Parents deserve certainty on school places now – Bacik
Parents deserve certainty on school places now – Bacik - The Labour Party
Labour Leader Ivana Bacik TD today called on the Government to urgently guarantee a school place for every child with special educational needs ahead of September, after raising the issue directly with the Taoiseach during Leaders’ Questions in the Dáil. Deputy Bacik said families are entering the summer holidays facing deep uncertainty because this Government has failed to plan adequately for rising demand for specialist school places, and urged Ministers to treat the issue as a national emergency.
Deputy Bacik said:
“Families across Ireland should be looking forward to the summer holidays with their children. Instead, far too many parents are beginning a final countdown to September without knowing whether their child will have somewhere to go to school. That uncertainty is unacceptable. Every child has a right to an education, yet families are being forced into campaigns on social media, repeated appeals and endless rejection letters simply to secure what should be a basic guarantee.
“In the Dáil today, I highlighted the experience of Labour Councillor Alison Field, whose son James has now been refused a school place eighteen times despite the Department of Education having known about his needs for years. I also raised the case of six-year-old Kristian Walsh, who is facing a third consecutive year without a primary school place. These are not isolated cases. They reflect a wider failure by this Government to plan for the growing demand for specialist education provision.
“The Taoiseach acknowledged that there is an issue, but his response today failed to engage with the scale and urgency of what families are facing. Parents have repeatedly been assured that every child will have a place, yet many are entering July with no certainty and no clear answers.
“This Government has known for years that demand for special education places is increasing. It has had the data and the time to ensure sufficient school capacity. Labour is calling on the Government to immediately publish the number of children still without a school place, put in place the additional capacity required, and provide certainty to every affected family before the new school year begins. Children deserve better. Families deserve certainty, and Government must act now.”