Richard Boyd Barrett: Demands Commitment on Special Needs Places
Richard Boyd Barrett addressed the Dáil about the failure to provide school places and supports for children with special needs, warning that more than 50 parents will stage a 24-hour sleep-out protest outside the Department of Education. He demanded a firm commitment that those children will receive the special needs resources, supports and appropriate school places to which they are legally entitled.
The speech records that more than 50 parents of children with special needs intend to gather for a 24-hour round-the-clock sleep-out outside the Department of Education to protest the lack of school places and supports.
Richard Boyd Barrett asked whether the Government will "save them the trouble of that protest" by giving a clear commitment that children will receive the special needs resources, supports and school places they have a right to, or whether ministers will continue with abstract reassurances.
The speech notes that ministers recently announced additional capacity on special education and that the Minister for Education intends to engage directly with parents. He said he does not want to see any parent forced to sleep out and called for meaningful engagement to make progress.
He argued every child in the State has a right to a school place and, crucially, a right to an appropriate school place. He warned that without clear action parents will remain wracked with anxiety and uncertainty about the wellbeing of their vulnerable children.
Planned sleep-out protest
The speech records that more than 50 parents of children with special needs intend to gather for a 24-hour round-the-clock sleep-out outside the Department of Education to protest the lack of school places and supports.
Demand for firm commitments
Richard Boyd Barrett asked whether the Government will "save them the trouble of that protest" by giving a clear commitment that children will receive the special needs resources, supports and school places they have a right to, or whether ministers will continue with abstract reassurances.
Government response and engagement
The speech notes that ministers recently announced additional capacity on special education and that the Minister for Education intends to engage directly with parents. He said he does not want to see any parent forced to sleep out and called for meaningful engagement to make progress.
Children's rights and parental anxiety
He argued every child in the State has a right to a school place and, crucially, a right to an appropriate school place. He warned that without clear action parents will remain wracked with anxiety and uncertainty about the wellbeing of their vulnerable children.
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Transcript
The problem is that you breach their rights and fail to vindicate their rights, and therefore more than 50 parents tomorrow will be gathering to sleep out for 24 hours. These are parents who are looking after children with special needs, and they feel they have to go to the lengths of doing a 24-hour round-the-clock sleep-out protest outside the Department of Education, because this Government cannot give them the school places to which they are legally entitled by rights. Are you going to save them the trouble of that protest and give them the firm commitment that they will get the special needs resources, supports and school places that their children have a right to, or are you going to just ramble on about abstract rights? We will find ourselves, as we did last year, back around and around with parents wracked with anxiety and uncertainty about the wellbeing of their vulnerable children. Thank you Deputy. Thank you Deputy. On such a serious issue, I do not think you need to be rambling on. What we are trying to do here is actually sort this issue for parents and children and absolutely to vindicate their rights, because every child in this state has a right to a school place, but you know what? Every child needs to have a right to an appropriate school place as well. And when I meet parents, no sir, you can laugh at all you want to do, everything is not funny every time. So do I, Deputy Coffinger, so do I. Very well, very well, and I know familiarly what it is like when you do not get that place. Don't lecture me on this stuff. We know and we are going to address the issue. We know and we are going to address the issue. Minister McEntee and Minister Moynihan as recently as today made an announcement in relation to additional capacity on special education. The Minister for Education intends to engage directly with parents. I do not want to see any parent have to sleep out. Rather, I want to see meaningful engagement where we can make progress on this issue.