Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their opening statements and answers to the questions already posed. I believe it was said in the opening remarks that education is built on partnership. While, of course, I welcome and acknowledge the work the Minister and the Minister of State have done on their stated plans since the beginning of January, it would be inappropriate of us not to make a general comment as regards what occurred over the last number of weeks. The statement that education is built upon partnership is somewhat in tatters at this point. Does the Minister, Deputy Foley, in particular, acknowledge that is a common perception held in the public domain, particularly among parents and parents of children with additional educational needs.

I want to follow what Deputy Ó Ríordáin had to say in his very appropriate questions about departmental research on the long-term effects of students not being in the classroom, particularly those at an educational disadvantage or who have addition needs. In the coming months and years, we as a legislative body and a committee must place a priority on and invest in the need to build up resilience in those student numbers to assess properly, in the first instance, as Deputy Ó Ríordáin said, the long-term or medium-term affects, but also the additional supports in which I feel we must now invest within the education sphere to try to catch up. Could the Minister please make a general response to that?

I then have a number of specific questions for the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan.