James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this debate on school places in Wexford for children with special needs. Parents of children with special needs come to me in a state of distress every week. Very often they are worn out, not because their children have special needs but because they are exhausted from having to fight for school places and the basic services they need so that their children can have a quality of life. My heart goes out to them because I know the battle they are facing every single day to ensure that the education and special supports their children are entitled to are provided. Waiting times in Wexford for special needs assessments are unacceptable. Many children are waiting years for the approval of services such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. This is simply wrong.

Today, I want to focus on the lack of school places for children with special needs. Last year, over 850 children with special needs across Ireland received home tuition because spaces could not be found for them in schools. Many of these children are in my home county of Wexford. Many schools in Wexford do not have adequate facilities or spaces for children with special needs. Mainstream schools and special schools have long waiting lists. In Enniscorthy, there are long waiting lists for support classes in St. Aidan's and St. Senan's primary schools. St. Senan's primary school has been waiting at stage 2 for a new build, which includes badly needed special needs classes, for the fourth longest period of time in the country. St. Aidan's primary school has been approved for an additional classroom, but has not received approval to go to tender. This needs to happen immediately to provide the additional classroom which is badly needed this September.

I welcome that a new building for St. Patrick's special school is being built in Enniscorthy, but it started two years after it was promised. Meanwhile, the principal, teachers, special needs assistants and students have to endure Dickensian conditions in the existing building.

Our Lady of Fatima special school in Wexford town is a remarkable school with a wonderful principal in Rita Waters, outstanding staff and special children. The conditions in which teachers at the school have to teach and children have to learn are simply not acceptable. The car park doubles as a schoolyard and a bus collection point, which is dangerous and unacceptable.

Many special schools across the country are waiting up to 13 years for new builds that are badly needed. There are severe problems throughout County Wexford, including in New Ross, Gorey, Wexford and Enniscorthy. Schools that cannot take children are very often not provided with the resources and training that teachers and special needs assistants need to uphold every child's right to an education. Very often, the provision of special needs assistants in schools who can provide the necessary support for students and teachers is inefficient. Appeals are often turned down, but it is impossible for principals to know why that happened.

For those children who cannot get a place in a mainstream or special school, parents often apply to every school in the county and beyond. This is not a solution and it is impossible where both parents are working. More importantly, all children want to go to school where their friends and neighbours attend school. It is distressing for any young child, but especially a child with special needs, to have to travel long distances every day for basic schooling needs and to go to an area where he or she does not know anybody. The only alternative to this is home schooling, which is not a substitute for an appropriate school place unless it is clinically advised. Children are missing out on developing social skills and the opportunity to mix with other children, and all of the benefits that come from that for any child. It can be very destructive to a home environment and where both parents are working, it can be almost impossible to manage. Ultimately, it is not right for the child.

I ask the Minister of State to deal with these issues, commit to an appropriate number of special classes in County Wexford, ensure every child has a right to access education and publish an implementation plan as soon as possible for County Wexford to ensure that children have adequate school places and supports.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Joe McHugh.

The provision of education for children with special needs is an ongoing priority for the Government. Currently, almost 20% of the total education Vote, or €1.9 billion, is invested in supporting children with special needs. The numbers of special classes, special education teachers and special needs assistants are at unprecedented levels. Nationally, 167 new special classes opened for the 2019-20 school year, which means there are 1,618 special classes in place compared with 548 in 2011. Of these 1,353 special classes cater for students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, ASD. The majority of children with autism attend mainstream classes, where they may access additional supports if required.

Some students may find it difficult to manage full-time placements in mainstream classes and, therefore, placement in a special class or special school setting may be deemed appropriate where placement in mainstream class is not in the best interests of the child. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has a statutory function to plan and co-ordinate the provision of education and support services for children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the HSE. The council has well established structures in place to plan and co-ordinate special education provision throughout the country. This includes identifying the need for and establishing special class placements in various geographical areas where they are required. It ensures that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

Normally, special classes are established with the full co-operation of the schools in areas where they are required. However there are some parts of the country where the council has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to voluntarily agree to provide special classes or school places. I know that this can cause much anguish for the parents and families involved. In County Wexford, there are currently two special schools and 60 special classes in mainstream schools, including four ASD early intervention classes, 33 primary ASD classes and 15 ASD post-primary ASD classes. Seven of the ASD classes are new for the 2019-20 school year. All newly assigned teachers to special classes and schools with newly established special classes undergo a suite of professional development provided by the NCSE through its network of advisers.

