Debate contribution: Restrictive Practices in Education Settings
Debate contribution by Mr Pat Sheehan on .
- MLA
- Mr Pat Sheehan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 30 June 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- Restrictive Practices in Education Settings
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5043912
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for that intervention. Ní teagmhais aon uaire iad na teagmhais sin. Léiríonn siad go bhfuil ag sárú go leitheadach ar an chóras cosanta agus maoirseachta páistí agus nach bhfuil cosaintí láidre do pháistí á gcur i bhfeidhm mar is ceart, go háirithe dóibh sin a bhfuil riachtanais bhreise orthu. Tharraing an Coláiste Ríoga Altranais, ar foras gairmiúil gradamach é atá ag obair ar an líne thosaigh, tharraing sin siar ó thascfhórsa na Roinne Oideachais ar shrianadh agus leithlis. Ní gan machnamh domhain a dhéanamh i dtús báire a glacadh an cinneadh sin. Tharraing an coláiste siar cionn is nach dtiocfadh leis seasamh leis an dréacht-treoir, nó, dar leis nach raibh gealltanais shoiléire ann go bhfuil an treoir ag cloí le cearta an duine agus leis an fhreagracht. Nuair a deir na daoine sin atá freagrach as sláinte agus folláine a chosaint nach féidir leo tacú a thuilleadh leis an phróiseas, ba chóir dó sin a sháith imní a chur ar gach duine sa tSeomra. Chan ag cur locht ar an fhoireann atáimid; a mhalairt atá amlaidh. Caithfimid a chinntiú go bhfaigheann siad oiliúint agus tacaíocht le go dtig leo meas a bheith acu ar chearta na bpáistí. Níl an íde mhídhaonna inleithscéil a choíche, is cuma cé chomh dúshlánach atá na dálaí. Creideann Sinn Féin i gcur chuige oideachais atá bunaithe ar chearta, cur chuige cuimsitheach, atá feasach ar thráma agus atá ag cloí go hiomlán lenár ndualgais ar chearta an duine. Tacaímid leis an rún mar go n-éilíonn sé trédhearcacht, freagracht agus athchóiriú práinneach. Níor chóir dochar a dhéanamh do pháiste ar bith san áit ar chóir dó bheith sábháilte nuair nach bhfuil sé sa bhaile; níor chóir do aon tuismitheoir a bheith buartha faoi cad é atá ag tarlú taobh thiar de dhoirse na scoile. Tugaimis tús áite do pháistí, ach déanaimis beart de réir ár mbriathra. Tugaimis cluas le héisteacht dóibh sin a lig linn an imní a bhí orthu agus a d’inis dúinn a dtaithí saoil. Tá an t-am ag an Roinn beart a dhéanamh; tá an t-am ag an Aire beart a dhéanamh.
I want to comment on the issue that the Minister raised at the end of his contribution. There has been a lot of toing and froing about who is responsible for children with special needs not getting a placement. The answer is quite clear: the responsibility lies with the Department of Education and the Education Authority. They are responsible for strategic planning and for ensuring that there are enough special schools here. Apparently, we need up to 11 special schools in order to meet the need.
We also need places in mainstream schools for children with special educational needs. The responsibility rests solely, and the buck stops, with the Minister. That having been said, it is also clear that children with special educational needs are being discriminated against in the sector. It took me five times of asking the director of children's services in the EA at the Committee last week before I could get an answer to this question: when did the conversation begin with grammar schools about establishing specialist provision in them? The answer was this: this year. I do not know when this year. It could have been last week, but the fact is that not one grammar school in the North has specialist provision. There are 125 primary schools in which less than 10% of children receive free school meals. How many of those schools have specialist provision? The answer is two. Half of primary schools with over 60% of children receiving free school meals have specialist provision. We are in a crisis with SEN placements again. Crisis and SEN: it is the same every year. What is the Minister doing to end the chaos that happens every single year? Why not put our children with SEN first?
644 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.08 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.94).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.98).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.06 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.04 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.06 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.94 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.08 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.98 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.02 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.91 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.06 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.02 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:07 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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