Parents of children with special educational needs are planning a 24-hour sleep-out protest at the Department of Education on Friday, highlighting the severe shortage of special school places for September.
More than 50 parents are expected to participate in the demonstration, drawing attention to what they describe as a crisis in special education provision across Ireland.
According to The Irish Examiner, the protest comes amid growing concerns about lengthy waiting lists for disability assessments, which advocates say is compounding the problem by delaying official diagnoses needed to access appropriate educational supports.
Without proper placements, many children with special needs are being forced into mainstream educational settings that may not adequately meet their requirements, according to parents and advocacy groups.
The sleep-out aims to pressure education officials to address both the immediate shortage of places for the upcoming school year and the systemic issues in special education resource allocation.