Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the Chamber. I put down this Commencement matter asking the Minister to provide an update on the process as to how it can forward plan the provision of sufficient places for students with special needs. I have raised this issue with him on several occasions. We need to ensure we have enough special needs places for students with special needs.

Currently the pathway to such access is slightly unclear so the Minister might clarify that. Students go into an early intervention setting, which is provided by the HSE. They might spend two or three years in that setting and then go into a school setting. They would seek a special needs place in a school. I have been informed by parents that the process involves them applying to multiple schools for such a place for their child. That does not make sense in a rural setting, or even in an urban one. Parents have to apply to four, five or six schools. There may be six such places per school and they have to wait until August to find out the school to which their child has got access.

There must be a way of forward planning such provision. Given that the HSE is involved at the early intervention stage, which is two or three years prior to a child going into the school setting, a forward planning network could be put in place to provide a place for the child in their nearest school. Currently, children are being driven in taxis to and from schools that are a distance of 20 or 30 miles from their homes. That does not make sense. I hope a plan can be put in place to ensure parents can get access to the special education services their child needs.

Parents seek clarity. They want to ensure they can get a special needs place for their child and to ensure that when their child is assessed at the age of one or two that in three years' time they will have a special needs place in a school. Such a link does not appear to be in place. The Minister might clarify that. It might be in place and simply needs to be worked on. Such a link would provide an understanding of the system and would work to ensure parents have a school place for their child. A school place, in particular in their local school, is one of main the issues they want addressed. Many schools in my area have six special needs places attached to them, although some schools do not. If there is such a need in a locality, that needs to be provided for at least two years in advance of a child entering the school setting.