An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-29
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Aisling Dempsey (FF), Meath West

As the Taoiseach heard, Every Child Matters is a group formed in Trim, County Meath. They were here with us today. They undertook a protest outside and we had a heartbreaking briefing in the audiovisual room this afternoon. That group quickly spread nationwide and the group represents a lot of parents who are fighting for services for their kids. They spoke to us about understaffed CDNTs, not being able to access therapies, the long waiting lists for the assessments of need and inadequate access to education. I acknowledge there has been a lot of work done here. There has been a lot done in reducing the AON list and increased budgets for special education. One of their questions on education was around the AON and medical report process. It is putting our young children in a box. It is predetermining the education the child will get, whether it be in a special class or in a special school. We should be taking a more rounded and flexible approach to avoid segregation, keeping them where possible with their peers. What is the Department of education doing?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:00:59+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-29