'Laois parents turned away from 26 schools'
Laois Sinn Féin senator says dads 'in tears' because schools have no spaces for special needs children
The education 'crisis' facing Laois parents of children with special children demands urgent action, according to a Laois Sinn Féin representative who brought the story of one Laois family to the floor of Leinster House.
Raising the issue in the Seanad, Senator Maria McCormack attacked what she claimed was the Government’s failure to provide adequate school places for children with special needs. She called it a “national disgrace”.
In a statement to the Leinster Express / Laois Live Sen McCormack said she highlighted what she described as the devastating impact this crisis is having on families, particularly in Laois, where she said she regularly receives calls from desperate parents unable to secure a school place for their children.
“In Laois alone, I’ve spoken to parents who have been turned away by 26 schools. I’ve spoken to fathers breaking down in tears because their children, who should be thriving in a classroom, are regressing at home,” said the Portlaoise senator.
She shared the story of Portarlington woman Sofia as reported by the Leinster Express / Laois Live, a mother who was forced to quit her job to homeschool her son Isaac because there were no ASD unit places available.
Pictured: Senator Maria McCormack
Sen McCormack also referenced the recent protest outside Leinster House in Dublin where 54 parents slept on the street, demanding urgent action.
“These parents should have been at home, tucking their children into bed. Instead, they were outside in the cold, begging this Government to listen. Families are now in their second or even third year of waiting. That is not education. That is not inclusion. That is not acceptable," she said.
Sen McCormack demanded that the Minister for Education immediately commit to providing a suitable place to every child by September.
“No more vague commitments, no more delays. Parents need certainty now. The anxiety and stress that families in Laois and across Ireland are under while raising the most vulnerable children in our country is unacceptable. They cannot wait any longer," she said.
She asked: “We have seen how quickly money can be found when it suits them. So why are the most vulnerable children in our country not a top priority?”
She concluded by repeating her appeal for action.