A Cavan/Monaghan TD says parents of children with special needs should "have a choice" when deciding what school they want their child to attend.
Niamh Smyth believes that despite national debate, parents should have a choice of sending their child to a mainstream school with an ASD unit, or alternatively a model of care and education like the recently opened Holy Family School in Cootehill, Co Cavan.
Speaking at the official opening, the local representative praised the hard-work of staff and students at the new school, but stated that there is still a lot of "work to be done" in relation to eradicating the waiting times for children with special needs outside of school hours.
She added that parents in Cavan and Monaghan are experiencing massive challenges due to the absence of disability services, and has called for more to be done in order to offer families more support a
nd choice.
