Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At the outset I wish to apologise to the witnesses. I had to go out earlier for another meeting. This is the second day on which we have heard presentations from witnesses on this area. I have come away with the conclusion that the system, as we have it, is failing the children concerned, as well as the parents of those children. It is failing the schools and teachers as well.

I can see that in many ways the finger is being pointed towards the schools. That is unfair. The schools do not have the necessary resources to address this issue. Ms Hanahoe made a presentation earlier. She drew a picture for me outlining the problem. As Mr. Joyce said, we know what the problem is and now we have to try to find a solution to it. That is not simple.

The previous two speakers alluded to another point. It is the fact that this has been going on for so long but it is only now that we are having a conversation about it. That is alarming. I appreciate that Ms Cregg outlined the Department's case but it is not convincing based on the evidence we have received from the witnesses. It is all well and good to talk about the right of a child to education but it is a different matter entirely to ensure the child gets that education.

That clearly is not happening.

My sympathy goes to the children and parents, but I also have sympathy for schools. Clearly they are at the end of their tether in trying to look after not only this area but also many others within a school. Resources are a serious problem. It is the elephant in the room. If we are serious about tackling the issue, the Department needs to give leadership. At the very least, there is a need for guidelines on when and how reduced timetables will be used. As Deputy Catherine Martin said, it is shocking that in June 2019 we do not seem to have them, although I appreciate the issue is very complex. It is not in the gift of the Department to have all of the solutions; it is a cross-departmental issue. These sessions have been useful in shining a light on the problem and we now need to move on to try to find a solution. The Department needs to show more urgency in providing guidelines and solutions to this problem than it has heretofore.