A local TD has said that families across Cavan and Monaghan are being left in a state of anxiety and uncertainty by the Department of Education and the NCSE.
Deputy Matt Carthy has outlined the department's failure to allocate and sanction special classrooms and school places across the region.
According to the Sinn Féin TD, despite clear evidence of need, schools and parents across the region still do not know whether children will have an appropriate school place this September.
This ongoing delay, he said, is completely unacceptable and highlights a Government that is failing children with additional needs and their families.
Speaking to Northern Sound this week, Deputy Carthy claimed that the issue is symptomatic of wider dysfunction in the government.
He claimed, that schools are willing to step up, but are being left waiting.
The Sinn Féin TD explained: "Schools are willing and ready to step up are being left waiting on approvals. Principals and staff are being placed under impossible pressure, while parents are left to fight for basic certainty about their children’s future. No family should be forced to spend months worrying about whether their child will have a school place.
“Early planning and timely sanctioning of special classes, and proper resourcing of schools, are essential. The Government’s failure to act in a timely manner shows a complete lack of urgency and understanding of the reality facing families of children with additional needs.
“This situation is deeply unfair. Children with special educational needs have the same right to an education as every other child, and their families deserve clarity, dignity and respect. Instead, they are being met with silence, delay and uncertainty.
“The Minister for Education must intervene immediately to ensure that the necessary special classrooms and places are sanctioned without further delay. Families cannot be left in limbo any longer," Deputy Carthy added.
