We must ensure each child with a special educational need has an appropriate school place – Seery Kearney

We must ensure each child with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Mary Seery-Kearney has welcomed the recent NCSE report as a detailed inventory of the provision, potential capacity and audit of the current status of school place provisions for children with additional needs.

Senator Seery-Kearney said: “We now have a detailed analysis supporting the stark reality described by amongst others, the parents in the Involve Autism group.

“Behind the statement that each school has made that “it is not in a position to open an ASD Special Class” is a child being denied access to a school place, their entitlement to education and their inclusion in the community in which they live.

“The Programme for Government states clearly our commitment to “ensure that each child with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their constitutional right”.

“The detail in the NCSE report regarding schools in South Dublin should enable and embolden the aim in the Programme for Government to “further progress the move towards a needs-based, responsive set of state supports for students with special educational needs and expand early-intervention teams in schools over the next five years.”

“I have sought a meeting with the newly appointed Minister Josepha Madigan, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion in whom I have the greatest confidence to effectively lead the progress in this vital provision.”

ENDS