Special Educational Needs
Dail Éireann — 2025-10-01
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Michael Moynihan (FF), Cork North-West

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The question was about the impact of the delays in the Cavan-Monaghan area. I can speak to the amount of work being done by SNAs, which I have spoken about in response to Deputy Ó Murchú's matter, and the commitment of the Government to SNAs. Special education is built on the huge commitment by SNAs the length and breadth of the country and I thank them for the work they do. The NCSE makes these decisions. When the Deputy was going through the events there, he said he submitted an OT report in relation to Sonny. What date was that report? The Deputy might come back to me in his supplementary contribution. I want to get the facts. I have all the other dates here relating to this case, but the Deputy mentioned he submitted, on behalf of the family, an occupational therapist's report to the NCSE and I would appreciate that. If the Chair will allow I will give time to him to outline the case out of my time. I will endeavour to try to bring this to a satisfactory conclusion.
When parents contact the NCSE about the needs of their children they are constantly asking what the best possible outcome is, whether it is mainstream, a special class or a special school. They are constantly worried about whether the right supports are in the school and whether their child will be able to survive in the school environment. In the cases of a lot of children with additional and complex needs, parents will constantly say that if there is an SNA there, they will be able to encourage the child, help them and ensure they are integrated into the school as best as possible. I understand that. I also understand very specifically the importance of the SNA role in schools and of course for the families as well. I will work with the Deputy. He mentioned this to me during Private Members' business the other week. I will work with him and the NCSE to see if we can get a resolution to this. I can understand the frustration about the dates he has given me. I would appreciate it if he could give me as many of the dates as possible. If he could put the dates on the record, I will endeavour as a matter of urgency to address this. I understand from my previous conversations with the Deputy and with the NCSE that officials were working with the school to resolve these issues. I will go back again. It might be this afternoon before I get a chance to do it, but I will certainly go back to them. I would appreciate it if the Deputy could give the date of the OT's report. Then if there is any further information he wants to put on I will take it on board.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2025-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2025-10-01