Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)

Míle buíochas leis na finnéithe as ucht a bheith anseo inniu. I will jump straight in. I want to ask about specific speech and language disorder classes. The criteria for accessing these classes are discriminatory as they deny access if a child has a disability. A working group was established last June by the previous Minister for disability to revise Circular 38/2007 and remove the discrimination. However, this year it was revised in Circular 24/2025 and a new discriminatory clause was inserted stating children were only permitted if their speech and sound disorder was of an unknown origin. I am informed it was the advice from a senior speech and language therapist in the NCSE to insert that terminology into the new circular, which is still discriminatory. Why was this advice provided by the speech and language therapist working with the NCSE?