Kildare South Fine Gael TD for Martin Heydon, has today (Monday) welcomed a resolution to a long running issue where a number of Newbridge based children with special needs had been unable to secure secondary school places in Newbridge for September.
“I am delighted that following continued pressure, a number of children with special needs who are due to leave Scoil na Naomh Uilig in June have now been offered places at St. Conleths Community College for September. Credit is due to their parents who led a dedicated campaign to keep this issue on top of the agenda, however they should not have had to go through this stressful process.
“A meeting which had been set up between Department of Education officials and Kildare South TDs next Tuesday to discuss this issue will go ahead and I want to raise the issue of similar children with moderate intellectual disabilities who will be graduating from Scoil na Naomh Uilig in future years. This is not a one off event and I want to ensure that other parents do not have to go through the same process to ensure their children can access secondary school places in their own local areas.
“We need development of further dedicated special needs units at secondary school in the Newbridge area to cater for those pupils presently in special needs units at primary school level who will need secondary school places in the years to come. I will also be seeking an update on progress on the planned extension for St Anne’s at the Curragh which would also help to alleviate these difficulties.”