to mention the name. The school has worked with the SENO and the Department and the needs are there. It has pupils with additional needs who are being catered for in mainstream classes. There was real energy and synergy from the whole body of the school to have extra room and an additional six pupils catered for. These people had the clear impression they were being enrolled and were thoroughly delighted, so arrangements were made. This is a body blow.

The Minister of State with responsibility for special education is not here. I am asking him to go back to the NCSE and literally instruct it to not renege on the commitment it made to these children - not to the building, board of management or principal, Mr. Peter Creedon in Cahir, but to the families and particularly to the children. Are we going to allow a situation to develop where, because we have reached a certain quota, it becomes a box-ticking exercise, the quota is met for this year - 399 special classes - and it is a case of "sorry, tough"? This is supposed to be about the person. Under the Constitution, every child is entitled to an equal education and every opportunity in life. To think that we could even send out that kind of bland email saying that we have met the quota so it is a case of tough, we are not going ahead with those three classes in those three schools in south Tipperary, is wrong. There are probably many more around the country. In this case, the groundwork has been done and ploughed and many arrangements have been made. The parents are exhausted from trying to get a place and were definitely very pleased to have the knowledge heading into the end of the school year that their children would have a place next year. It is just not acceptable that a bureaucratic system can make a cold bland statement saying that we have reached a quota. It is about people. We are talking about human beings. I believe the Minister of State is committed so he needs to go back to talk to the NCSE, see if that body is fit for purpose and get it to change its decision in this case.

See this speech in context