Cara Darmody is campaigning for the Government to carry out autism assessments of need for children within the legal limit of six months.

Parents of children who cannot access school places appropriate for their additional needs are staging a 24-hour protest outside Leinster House.

Micheál Martin said that every child in Ireland has a constitutional right to a school place.

A briefing complied for minister Norma Foley calls for reform of the assessment of need process.

Kate Raftery, from Dublin, addressed parents camping outside the Department of Education to protest over a lack of special education school places

‘We do not want our children to become the next scandal’ in Irish history, a 24-hour sleep out protest heard.

Micheál Martin has said the Government will intervene in the case and long waits for dental care were not acceptable.

Charlotte Cahill, whose daughter Cyra is autistic, said she believes the lack of school places for children with additional needs is getting worse

The Taoiseach said that finance should ‘never be a constraint’ in hiring staff to provide therapies for children with additional needs.

Parent and SNA Nicola O’Dea appealed to the Government to ‘get your act together’ and provide for children with additional needs.