I raised this issue because a father of a young family called to my constituency advice centre last week. He is a lone parent trying to do the best for his family under quite difficult circumstances. He contacted me because he had failed over a period of almost a year and a half to have his son placed in a special school.
Since the child was born the family lived in the inner city where he attended a special school. They moved to the Blanchardstown area because of family problems as it was felt that it would be better if the children moved out of the inner city in the circumstances. Since they were housed in the Blanchardstown area the father has tried unsuccessfully to have the child placed in a special school. The father insists that the boy does not have a history of disruption but is just in urgent need of special educational facilities.
I hasten to add that I was his last port of call. He may have contacted the Department of Education and I also received a copy of a letter from the local senior social worker who had tried on his behalf five schools which provide the required type of educational facility. The last line of the letter states "To date, none [of the above five schools] have agreed to offer Raymond a place". There was a chance at one stage that the boy might have been placed in a particular school, but the father later found out that this institution was for badly emotionally disturbed children and those with a history of disruption. Therefore, he decided that it was not an option for his child even if it was offered to him.
I was his last port of call. I cannot believe that in this day and age a child has been left for a year and a half without any opportunity to avail of his constitutional right to an education. Those are the circumstances as the father has outlined them to me and I can only take them at face value. This child at 13 and a half years of age has secured a FÁS placement, to which he may not have been entitled, but at least they have tried to meet some of his needs.
I think that the Minister of State and the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach, would readily agree that this is the worse possible start in life for a child who has had already suffered the disadvantages of a broken marriage and the associated trauma. They live in an area, which I represent, with 60 per cent unemployment. All Governments realise that a child has absolutely no chance unless they get a basic education which they can take as far as possible. I hope that the Minister of State has good news for me today and I ask that somebody urgently take this matter up in the Department of Education.
