(Ireland) Laois: Parents of autistic children struggle to find secondary school places
- The end of childhood
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Nov 27, 2025, Laois Today: ‘Chronic shortage’ of special education places in Laois secondary schools causing stress and worry
The situation surrounding special education spaces in Laois secondary schools has been laid bare at a meeting this week.
The issue was brought forward by Independent Councillor Tommy Mulligan at Monday’s monthly meeting of Laois County Council.
Cllr Mulligan put down a motion, seconded by fellow Independent Caroline Dwane-Stanley, calling on the Department of Education and National Council for Special Education to immediately address the problem.
Cllr Mulligan said: “I’ve been contacted by numerous parents over the last few weeks who still haven’t received an offer for their child in an ASD class in secondary school.
“This is the time of year is when the offers are out. So as you can imagine, it’s an extremely stressful and worrying time for all parents.
“Parents feel powerless and that they have little or no options. They’re on a waiting list for the short to medium term and they don’t know where their child will end up in September or if they receive an offer for an ASD place at all. There’s no guarantees, there’s huge waiting lists at the moment.
“The hope is that things will settle down and they may get a place. But for the next number of months they have to go through the uncertainty of will they get offered and where will the place be. And that’s all out of their hands at the moment, it’s all out of control. . . .
“Mainstream schools are under pressure themselves and chances are they won’t have adequate supports in place. So it’s very worrying and it’s a very tough time for parents.
“Many of these children have never been fully integrated in mainstream classes and such experiences will be completely overwhelming for them. . . .
Cllr Mulligan then outlined the number of children who are on waiting lists to get into local schools.
He said: “I don’t have the figures for all the schools but I have for six of them. Presently as it stands, Portlaoise College has a waiting list of 16.
“Portlaoise CBS has a waiting list of 20. Scoil Chriost Ri has a waiting list of four. Heywood CS has a waiting list of 11. Colaiste Iosagain, Portarlington, has a waiting list of 11.
“While St Francis in Portlaoise has 50 applications for 12 places. So look, it’s pretty obvious there, right? There’s a chronic shortage of places available.” . . .
Independent Councillor Ben Brennan reiterated comments he made at the Graiguecullen/Portarlington Municipal meeting the week previous about Saplings school in Graiguecullen.
Construction work started on the new school for students with special needs in March 2023 but stopped later that year. The half-built school has laid untouched since then at the site in Fruithill.
Parents, students and teachers have been left in limbo while they await an update on when the work will restart. Saplings is currently operating out of prefabs in Killeshin.
Cllr Brennan said: “It’s an absolute disgrace. Saplins School in Graiguecullen was supposed to be for children all around the area. And I see it just left there now, all of a sudden.
“Grass grew up around it. The Chinese have turned the sod on it.
“There were some deals on with the government and the Chinese. Something backfired somewhere. But the Chinese have put the plug on it.
“And now we’re left with an empty shell. Absolutely disgraceful. And you see these children have nowhere to go.
“And they’re deprived of education. And we can’t send them to a mainstream school.
“They’re not capable of being in a mainstream school. So, therefore, as far as I’m concerned, the government has to come up with an answer.”
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