Pringle highlights 20-year wait for review of Epsen Act for persons with special educational needs
- Updated: 10th May 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, slammed Government for the 20-year wait for review of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (Epsen) Act, as he detailed other issues that need to be addressed.
Addressing the Dáil on Thursday, Deputy Pringle said: “I notice that the Minister, when she was outlining all the bodies and people that she has consulted, that there was no mention of the Ombudsman for Children. Surely, they would be one of the first on the list to provide practical advice from a children’s perspective of how needs could be met in the future.
“The Ombudsman has reported to the United Nations committee on how the State is supporting or not children, and especially children with special needs. I would call on the Minister to ensure that the Ombudsman is on her list of consultees to get a picture of how the system could improve to meet children’s needs.
“The Minister has outlined that there is an improvement in provision and special schools as well and that has to be welcomed. Like most other places there is still more that can and should be done.
“One of the concerns that I have is in relation to the forward planning of services, making sure that there are supports available for children when it is required. I don’t believe that it is beyond the realm of possibility that planning for the provision of school places would take place at least a couple of years before they are needed,” he said.
The deputy was speaking during Statements on Progressing Special Education Provision.
Deputy Pringle said: “Instead we have seen the HSE change the requirements to make sure that they don’t have to provide timely services. How does that benefit children and families?”
The deputy said: “I am also concerned around the use of reduced timetables for children who have special needs, and this seems to be a particularly cynical way to get over the difficulty of providing services.”
He cited the need to ensure that there are adequate supports for teachers and SNAs who have been injured during their work in schools, saying it appears that the Department does not immediately fully cover the cost of medical treatment, therapy or medication; and that staff are not covered by special leave for the duration of medically certified leave.
Deputy Pringle said: “I welcome the fact the Epsen Act is being reviewed at this stage, as the Minister has outlined. It’s only 20 years since it came in and the review has only just started now. I wonder is the Minister committed to finishing the review in a timely manner and publishing that outcome as well, because that is vitally important and we shouldn’t have to wait 20 years for the next review to take place.
“Sadly, we are treated to successive governments running a mile from reviews of legislation and making sure that reviews are not set in law when legislation is being passed. We see that it has taken 20 years for the review of the Epsen Act to happen, and hopefully it will provide improvements on the completion of that review.
“I would like to conclude with the last few words of the Ombudsman for Children’s submission to the UN Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights in January, that ‘the State should develop and implement a vision and plan to move towards an inclusive education system for all children and engage with schools, parents and children with disabilities in this regard’. It is hard to believe that still in 2024 that is an aspiration rather than the norm,” he said.
