'Arbitrary' department deadline blocking access to appropriate school places, family claims 

Liam Ring

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has been accused of blocking students from accessing an appropriate education due to an “arbitrary deadline” brought forward this year.

It comes as the authority has refused to issue an eight-year-old non-verbal student with a 'letter of eligibility' required to access a special school place for next year, as his family applied 16 days after the new deadline passed.