Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Tá mé an-bhuíoch dó faoi teacht isteach leis an gceist seo a phlé. Chuaigh muid chuig na daoine éagsúla a bhaineann leis an gceist seo, ach níor éirigh linn aon réiteach sásúil a fháil. We have tried to have this issue resolved through a number of channels, but we keep hitting a brick wall. There was no other option but to raise it with the Minister in the House. We are asking the Minister for Education and Skills if she thinks it is acceptable that a 13 year old boy with Asperger's syndrome had his application for school transport to a school of his choice turned down by a special education needs organiser, SENO, on the grounds that there is a school with fewer resources closer to his home and whether the Minister thinks it is acceptable for a SENO to base such decisions purely on distance to the nearest school and to ignore the quality of education and resources available at schools and the overall long-term interests of the young person concerned.

This 13 year old boy was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in 2007. The parents visited six schools during 2013 before agreeing on a particular school. The child visited two of the schools in 2013 before the final school was selected. Obviously it is a specific situation and the child must be comfortable in the school. The child was accepted into the school in February 2014 and started the transition from primary school to that college in April and May 2014. The transition took ten days. The school in question applied for school transport on his behalf to a SENO in Sligo in May 2014. The application was turned down in June 2014 because there is a school in County Mayo which is 12 km closer to the child's home. The basis of the decision was the rule regarding the distance to the nearest school, not the quality of the education or the resources available in the school. That was the slat tomhais or the only measure used; it was not the education stipulation.

The decision was made without consulting the parents or other health care professionals who had been involved in the child's education in primary school, such as the occupational therapist, speech and language therapist and educational or clinical psychologist, which the parents believe is in breach of section 8(3) of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs, EPSEN, Act 2004. The Health Service Executive, HSE, benefits currently provided for the boy in Sligo would cease to be provided if he moves to the other school or if he is forced to attend a school in a different county.

This is imposing a huge burden on the family. At present, the parents are driving him to the school and that is costing approximately €150 per week in fuel. Due to the lack of transport provision, one of the parents who had returned to education has had to cease attending the third level course because it is no longer feasible for them to continue the course due to the travel, cost and so forth. The other parent is a homemaker and there are other children in the family.

This is a situation where the rule makes no sense. I can understand why the Department of Education and Skills would state that school transport must be provided to the nearest school for a child in a normal situation, but this is a very specific and exceptional scenario. The fact that the child has Asperger's syndrome should be taken into consideration. The trauma of trying to move a child with this type of medical condition from a school and getting them settled in a new school must be taken into consideration. We have gone down the different possible routes with this case.I do hope the Minister can intervene and try to bring a little bit of sense to bear on this issue and ensure that the child in question can be kept in the school he has become used to. There is a difference of only 12 km between it and the other school to which SENO has said it is willing to provide transport. I look forward to the Minister's reply, which I hope will be positive.