Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Guinan for her presentation, which was clear and concise. I have no doubt she will be appointed to the role and we wish her well. All of us value the work by the NDA, which fulfils a vital role in advising the Minister on the disability area. I have a question which relates to Ms Guinan's area of expertise, as I know she has worked in special education. Throughout the country there is a growing desire on the part of parents to achieve inclusion for children with disabilities, and inclusion and integration is important for parents of children with special needs and for the broader school community, as it can learn just as much from the process.

It appears that within the Department of Education and Skills there is no strategic plan at all for the provision of educational opportunities. Within schools I have seen preschool provision but no primary places in the same building. I have seen towns where primary schools have provided specialised units but post-primary schools have no provision and, much more importantly, no plan for any provision.

Given the investment made over the years at primary level, many of those children are progressing to post-primary level, as we would wish. We will see people criss-cross the country seeking school places that are not available in local communities. These children should be able to attend school locally with their siblings, friends and neighbours. Education does not feature prominently in the opening statement made by the National Disability Authority, NDA, but this may be due to bias arising from where that organisation is coming from. Significant work must be done in the area of education to compel the Department of Education and Skills to implement a strategic plan for the provision of integrated services in existing schools as this is not occurring at the moment.