Danny Healy-Rae demands faster assessments and local SNA support
Danny Healy-Rae urged ministers to ensure children with special needs receive timely assessments, local SNA placements and continuity of support from primary to post-primary education. He criticised long assessment delays, shortages of therapists and school facilities, and raised concerns about age limits that stop drivers over 70 from operating school buses under CIE.
He said diagnosed students should have support follow them automatically from primary to post-primary education so families do not have to repeat fights for basic educational rights.
He warned that national SNA numbers on paper do not always help rural families where distances between schools are large and transport is lacking, and argued SNAs must be placed locally where children live.
He described long waits for public assessments that force some parents to pay for private assessments, and called for earlier assessments and more therapists to avoid diagnosis delays that harm a child’s education.
He highlighted shortages of school space, staffing and funding that prevent new special classes and sensory spaces from opening, leaving children with complex needs without necessary local places.
He asked that rules preventing drivers over 70 from bringing children to school under CIE be reviewed, suggesting independent medical checks so able older drivers can continue to operate school buses instead of being automatically barred.
Continuity of support
He said diagnosed students should have support follow them automatically from primary to post-primary education so families do not have to repeat fights for basic educational rights.
Local SNA placement and transport barriers
He warned that national SNA numbers on paper do not always help rural families where distances between schools are large and transport is lacking, and argued SNAs must be placed locally where children live.
Assessment delays and therapist shortages
He described long waits for public assessments that force some parents to pay for private assessments, and called for earlier assessments and more therapists to avoid diagnosis delays that harm a child’s education.
School resources and specialist facilities
He highlighted shortages of school space, staffing and funding that prevent new special classes and sensory spaces from opening, leaving children with complex needs without necessary local places.
Drivers over 70 and school transport rules
He asked that rules preventing drivers over 70 from bringing children to school under CIE be reviewed, suggesting independent medical checks so able older drivers can continue to operate school buses instead of being automatically barred.
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Transcript
Thanks, and thanks to Sinn Féin for giving us the opportunity to talk again about this very important topic. I suppose many parents face the challenge when they find out that their children or their child has a special need. And it's another challenge and a big burden on many of them to ensure that they get a proper education. And we know that every child has a right to education and it's not fair that children with special needs are not always given the same opportunities which they rightly deserve. Concerned parents often contact me to stress that their child is unable to secure a place in a special education class and that there is no special needs teacher in their school too often. They have to fight for primary school education and special needs teachers. And then when they move on to post-primary school, I raised this before, Minister, they have to do it all again. And surely they should be on the system and not have to replicate their efforts again. When a student is diagnosed, support should follow through from primary to post-primary education automatically. They should not have to fight for this again. Every child has a right to education. Another problem arises in that the department says it has X number of SNA places and that the country is covered. But in many cases, this is not so. Because in the very rural places, there is an awful distance between different schools. A school with an SNA for a child seven or eight miles away is no good. If there is no transport, which often happens, we need to ensure that these SNAs are placed locally where the children are. They are entitled to receive support locally. Many children with complex needs are still without necessary school places. And parents all out of the country are worn out from fighting for a school place for their children. They should not have to fight for this basic right of education. Many schools have issues with funding in order to open new special classes, shortage of space to expand. They do not have the room, staffing and resources. Many of the rural schools do not have the necessary facilities for additional sensory spaces, which many of them require, and would benefit from. It is not fair that schools are not provided the necessary funding to cater for special education classes. There continues to be a link to delay with assessments. And that is probably the worst part of the whole thing, Minister, is that they are not assessed in time. Because they have to be assessed. The sooner they are assessed, the sooner the matter can get resolved. Many are waiting for years for an assessment in the public system and often have to resort to paying for a private assessment for their child. This is only the first step for them. What about the families that cannot afford to go private? These assessments should be carried out as early as possible. And more therapists are needed in this area to avoid delays with diagnoses which impacts the child's education. Indeed, Minister, we need to look at how it seems to me that autism and many of these complex needs are on increase. We need to do more to find out what is causing it. And if there is a reason. Because it seems to me that many more are presenting that in my younger days, and even when I was going to school, it didn't seem to be an issue at all at that time. Very few anyway. So I am wondering what – and I have asked this question here before in different debates – is there something causing it? Is it lack of some vitamins or what is it? But we need to address that part of it as well, Ministers, because there could be something that is causing it. When I hear other deputies raising other issues, this is the most important thing tonight, but I have a request there over many years. To look at the issue of drivers that are being disallowed by only bus in, or CIE, from driving a school bus once they pass 70 years of it. Because they are able to drive it in every other context, take the children to football matches, they can drive it for the local rural transport, but they can't bring children to school. And I have seen many a good driver when he reaches 70 parked up for the last time because they are not wanted any more. And it's aged, because people are living longer, they are active longer. And what I have asked for as well in this, if boss Aaron wants to, these people would undergo another medical test, instead of doing it just once a year, and it could be an independent medical test, and let them agree to undergo that. And I think it would benefit because I know many of these fellows, and women as well, that are perfectly fit and able to drive. But it's this rule by boss Aaron is stopping our CIE, the school bus section, and I can't understand. Thank you. I can't understand it. I am asking you please to address this. Deputy Carol Nolan.