Feb 28, 2025, RTE: Protest over lack of school places for autistic children
A group of parents who say they are desperate to secure school places for their autistic children have been protesting outside the Department of Education of Dublin's Marlborough Street, saying they will sleep there tonight in order to draw attention to their plight.
Around 50 parents from Dublin and counties across the country are involved.
They say the protest comes after repeated pleas for action have gone unanswered by the Department, leaving families with no other recourse.
They say children continue to be either placed in inappropriate settings or left without a school placement entirely and that they have been compelled to take this action to highlight the severity of the issue.
Jodie Reid said she had applied to 16 schools for a place for her five-year-old son Kaylen for next September and so far she has received 13 refusals.
She said she was upset at the first four refusals, but now she just feels furious that her son is being denied his constitutional right to an education.
Parent Sarah Hennessy, who addressed the protest, said she had applied to schools across Laois, Kildare, and Carlow for a place for her son Freddie, but all she had received back was refusals.
"My son deserves to have the best start in education and it breaks my heart," she said.
"Why do we constantly have to fight? We are exhausted."
She said the parents of children with special educational needs had been left in "a lonely and isolating place" often met with judgement, or ignored.
The organisers said their protest aimed to shine a light on the critical shortage of suitable SEN school places, and to urge the Department of Education to implement immediate and effective measures to address the gaps in support.
Pointing to the sanctioning earlier this week of 218 additional special classes, Minister for Education Helen McEntee said she wanted "to reassure parents that we are doing everything possible to ensure there are enough places to meet their children's needs".
"I have met with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) twice since being appointed Minister for Education and I have been briefed on their ongoing engagement with parents involved in this demonstration. I am also open to meeting with the parents to hear their concerns.
"The NCSE is continuing to work closely with the parents in identifying and securing education placements appropriate to their children’s needs for September 2025.
"I’ve also instructed the NSCE to identify the needs for the 2026/27 school year this year."
The minister said she was committed to opening additional special classes and special schools, expanding the number of SNAs and special education teachers, and expanding the resources available to special schools.
She said she was also committed to introducing a common application system for children applying for special education places.
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