'State denying children legal right to equal education'

Irish Examiner

02-07-2025

The State has been accused of denying thousands of children their legal right to an equal education by leaving students without proper support due to unduly long waiting lists.
It is predicted that as many as 25,000 children could be waiting for an overdue assessment of need by the end of the year.
Under the law, children are legally entitled to an assessment of need within six months of applying, and the process is intended to help children access relevant services and supports.
'When it comes to additional educational needs, a large cohort of students across the country do not have the same access to education as their friends, family members or classmates,' said Eoghan Kenny, Labour's education spokesperson.
'This is a breach of their rights, and of the Government's own legal obligations.
'Families are being left to fend for themselves, forced to wait months on end for diagnoses, then even longer for assessments.
These are children who need assistive technologies, tailored teaching support, and a school environment that fits their needs. Instead they're left in limbo.
Delays with the assessment of need process have serious consequences, Mr Kenny said.
'A child without the right diagnosis or assessment is left without the proper support.
Eoghan Kenny, Labour's education spokesperson, said 'families are being left to fend for themselves'. Picture: Larry Cummins
'That means falling behind in school, struggling in unsuitable classrooms, and missing out on key years of their education.
'The damage doesn't end there.
"These setbacks have knock-on effects on a child's confidence, their development, and their ability to succeed in later life.
"We are hearing of children spending years in mainstream settings without the tools they need to learn.
If more than 25,000 children are on the list by the end of this year, how can the State possibly plan for the number of school places, teachers, and technologies needed?
"Without timely assessment, there is no way to ensure children get the right start.
'Children are being denied their rights. Their education and social progress are being cast aside.
"How many more parents have to sleep out outside the Dáil before Government takes radical action?"
It was reported this week that outgoing HSE chief Bernard Gloster said he was 'hugely' concerned at growing waiting lists for children.
The HSE earlier this summer estimated the number of children waiting for an assessment of need for six months or longer will grow from 15,000 to 25,000 by the end of the year.
There is ongoing engagement between officials regarding the AON process, a spokesman for the Department of Education said.
"Department officials are working on a process to remove the need for a diagnosis to access specialist supports in our school system which would be the last remaining requirement for a diagnosis in the education system."
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