Mattie McGrath highlights crisis for children with additional needs
Mattie McGrath warned that children with additional needs in South Tipperary are in crisis, citing parents who have faced 13 school rejections and must travel up to an hour to access special units. He urged schools to accept children with special needs and called for accelerated approval of applications for additional capacity so places are available by next September.
Crisis in South Tipperary
McGrath described a crisis for children with additional needs, saying parents have received multiple rejections from schools and that families are travelling long distances to find units that can support their children.
School units and local developments
He said there are currently no units in the town of Carrickinshure, and noted that Cair has a new school underway which will include a unit. He also referred to a new school being built in Carrickinshure and said that objections to that project have been withdrawn.
Impact on parents and children
McGrath emphasised the emotional toll on families, calling 13 rejections heartbreaking and highlighting the practical strain of having to travel up to an hour to secure a place in a unit, where one can be found.
Calls for immediate action
He asked that schools be open to accepting children with special needs and requested information on schools that have applied for additional capacity so those applications can be accelerated. He argued that children who need places by next September should have those places in line with their progression.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Keisha, children with additional needs in South Tipperary are in crisis. Children with additional needs are in crisis. Parents have had 13 rejections from schools, and they are travelling up to an hour to get their children, if they can get them into a unit. There are currently no units in the town of Carrickinshure, Clannmell are indeed Cair, but Cair have a new school underway, and there will be a unit in that, and with the latest of a new school being built in Carrickinshure as well. And thankfully the objections have been withdrawn, but the crisis in ASD is not fair on the parents or the children to have to travel that distance to get 13 rejections for your child who needs special supports. It must be heartbreaking, I can't even imagine it. 13 rejections, and they have to travel, as I said, up to an hour. So please try and do something to alleviate that. Yes, well, I think there's been an enormous expansion in additional needs education, and I'm not clear whether all the schools in the area are accepting children with special needs, or if there's, well, they should. In my view, schools should be open to accepting children. And secondly, if you might let us know if there are schools who have made applications for additional capacity, so that we can get those accelerated to cater for children who do, who should get places in line with their progression. In other words, if they need it next September, they should get the crisis. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
