A preschool which specialises in the care and education of children with autism is facing a “catastrophic financial situation” due to “government negligence,” according to concerned parents of the school.
PALS (Play And Language Support) preschool in Finglas, Dublin, is an early intervention preschool and registered charity. Opening its doors in September 2008, it moved to a purpose built centre in Hampton Wood, Finglas, in recent times. The school enrols children aged 3 to 5 years, and sessions run Monday to Friday from September to July.
However, parents have expressed concern that the government is not paying the school the Home Tuition Grant, which pupils at the school have been approved for, and are entitled to. This, they say, has left the school in serious financial difficulty and struggling to pay staff, rent and taxes – a situation they say could ultimately lead to the closure of the school.
One parent who spoke to Gript said that such a closure would be devastating for parents of children with autism who rely on the services.
Parents have now taken a stand, launching a Go Fund Me Campaign which has raised upwards of €20,000 in the space of four days. They say that all funds received will go towards a reserve, which could be used if the school experiences continued delays with payments.
“PALS is the only place that we get support as parents. We do not get any therapies from the HSE or from the disability team. PALS receive funding from the Department of Education and they are also charity based, which means they provide so many services for the kids. We feel really lucky to have the support and facilities we do have through PALS,” the parent said.
The parent told Gript that payments from the Department of Education have been delayed, putting pressure on the school.
“It’s just not acceptable to have to literally beg for funding for our special children,” the parent said.
“We are now in a situation where the school is unable to pay their staff. Last month, the managers went unpaid because there simply wasn’t the money there. We have been told that the school will not be able to keep going for much longer based on the reserves of money that they have. Staff cannot be left unpaid for three months when they have bills to pay.”
The parent said that children with additional needs have enough difficulty and struggles daily without being denied the services they rightly deserve.
“This is an education that they are entitled to and should have access to like any other child. It is an extremely stressful situation for parents trying to access early interventions – something that is already under resourced.”
Parents have been in touch with Education Minister Norma Foley and Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman – however the parent we spoke to said many feel that “the buck is being passed” and that “there is no one being held accountable.”
An email sent by the school and seen by Gript to Dublin West Senator Emer Currie highlighted payments as just one of a range of challenges that the school has to navigate.
“The HSE, CONT’s, TUSLA, and the Department of Education are not fulfilling their obligations and in turn, are forcing us to pick up the pieces of the shattered families they have left in their wake.”
The school says it would welcome an open discussion so that government officials are made aware of the “desperate situation” the school community is in.
Commenting, PALS Preschool said it was “truly grateful’ to the school’s parents and all of those in the school community, adding that “our parents shouldn’t have to fight for us.”
“We truly have the most amazing parents. When they heard that we were struggling to receive our payment from the Department of Education again and that the situation had reached a crisis point, they worked tirelessly to contact politicians, inform the community, and get their voices heard,” a spokesperson for the school told Gript.
“As a direct result of the pressure that was placed on the DOE by our parents, politicians and the community, we were paid our December remittance from the department.
“Contrary to statements that were released by the Department, our paperwork is submitted correctly and on time every month. On average, we do not receive payment a month in arrears as stated. Typically it is a minimum of 6 weeks or longer (as evidenced in 2023 when we received payment for February in May). It isn’t just us. Other schools operating off of the home tuition grant, providing critical services for autistic children face similar payment delays or worse.”
“We are so truly grateful to our parents and everyone in the community who have reached out to help,” the spokesperson added. “This situation was completely avoidable. Our parents shouldn’t have to fight for us. Everyday, they have to fight a very broken system to get any help or support for their children.
“They even have to fight for their child to have the opportunity to attend school. The HSE, DOE and government have turned their back on our families and the families of autistic individuals. The crisis our families face everyday should not be happening in Ireland.”
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.