On Tuesday morning last, I was contacted by a very distressed parent. This mother, Tina Barrett has given me permission to raise this issue with the Tánaiste. Tina is the mother of Michael Joseph Barrett, aged five. Michael Joseph has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder level 2. He had been waiting on an assessment of need list for more than two years, which in itself is a breach of the law. As a result, Tina has to take her child for a private assessment, which she could ill afford. Michael Joseph attends playschool for a number of reduced hours and is doing well. Tina’s next hurdle is to find an appropriate school place for her son for next September. On Tuesday morning, when she contacted me, she was at her wits' end and totally frustrated. She had just received a fifth rejection letter, refusing Michael Joseph a school place for next September. Tina says her son is a person and not a number and is entitled to a school place. Her question to the Tánaiste this afternoon is: will he make sure that her son, Michael Joseph will have an appropriate school place next September?

I thank the Deputy and I thank Tina for raising the case of her son, Michael Joseph. While I am pleased to hear he is doing well in playschool and so on based on what the Deputy said, he rightly used the word “hurdle”. As a mother she has got over one hurdle in the assessment of need and now there is the worry of the next thing. We need to do much better at breaking down silos for people with disabilities, particularly children. It will be an absolute priority in the coming time. With regard to Michael Joseph’s specific situation about his school place, I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan who has responsibility for special needs education to link directly with the Deputy’s office and with Tina as well.