Rory Hearne (Dublin North-West, Social Democrats)

As we start a new term in the Dáil, it is utterly scandalous that there are children all over this country who do not have an appropriate school place. The Government says that it has offered places and, as my colleague said, that only a small number have not been offered places. However, the reality of the places that parents are being offered and that children are being sent to is that some of them do not exist because the buildings do not exist yet or that the places are not appropriate. In my own constituency of Dublin North-West, I have written to the Minister for education. The parents and I hand-delivered a letter for Riley, Lucy and Teddy, all of whom are children with additional needs and autism who have no appropriate school place yet. They are the reality. The Minister of State is making empty promises. It is more empty promises. These school places are not a reality.

Riley's family received 13 different refusals from schools. He has been offered a place in a class but it is not what is needed. What he needs is a place in a special school. Lucy's parents received an offer contingent on the opening of the new autism class. I will refer to what Lucy's parents, Rachel and Aaron, said to me. They have asked me to refer to this. They said that, after a school place offer in March of this year, they were told it was subject to building works. In September, Lucy is still at home. There is no start date or interim plan and there has been no communication throughout the summer from the Department of education, the NCSE or the school. The building works are due to be completed in mid-October but still no start date has been confirmed. What is an absolute disgrace is that they have been asked to pay for photocopying and for arts and crafts supplies by the school despite the class not being open. Lucy's case is not an isolated one. There are many children across this country who do not have an appropriate school place. The Minister of State can say he is doing all he can but the reality is that he knew about this issue. He was part of the previous Government. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been in government since the foundation of this State. Children with additional needs and children with disabilities have never been a priority.

They have never been invested in as they should be, namely as equal citizens of this country. They have a constitutional right to education. That constitutional right is being denied by the Government. As has also been pointed out, the Government is in breach of the law in relation to access to assessments of need. It is utterly unacceptable that this Government refuses to take responsibility for these children. We will continue to raise these cases and push the Government as hard as we can until children have the education-appropriate places that they deserve.

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