Kate Raftery, from Dublin, addressed parents camping outside the Department of Education to protest over a lack of special education school places

Charlotte Cahill, whose daughter Cyra is autistic, said she believes the lack of school places for children with additional needs is getting worse

The taskforce aims to give a voice to parents and ensure that their concerns are addressed, advocating for a fairer, more inclusive system for children with special needs in Laois.

'These parents are under severe stress and worry' - Cllr Tommy Mulligan.

Cara Darmody (14) will tell a ‘monster meeting’ on Thursday that she will campaign internationally on the way Ireland is failing children.

Ms Justice Margaret Bolger granted leave to half a dozen applicants to apply for orders directing Minister for Education, Norma Foley and the National Council for Special Education to provide them with adequate and appropriate school education.

The Taoiseach said that finance should ‘never be a constraint’ in hiring staff to provide therapies for children with additional needs.

Parent and SNA Nicola O’Dea appealed to the Government to ‘get your act together’ and provide for children with additional needs.

Independent TD Michael Lowry said there are 100 special needs schools across Ireland ‘but the reality is that number is failing to meet demand’.

The allegations were made by a now former staff member who alleged the children in the school's special autism unit were pulled and dragged "countless times" by two other staff members

The boy has been diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder, and a moderate intellectual disorder.