Boy left without education aid for nearly a year

A 10-year-old boy with severe disabilities was left without education provision for almost a year while a child protection investigation was ongoing in relation to alleged abuse in his school was carried out, according to a new report

The Education in Focus report from the Ombudsman for Children (OCO) highlights the case of “Lorcan” whose parents had noticed unexplained and unusual bruises and bite marks on his body. They decided to take the child out of school in April 2012 and brought a complaint to An Garda Síochána who initiated an investigation with the HSE into the allegations of abuse.

In September 2012, Lorcan’s parents applied to the Department of Education and Skills for home tuition funding while he waited for a place in a different school. This request was refused. The department was of the view that he was ineligible for home tuition as he had been voluntarily removed from his original school and still had a place there.