Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We all agree on the importance of reopening special schools. That is great. It is also great to be able to ask questions today. The matter has been discussed a lot by the Dáil and in the media, but I hope the committee can bring a unique focus on rights. The Minister of State mentioned the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the outset. Inclusive education is included in the convention but unfortunately, as we all know, that right has not been met, especially since Christmas. We are all aware that the reality is that online learning is not suitable for most students who attend special schools. In light of that, I welcome the return of classes and schools.

Families need absolute assurance on any delays or disruptions such as those that happened in January. I will not go into transport because Deputy Murnane O'Connor touched on it sufficiently. It probably goes for most areas in rural Ireland but parents and support organisations in my constituency of Cork South-West are concerned about the absence of services. For example, in my constituency, people must travel for up to two hours to access basic essential services such as speech and language therapy. The people who are availing of the service cannot stay in a closed space for a long period, so a two-hour journey becomes much longer. They could be travelling for an essential service that takes 20 minutes, such as speech and language therapy.

In response to a question from Deputy Wynne on the plan to revolutionise services, the Minister of State referred to speech and language therapy as one of them, but she also referred to south-west Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow. Is it just in those areas? How was that decision made? How were the areas chosen? At the moment it is basically a geographical lottery for services such as speech and language therapy. How was the decision made on where the revolutionary programme would be rolled out first and last? Is geography considered in those decisions? I ask the Minister of State to prioritise that question and if she has time, I have a similar question about wraparound supports. What will the roll-out be for such services in rural areas? The Minister of State referred to recruitment for speech and language therapy. Is that just for south-west Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow?