Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Education Act 1998 and certain regulations made under that Act for the purpose of allowing a certain timeframe to be specified in respect of students with special educational needs when an application is made for admission to a school and to provide for related matters.

Deputy Sorca Clarke and I are introducing this Bill. We see it as a commonsense solution in relation to a problem on which I dealt with the Minister many times. We all know the issue that exists in education in regard to children with special needs. I refer, in particular, to obtaining places, whether in mainstream education with supports or, in the case of autism, in an autism unit. While great work has been done by schools and, at times, by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, parents have particular issues and we know there have been major failings.

The purpose of the Bill is to allow for a changing of schools' admissions policies. This would allow parents to apply for places for their children two years prior to their attending school. The Minister and I spoke about this in the past week. We need a solution to allow schools to have enough time to make sure they have their ducks in a row, that they have the necessary supports, whether these are special needs assistants or any other additional supports that are required, and that they know how many people may be applying for places for their children within a specific unit. Schools need to ensure that hey have their act together in the context of what they are required to do. As stated, there have been failings.

There are wider issues beyond that. The Bill offers a fairly commonsense and simple solution to one part of the problem. There are wider issues in regard to the assessments and supports required across the board. That is just dealing with autistic children. Their families are under huge pressure. I am not the only one dealing with schools in which there are specific issues. I spoke before in regard to De La Salle College in Dundalk. That is the school I attended. There was an issue in relation to families of children with autism who, having thought they would have a particular space in the school, were then told they would not. It has all been sorted now. I spoke to the Minister in relation to the matter. However, some of the problem is due to the fact that the building project that has been approved, which would provide two autism units and for the ancillary supports that are required from a building perspective, is not in place. We need the primary building schemes put in place.

Many schools have complained because they no longer have the same element of management or responsibility in relation to delivering builds. When there are delays with school extensions, in the case of autism units, this can mean that children who have been told there will be places for them in September suddenly do not have places. It goes on to the following year. That creates an added difficulty.

Earlier, the autism committee met with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. Again, we spoke about the fact that we need to look at resourcing across the board. We need to look at the means whereby everything is done. That is talking about everything from the assessment system right through to the therapy system, and right through to assistive technologies. The school inclusion model has to play an absolutely huge part of this.

As I said, this Bill itself is very simple. It is just a case that parents can apply earlier, that is, parents of children with special needs. It also means with regard to the school's interaction with the Department and whoever else it needs to interact with - if we are talking about Government agencies, the HSE or whoever else. All that piece of preparatory work can be done.

I thank the OPLA, the Bills Office, the Ceann Comhairle's office and everybody who facilitated delivering this at the absolute last minute, which is sometimes an issue regarding myself. This was first mooted to me at a committee meeting by Páiric Clerkin of the IPPN. I asked if there was one very simple solution that could deal with some of the problems that schools and parents face with kids with special needs. This was the particular solution that was offered up. I have no skin in the game regarding this legislation, whether it is this legislation, alternative legislation or this legislation being used as a template. We just need to find a solution.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Is the Bill opposed?

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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It is not opposed.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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I ask Deputy Ó Murchú to move that Second Stage be taken in Private Members' time.

Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."