Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

The failure to implement key parts of the EPSEN Act shows that, while we remain a republic that has a proclamation that sets out to cherish all children equally, we are a republic of inequality when it comes to children with additional needs and children from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are not getting the education they have a constitutional right to and all the broad elements that requires. I am contacted by schools in my constituency that are facing severe difficulties with endless SET reviews, SNA reviews and the cutting of SNA positions and SNA supports. We know there are SNAs who could be employed by schools in this country, yet we have SENOs and the NCSE making decisions to cut SNAs and not allocate sufficient additional educational needs supports within schools. I visited one school that was doing incredible work to create a school in which every student could get support. I saw the parents bringing children with additional needs in and the struggles they faced. I saw the work the principals and the support teachers were putting in. As the teachers, the parents and the principals described to me, they are at absolute breaking point. The Minister of State can say the Government is providing additional places and additional resources, but they are not enough. Come September, we are again going to see children without school places. We are going to see a school system at breaking point in terms of providing supports for children with additional needs and all other children in these schools in classes, because they are all affected. We still need to address this system properly.

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