Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also join in the sympathies to Breda and the family of John Naughten.

Today I feel compelled to address an issue that families including my own are grappling with, namely access to appropriate education for children with special needs. My son Darragh, who has profound autism, attends Stratford National School in Rathgar. It is a wonderful school with fantastic staff. The patron, the Talmud Torah, has unfortunately gone against a decision by the board to convert his class into a school-age class. This has left Darragh, along with other children, without a place in junior infants this year. Darragh should have started junior infants alongside his twin brother but instead he is spending another year in early intervention.

Like countless other parents, we are applying to every school in our area but despite our best efforts there is so much uncertainty about whether Darragh will have a school place. His needs are quite profound and a special school would be ideal, but even this is uncertain as we do not know when applications open for special schools. One of the most concerning issues is that special educational needs officers, SENOs, are now asking parents to resubmit reports diverting children from autism units into mainstream environments that are often not suitable for their needs. The uncertainty and stress this causes parents who are already navigating a difficult system is immense. Every year it feels like a mammoth task just to get the support our children need. As a parent with one child in mainstream education and another in special education, I can tell you first hand that the disparity is staggering. The challenge of securing the right resources for children like Darragh is exponentially greater. I urge the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Hildegarde Naughton, to address this issue as a matter of urgency. Ultimately, we need a more transparent, well resourced system that works for all our children. Every child regardless of their need deserves access to a quality education. Parents deserve the support necessary to make that happen.

It is a great honour to stand in this Chamber and come into this House. I have always prided myself on being the person who speaks for those who cannot advocate for themselves. In this instance, it is my own son, who also happens to be non-verbal. Were I not to raise this matter today and put a spotlight on those behind this decision, I would not deserve to be here. Today I raise this on behalf of Darragh and other children adversely impacted by this decision, and on behalf of every child and adult all over this country whose lives are impacted by inexplicable actions and decisions taken by individuals who refuse to engage or explain their rationale. To date, the patron of Stratford, the Talmud Torah, has refused to engage with parents or the NCSE to set out their rationale or reasoning. I hope those close to the decision-makers will ask them questions as to why they have evicted one autistic child from their school and why they are refusing to provide clarity for those remaining in the class. I really hope the Talmud Torah will engage constructively with the NCSE and the board in the future.