Social Democrats TDs Rory Hearne and Jen Cummins today handed in a letter to the Minister for Education on behalf of three Dublin families struggling to secure special education places for their children.<\/p>\n
Deputy Hearne, who is a TD for Dublin North-West, has taken up the cases of three children in his constituency \u2013 Riley McMahon, Lucy Lowry and Teddy Whelan \u2013 who all have additional needs and were left without an appropriate school place in time for the new term.<\/p>\n
The families were also supported today by Deputy Jen Cummins, who is the party\u2019s education spokesperson.<\/p>\n
Riley McMahon, from Ballymun, is autistic and has an intellectual disability. His parents were met with 13 different refusals from special schools. Deputy Hearne\u2019s parliamentary question on his case was referred to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) but, to date, no response has been received.<\/p>\n
After 28 school applications, Lucy Lowry, from Finglas, received one offer of a placement in an autism class on March 25. However, the building works are not yet completed and no interim measure has been provided by the school or NCSE. Lucy is now at home, locked out of education and, with every day that passes, is becoming more and more distressed watching her sister going to school every morning. Her parents feel the government is failing their daughter and many other children.<\/p>\n
Teddy Whelan, from Finglas, is autistic and has previously been refused by several different special schools. Following a long battle for therapy services, as well as a lengthy push by his family for an appropriate school, Teddy was finally offered a place in St Canice\u2019s BNS, subject to the completion of building works. However, Teddy\u2019s family have still not heard from the school or Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO) regarding his place and a possible start date.<\/p>\n
Speaking outside the Department of Education today, Deputy Hearne said:<\/p>\n
\u201cI am strongly urging Minister McEntee and her department, in collaboration with the NCSE, to act swiftly to ensure that Riley, Lucy and Teddy, as well as other children in similar predicaments, are provided with appropriate school places this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese children are most in need of appropriate school places and routines. The parents of Riley, Lucy and Teddy have fought tirelessly on behalf of their children. But they shouldn\u2019t have to do this to secure their child\u2019s constitutional right to an education.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation is heartbreaking and stressful for each of these families. In Riley\u2019s case, his twin is neurotypical and has a school place. His father tells me that Riley is now getting his school bag and lunch ready and simply looking to go to school like his sibling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is completely unjust that these children have no school place. For months before the summer, I asked at the Education Committee and in the D\u00e1il chamber if every child now had a school place for the upcoming school term. Regrettably, I was never given a straight answer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe building of school premises takes time and possible delays to any works should have been considered when assuring parents that their children would get a place.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Minister and her department previously gave assurances that children would have a school place in time for September. However, given the experiences of the three families here today, that assurance now rings hollow.\u201d<\/p>\n