Richard Boyd Barrett: Special classes enrolled but no classroom
Richard Boyd Barrett raised urgent concerns about Finglas Parochial National School where two special classes were enrolled last September but the physical classrooms have not been delivered. He spoke on behalf of the Equality in Education campaign in Dublin North West and Councillor Conor Reddy to press for a meeting with the Minister for Education and a firm resolution.
Richard Boyd Barrett set out that pupils were enrolled in two special classes at Finglas Parochial National School but that the promised physical delivery of those classes has not happened. Parents now face the prospect that the classrooms may still not exist this coming September.
Parents and campaigners from the Equality in Education campaign have written to the Minister for Education seeking a meeting to secure clarity and an affirmative response. The families are anxious because enrolment has happened on paper but there is no ready classroom for their children with special needs.
Deputy Boyd Barrett relayed that the problem appears to stem from a project management company failing to submit required information relating to planning permission and potentially issues involving the Department of Education building unit. That administrative failure, he said, left the enrolled classes without a physical space.
In reply, a colleague said they would speak to the Minister for Education and seek engagement between the Minister's office and the Equality in Education campaign to bring progress as quickly as possible. The matter remains unresolved and parents continue to seek certainty about where their children will learn.
Issue raised
Richard Boyd Barrett set out that pupils were enrolled in two special classes at Finglas Parochial National School but that the promised physical delivery of those classes has not happened. Parents now face the prospect that the classrooms may still not exist this coming September.
Parents' situation
Parents and campaigners from the Equality in Education campaign have written to the Minister for Education seeking a meeting to secure clarity and an affirmative response. The families are anxious because enrolment has happened on paper but there is no ready classroom for their children with special needs.
Alleged cause
Deputy Boyd Barrett relayed that the problem appears to stem from a project management company failing to submit required information relating to planning permission and potentially issues involving the Department of Education building unit. That administrative failure, he said, left the enrolled classes without a physical space.
Government response and next steps
In reply, a colleague said they would speak to the Minister for Education and seek engagement between the Minister's office and the Equality in Education campaign to bring progress as quickly as possible. The matter remains unresolved and parents continue to seek certainty about where their children will learn.
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Transcript
Tánaiste, children with special needs, just like every child, have a right to an appropriate education. I heard you say earlier on that there's been lots of announcements about special classes, about places, and even that once the government gives the green light, these things are delivered, I think I heard you say. Well, I've been asked by the Equality in Education campaign in Dublin North West and my colleague Councillor Conor Reddy to raise the issue of Finglas Parochial National School, where the parents for two special classes were actually enrolled last September. They were actually enrolled, but the physical delivery of the classes has not happened, and now looks like it may not happen this September. And they are asking, and they've written to the Minister for a meeting with the Minister, apparently this is a mess-up by the project management company not submitting stuff to do with further information to do with the planning permission and maybe the Department of Education's building unit, so maybe for the set after actually being enrolled in a class, it got the green light, but there's no physical building, there's no physical class, and these parents do not know where their children with special needs will have a classroom to go to this September. They want to meet the Minister and they'd like an affirmative response. Thanks very much. I know we're not allowed to do a back and forth. Are the children in the school? They're enrolled, but there's no physical place for them, there's no physical building. Thanks Deputy Boyd-Barr for raising the issue on behalf of your colleague Councillor Reddy. I will speak to the Minister for Education today and see if she or somebody on her behalf can engage with the Equality in Education campaign to see how we can bring progress to this as quickly as possible.