Alfie's special class placement
Deputy Byrne described a vulnerable child in Drogheda at risk because the NCSE advanced a deadline for special class or school placement applications, and sought urgent help. The Minister said the case seemed genuine, explained the date change was intended to give certainty, and promised to raise it with the Minister on a case-by-case basis.
I am supporting a local family in Drogheda in dire straits because of a mind-boggling decision made by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, to bring forward an arbitrary deadline of 1 October for parents seeking special class or special school placement for their child in the upcoming academic year. Eight-year-old Alfie has a diagnosis of developmental language disorder and global delay sensory overload which means he cannot deal with change, has issues eating and drinking, needs help with toileting, wets and soils himself regularly and has severe anxiety and stress along with no sense of danger. He has been hospitalised owing to stress responses and mental health difficulties. The challenges he faces have increased since moving to mainstream education and his mam advises that only following hospital admissions in early October did she begin pushing for special class placement and learned of this deadline. They have secured a place in a special class in a different school that would meet Alfie's needs but the application could not be completed without a letter of eligibility from the NCSE. The school closes to applications tomorrow.
I do not like raising individual issues on the floor of the House but, having contacted the local SENO and the NCSE to plead for flexibility in the deadline, I have been told the facility to issue the letter of eligibility has ended. It is completely unacceptable the NCSE's refusal to issue a letter of eligibility will mean Alfie or any other child could not complete an application for a special school placement. For the sake of these vulnerable children, this arbitrary deadline needs to be scrapped.
Comment on this
As well as that, I ask for urgent intervention from the Government with the NCSE to ensure Alfie and his mam get the eligibility letter they need for tomorrow and Alfie gets the education and care he deserves.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. It seems a very genuine case in connection with Alfie. The date was brought forward to give greater certainty but the Minister is working with the NCSE. If the Deputy raises that with the Minister on a case-by-case basis, I hope we will get a satisfactory resolution.