Mr. Colm Kelly:

I will clarify an issue raised by Deputy Funchion. It is not that the TUI is taking any action. In fact, it has not taken action on the issue of individual education plans, IEPs, since 2004. The TUI has not taken action in that it has not implemented it because the Legislature has not implemented the relevant sections of EPSEN Act. Our advice to our members, and it is advice rather than a directive or action, has been the same since 2004, which is that until the Government through the Department properly resources the style of IEPs that are set out in sections 8 and 9 of the Act, our members are not properly resourced to implement that particular style of planning. However, our members have consistently planned differentiated strategies for SEN students in their classes. They are professionals who would not renege on their responsibilities in that regard. I want to make it clear that no action is being taken here. We are simply continuing to teach but within the structures we have in the absence of resources to implement what is in the EPSEN Act.