The Minister for Education and Skills has the power under section 37A of the Education Act 1998 to direct a school to provide additional provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. The legislation contains a procedure through which the capacity of schools in an area can be tested and, ultimately, a ministerial direction made requiring a school to make additional special education provision available. The Minister for Education and Skills is prepared to use the legislation when necessary to ensure that children can access a suitable education. However, the preference is for schools to engage with this challenge on a voluntary basis because it is the right thing for the children in their community.

To this end, the NCSE is continuing its engagement with schools, patron bodies, parents and others throughout the country to bring the required additional special class and special school placements on stream. The Department of Education and Skills is not aware of any significant unmet need for additional places in County Wexford. If the Deputy has information in this regard, I will arrange for it to be passed on to the NCSE. Special education needs officers are available at a local level to support parents and schools on the placement of students. I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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There is a constitutional right to primary education and education in general. This right was placed in our Constitution in 1937, which was very far-sighted at the time because such a right was not a common then. It is crucial that this right be upheld and vindicated for every child, no matter what his or her personal situation. Some 850 children could not get places last year, including some in my county. For example, one parent's child was placed on a list at two years of age. The child is now four and a half years old and is 17th on the waiting list for a place at one of the schools in my home town. All the places on offer have been taken. The other school in the town is also full. There is a problem. Perhaps there may be spaces available at the other end of the county which could be used to accommodate children. However, this approach would not be suitable where a child wants to remain in his or her local community or in situations where both parents work. It is not appropriate for a child with special needs to be travelling the length of the county. It is neither practical nor right.

That situation is replicated across Wexford, so I cannot understand the NCSE stating that there is no issue in the county. I regularly meet parents who are in a very distressed state. That is before we even get into the financial distress experienced by parents who have to spend a great deal of money to get occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and physiotherapy that they cannot access from the State. Parents are struggling every day and have a constant fight to get the supports they need. There is a real sense of anguish for these people, because they want the best for their children. Those parents know that every year their children are held back means it is going to be harder for them to catch up and live full and fulfilling lives as they get older. I do not get the sense that the Department and the State are taking this issue as seriously as they should. I know the benefits that can accrue to children with special needs because my goddaughter has Down's syndrome. She is in St. Patrick's special school where she is getting wonderful support. When children cannot get places in such schools or access the supports they need, they fall behind and that adds to their distress.

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The State, the Government and the Department take this issue very seriously. I also understand the issue well in light of my background as a former school principal and as a parent. I understand the importance of this issue and the anguish that can be caused. As a practising politician, I understand the stress that parents trying to access places for their children can experience.

Specifically in the context of County Wexford, the NCSE has informed me that three places are available for early intervention in Wexford town, nine places for ASD primary school classes, four in north Wexford, four in south Wexford and one in Bunclody. There are also four places in ASD post-primary special classes, with two in north Wexford and two in Bunclody. There are seven places for those with emotional and behavioural difficulties etc. If Deputy Browne would like to make the information to which he refers available to me or to pass it to the office of the Minister for Education and Skills, we will pass it on to the NCSE.

In the wider context of the Government's point of view, since 2011, the amount of money we have spent on special needs education - an area I have a particular interest in and knowledge of - has risen from €1.2 billion to more than €1.9 billion. That is an increase of more than 50%. When I entered the Dáil in 2011, the number of special education classes stood at approximately 500. There are more than 1,600 classes today. The number of these classes has therefore trebled. The Government, the Department and the State are taking this matter seriously. If individual situations need to be brought to the attention of the NCSE, then we are more than happy to facilitate the transfer the information for the Deputy.