Ardagh urges Minister for Special Education, Hildegarde Naughton, to address issues with access to appropriate education for children with special needs
Published on: 16 October 2024
Senator Catherine Ardagh has called on the Minister with responsibility for Special Education, Hildegarde Naughton, to address issues around access to appropriate education for children with special needs.
Senator Ardagh, speaking in the Seanad, said that the patron of her son Darragh's school, who has autism, has gone against a decision by the board to convert his class into a school-age class. This has left him, along with other children, without a place in junior infants this year.
She said: “Today, I feel compelled to address an issue that many families, including my own, are grappling with—access to appropriate education for children with special needs. My son, Darragh, who has profound autism, attends Stratford National School in Rathgar. It’s a wonderful school with fantastic staff, but the patron, the Talmudorah, has unfortunately gone against a decision by the board to convert his class into a school-age class. This has left Darragh, along with other children, without a place in junior infants this year.
"Darragh should have started junior infants alongside his twin this year, but instead, he is spending another year in early intervention. Like countless other parents, we are applying to every school in our area this month, but despite our best efforts, there is still so much uncertainty about whether Darragh will have a school place. His needs are quite profound, and a special school would be ideal, but even this is uncertain as we don’t know when applications will open.
"One of the most concerning issues is that SENOs (Special Educational Needs Officers) are now asking parents to resubmit reports, diverting children from autism units into mainstream environments that are often not suitable for their needs. The uncertainty and stress this causes parents, who are already navigating a difficult system, is immense. Every year, it feels like a mammoth task just to get the support our children need. As a parent with one child in mainstream education and another in need of special education, I can tell you firsthand that the disparity is staggering. The challenge of securing the right resources for children like Darragh is exponentially greater.
"I urge the Minister for Special Education, Hildegarde Naughton, to address this issue as a matter of urgency. We need a more transparent, well-resourced system that works for all children. Every child, regardless of their needs, deserves access to a quality education, and parents deserve the support necessary to make that happen.
"It’s a great honour to stand in this chamber and to come into this house. I have always prided myself on being a person who speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. In this instance it’s my own son. Were i not to raise it today and put a spotlight on those behind this decision, I wouldn’t deserve to be here and I wouldn’t deserve to call myself a mother. Today I raise this on behalf of Darragh, on behalf of the other children adversely impacted by this decision and on behalf of every child and adult all over this country whose lives are impacted by inexplicable actions and decisions taken by individuals who refuse to engage or explain their rationale. To date, the patron of Stratford has refused to engage with the parents or the NCSE to set out their rationale or reasoning and I hope those close to the decision makers will ask them questions as to why they have evicted one autistic child from their school and why they are refusing to provide clarity for those remaining in the class.”
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