Autism: Dublin girl's family told to seek special school place in Kildare or Wicklow

Autistic girl's mother, Áine Curtin, says: 'It's not just me... They have kids getting on buses in Cork and going to schools in Kerry'

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026 - 01:16

Paul Hosford

A Dublin mother was told to apply for a place in schools in Kildare and Wicklow for her autistic daughter despite living just yards from a local school.

The daughter of Áine Curtin, from West Dublin, is due to begin secondary school later this year, but has been told that there is no space in the additional needs unit of the local school.

This, Ms Curtin said, has led to a sustained fight with authorities. She has been told that her daughter may need to travel to other counties in order to secure a school place.

“Her primary school means she has fallen outside the catchment of the secondary school that we currently are surrounded by, so she was moved down categories on the admissions policy for our secondary school and hasn’t got a place anywhere,” she said.

Ms Curtin experienced a similar situation when her daughter was in primary school.

I applied to over 10 autism classes, all in Dublin 15, where she didn’t get a place, and I was told there’d be no place for any child, not just her, until 2028.

“I feel the problem is because they fill the class with a lot of first years, which is great for those first years, there’s no space until those first years either are able to integrate into mainstream, or they leave in sixth year, which is crazy,” Ms Curtin said. “There should be a class for every year band.

“She hasn’t got into any mainstream schools in our area, and no special classes. And I have been told by everybody who I’ve contacted, I’ve contacted ministers, I’ve contacted the SENO [special education needs officer], I’ve contacted the principals of these schools, and most of their solutions is that I should just keep going further and further and further with my applications,” Ms Curtin said, saying that going further did not just mean with appeals.

“Appeals, yes, but I should apply to Wicklow and schools in Kildare, further geographically.

“This was the same solution they had for us when we were doing this in primary school.

“You have to go as far as you can, because their solution is: ‘We will find you a place, somewhere, and we will give you free transport’.

“So they’ll put your child on a bus and [say] ‘we have solved your problem, but you’re refusing to accept it’.”

Ms Curtin, who has documented her situation online, says she has spoken to “hundreds” of parents in a similar situation.

“It’s not just me," she said.

I talk to hundreds of families all the time online, and they have, especially in the countryside, they have kids getting on buses in Cork and going to schools in Kerry.

“So they could be on the bus from 6am and don’t start till nine. And I know that’s the solution that they’re trying to shove down my throat, but I just won’t accept it.”

A taskforce for the Dublin 15 area was established last year due to a lack of places. That taskforce’s recommendations are being examined, minister of state for special education Michael Moynihan told the Dáil before Christmas.