Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)

I will take the next slot. I am on the rota. I will allow the witnesses to do most of the talking, if that is all right. I will even let Mr. Clerkin go first, if he would like.

I thank the witnesses for their contributions. It is important that we as a committee got to hear their stories, and I thank them for that. The group, and the parents within it, should not have to be going through the experiences that they have explained to us. It has hit a note with the committee. It is something that we will work on.

I am constantly listening to parents who are trying to access the system talk about their paperwork, the teachers' paperwork in the schools and then different bodies accessing that paperwork. How can communication and collaboration between schools, parents and external support services, such as the NCSE, NEPS and the HSE, be improved to better serve children with SEN?

I will give the witnesses two or three questions because I have to run out in a moment. From a parent's perspective, we have heard about the challenges of navigating the system. How can parents be more effectively empowered and supported to be true partners in the child's education, particularly when their child has SEN? What specific resources or adequacy mechanisms would be most beneficial? If we have time at the end, I would love to hear the witnesses' opinions on key priorities for advocacy or action in the next 12-to-24 months regarding SEN education. Those questions are for whoever would like to take them.