Dara Neary, whose son Richie (5) has special needs, has never slept out on the streets before.
That is about to change on Friday when she and dozens of other parents of children without school places will stage a 24-hour sleep out in front of the Department of Education in Dublin city centre.
“Putting yourself out there like this, it does feel humiliating,” says Neary, who is a special educational needs teacher in Carrigaline, Co Cork. “If we all do it together, maybe something will change.”
A group of more than 150 parents say they have exhausted all conventional channels of ensuring their children’s needs are met and the sleep-out is a last resort.
Niamh Maher, a solicitor with Healy Law, said despite Government pledges to ensure all children will have school places, the problem seemed even worse this year.
“These parents are being failed when it comes to assessments and now school places. Some are waiting years to get an appropriate placement,” she said.
Neary has her placard and sleeping bag ready for the protest on Friday.
She said Richie, who has complex medical issues and an intellectual disability, needs a special school place but has been refused by all 10 special schools she has applied to on his behalf in the Cork area.
His twin brother, Davie – who has no disabilities – started at the local primary school last September without any issues.
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In her work, Neary says she has seen first-hand the transformative impact of appropriate education for children with additional needs.
“The six kids in my special class are thriving – the difference from September to now is just amazing. That’s what I want for Richie,” she says.
She estimates they have spent about €20,000 privately on assessments and therapies for their son – but that is not their biggest battle.
“We’re lucky, we could pay that, but we can’t buy him a school place. This is the first time we can’t help him.”
Aoife Daly from Balbriggan, Co Dublin, will also be at the protest.
Her five-year-old son Bertie has additional needs, but she feels he is one of the lucky ones.
After applying to 20 schools, he has been offered a special class in Ashbourne, Co Meath, in September – a journey that she says takes about an hour at peak times.
“We’re asking ourselves do we need to move house. Do we move away from our family and away from after school place he has?” says Daly, who works as a fundraiser for an opera company.
Minister of State with responsibility for special education Michael Moynihan told the Dáil on Thursday that authorities are working with school patrons to ensure there will be sufficient places.
“Everything that is needed is being put in place,” he said. “This includes school buildings and spare capacity in schools.”
If necessary, he said, legal powers – known as section 37A – will be invoked to ensure school places are available.
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“We are working with might and main to ensure that happens in a timely fashion.”
Up to 400 new special classes – with an average of six children each – and 300 special school places will be provided for the coming year, he said.
Erica Boyce, however, said many parents do not have access to an appropriate school place that meets their children’s assessed needs
Her son Marley (5) need a special class placement but has been rejected by 10 schools to date.
“We’ve to fight for our children – we’ve no choice,” she said. “The Minister needs to listen to what we have to say. We’re begging for them to have appropriate school places.”
