Patricia Stephenson (Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time. I thank Sinn Féin for raising this issue in the Chamber today. We all know that no child should be denied their fundamental right to education, but across Ireland we see children with additional needs who are left without school places and we are forcing families into an endless battle with the system. It is not just a failure; it is a complete disgrace. All of us in this room, regardless of political background, where we come from or where we are sitting, have had heartbreaking conversations with parents who are struggling to find school places for their children, and we feel desperate that we cannot offer any solution. The plethora of stories we hear very much speak for themselves. Families requiring special educational support are being neglected. This is not new; it has been going on for years. We are not getting comprehensive solutions; rather, we are getting cobbled-together, last-minute responses, leading to much undue stress for families.

We are also seeing, as a result of this, what is very much a postcode lottery whereby children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are often the hardest hit. As Senator Clonan has said time and again in this Chamber, we need a rights-based approach to education and disability whereby every child gets the support he or she needs, without exception. That should be the norm.

Expanding school places in classes is essential but so is long-term planning. The Education (Inclusion of Persons) Bill 2023 and the Education (Amendment) Bill 2024 must be enacted to ensure no child is left behind. Schools need proper funding. We need to put money into vital services before we go off spending money on other things – military jets, for example. We need streamlined processes to open new classes, investment in teachers and SNA recruitment. Last year, the then Minister, Deputy Foley, said there was not a problem with staffing in schools. That does not reflect the reality on the ground that we hear about when we speak to parents and families.

In addition, we need to see expanded therapeutic support in schools, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological support. It should be normal practice to have all these supports built into the education system, no matter the size of a school or where it is. No child should be waiting months or, appallingly, years for the help they need.

A society is judged on how it treats its most vulnerable. Many in this room would agree that we are very much failing that test right now.