Dr. Niall Muldoon:

Yes. I agree we need to get past the hesitancy. It should not be a choice. It should be included in plans and planned well in advance. All those parents knew what they needed from their schools years in advance and that system is in place. At last week's meeting of the committee a representative of the Department's building unit spoke about having a very fluid situation to identify these places. I find that incomprehensible. It is not fluid. These children are there. They have been fighting for these places for a long time. We should know what we need and put it in place.

The Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is talking about setting up a five-year projection plan for the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, as to how we get these places and what places are needed, but we should have that well planned by now. It is a ludicrous scenario. It is a way of copping out. We talked about the legislation and a review earlier. There is a Minister with responsibility for special education and inclusion and a Minister with responsibility for disability in the Department of children. Those two people need to lead the way and make sure they work together as a co-operative to get both the Disability Act and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act working to the best advantage of the children. That will take away all the hesitation, all the grey areas and provide resources to all those schools. As the Deputy said, I found every school I have been to where there have been special education children and special education classes has been nothing but enhanced by that. We need to get to where the running of schools and such classes should never be in doubt.