Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 7, between lines 35 and 36, to insert the following: “(10A) (a) The Council shall publish, concurrent with the giving of such a direction referred to in this section a report outlining the adequacy of resources provided by the Department, the NCSE, and the HSE and other relevant organisations to the Schools, and stating whether in the council’s view if the resources meet the needs of the school community and the children in the Special Class or School.

(b) These resources shall include, but not be limited to:

(i) adequate SNA support;

(ii) access to Multi Disciplinary teams including Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychiatrists and Nursing Staff;

(iii) mental health supports for pupils in schools and CAHMS fully staffed to meet the needs of all children with emotional and behavioural disorders; and

(iv) adequately qualified special Education Teachers.”.

I missed the Second Stage debate on the Bill. I welcome the Minister of State and apologise for being absent for that debate. I know that my colleague, Senator Gavan, spoke on my behalf and on behalf of Sinn Féin. I welcome this legislation, which will shorten the notice periods for schools being instructed to accommodate pupils with special educational needs. We know that many families are trying to secure appropriate places for their children, as is their human right. I take this opportunity to commend all the families and parents who fight tirelessly, day in, day out, for their children and who are politically active, as they are required to be in some instances, unfortunately. We can all agree that children have the right to a proper education. Sinn Féin has been calling for this measure. We tabled a motion to that effect in the Dáil a number of weeks ago.

As for this amendment, it has been well articulated by schools, parents and campaign groups that a special class is not just four walls and a door but also all the resources that go with it. That goes way beyond the Department of Education and the Minister of State here. It is vital that adequate resources are put in place where this power is used. There are schools that are reluctant to open special classes. In our experience, any school that opens a special class never regrets it. It enhances the school, and we all know the benefits it brings to diversity and everyone's experience in the school environment. Amendment No. 1 goes to the heart of the issues of adequate support for special needs assistants, SNAs; mental health support for schools; full staffing of and support for child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS; support for children in the community; an adequate number of qualified special education teachers; and, crucially, access to multidisciplinary teams such as speech and language therapists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists and nursing staff. That access to therapy is vital, and that is what amendment No. 1 goes to the heart of.