Shortage of ASD units in Laois secondary schools under the spotlight by election candidate

AONTÚ’S general election candidate in Laois Mary Hand has queried if funding, which had been approved for a number of special education ASD units in secondary schools in the county, has now been paused.

Ms Hand, who is a teacher, says her party leader Deputy Peadar Tóibín has written to the Minister for Education Norma Foley and Minister Hildegarde Naughton for immediate clarification on the issue.

She said: “This is an incredibly serious matter. Schools throughout Laois are oversubscribed with lengthy waiting lists. Any reduction in funding would be hugely problematic”.

Ms Hand insisted: “We want immediate clarification from the Ministers involved as the stress and worry this uncertainly is causing parents and teachers is dreadful. We want a solid answer as to the numbers of special education ASD units in Laois schools that have been put on hold, and how many students this will impact.

“We need to know where any such funding for these units has been paused or in other cases withdrawn, the reasoning behind any such pause, and the total amount of funding which had been sanctioned for each unit at each school, together with the amount of any funding which may have been withdrawn from special education in Laois”.

“Parents are desperately worried and are anxious to get an update and a response to all of the questions we have raised. This sadly may not be an isolated incident for Laois and we want to know if there are any other special education units or schools in other counties which have had funding paused or withdrawn and if so, we want to know the reasoning for this.” 

The Principal at Heywood Community School Eamon Jackman said: “We have a long waiting list to our special classes for students with Autism and are certainly oversubscribed.

“We held individual meetings with all applicant families last week and they are incredibly concerned. Our wish would be to give all our applicants access to our special classes next September, but we are unable to.” 

Mr Jackman said: “These students need the specialised care and attention of a special class as recommended by their educational assessment reports. It does appear that Laois is one of many pinch points for accessing Special Classes in Post Primary and coherent plan is necessary for the next decade to allow families who currently have students in Primary special classes the certainty of knowing if/where their child will attend secondary school”.

Ms Hand said: “Parents from as far away as Cork are enquiring about places for their children with autism in schools throughout Laois, such is the shortage of school places.”