Brian Stanley urges immediate prefabs for St. Francis School
Brian Stanley raised the urgent need for extra special needs places at St. Francis School in Port Leash, saying the relatively new facility was too small and the waiting list is growing. He called for immediate installation of two prefabricated classrooms and urged the Department of Education and the Minister of Special Education to act swiftly.
Brian Stanley outlined that St. Francis School in Port Leash serves children from across Leash and was too small when it was built. He stressed the shortfall of special needs places and framed the matter as urgent.
He said nine children are due to leave the school this year while 45 children are waiting to get in, with that number still increasing.
He welcomed the allocation of four extra classrooms but warned those additions will take time because they must pass through multiple stages and administrative hoops. School management and staff have long pointed to an immediate solution - the provision of two prefab buildings - and the site has available space.
He asked that the Department of Education and the Minister of Special Education take the case seriously and to pursue immediate measures. A response in the chamber said the matter would be brought to the attention of the Minister of Special Education, who is working flat out with schools alongside the other minister to get solutions on the ground.
The chamber invited the provision of details so officials can forward the case and, if necessary, unblock any blockage. The response emphasised that every effort has been made to ensure every child has a place.
Case presented
Brian Stanley outlined that St. Francis School in Port Leash serves children from across Leash and was too small when it was built. He stressed the shortfall of special needs places and framed the matter as urgent.
Waiting list and capacity
He said nine children are due to leave the school this year while 45 children are waiting to get in, with that number still increasing.
Interim and longer-term responses
He welcomed the allocation of four extra classrooms but warned those additions will take time because they must pass through multiple stages and administrative hoops. School management and staff have long pointed to an immediate solution - the provision of two prefab buildings - and the site has available space.
Request to the Department and Minister
He asked that the Department of Education and the Minister of Special Education take the case seriously and to pursue immediate measures. A response in the chamber said the matter would be brought to the attention of the Minister of Special Education, who is working flat out with schools alongside the other minister to get solutions on the ground.
Next steps
The chamber invited the provision of details so officials can forward the case and, if necessary, unblock any blockage. The response emphasised that every effort has been made to ensure every child has a place.
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Transcript
The issue I want to raise with you is the need for special needs places and I want to raise with you the case of St. Francis School in Port Leash. There is a big commitment in the programme for government in relation to special schools and increasing the number of places and we all welcome that. But it has to be more than aspirations. St. Francis School is a relatively new facility but it was too small the day it was built. There are children going to it from all over Leash. They are in urgent need of extra space. There are nine children due to go out of the school this year but there are 45 waiting to get in and 45 and increasing. They are granted four extra classrooms and that is welcome. I welcome that fact. But that is going to take time and we know that in this house that has to go through a number of hoops and a number of stages. So there is an immediate problem and the solution to it and the management of the school and the staff are pointing this out for a long time. There is an immediate solution to provide two prefab buildings. There is space on the site for that. Can you get the Department of Education and the Minister to take this serious? St. Francis Specialist School in Port Leash. Just if you can take it up with the Minister. Thank you. I will bring it to the attention of the Minister, Michael Moynihan, Minister of Special Education. He is working flat out with schools, so is Minister McEntee, with a view to getting solutions on the ground in given locations where the need is greatest. If you can send us the details, I will forward them to the Minister of Special Education so he can pursue the case. If there is a blockage, he can unblock it. Every effort has been made now to make sure every child has a place. Thank-you. Thank you.