Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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No problem. I want to touch on the new models because many principals have been in contact with me and have expressed deep concerns. The witnesses have touched on that already, as well as the fact there was zero consultation. That is what the principals pointed out to me. The Department of Education, the NCSE and the schools themselves were not involved in the consultation process and the principals have raised a number of concerns with me around that.

I also wanted to mention the importance of inclusive education and how training needs to be standardised and rolled out to every school setting. I had that experience with my son when we moved to a different school setting where there was not awareness and staff did not have training. He would not wait his turn to ask questions, so it created a bit of difficulty in the school setting and it affected other children. As it is important, how far are we from that implementation or something like that being rolled out? There is also a huge concern about children's experiences in schools and the lasting impact of this important first real establishment of the relationship between the State and our children. That relationship should be nurtured and prioritised as the most important relationship for shaping our children's future. As such, the recent survey that was outlined to the Oireachtas through last week's briefing from AsIAm and Inclusion Ireland and which showed, harrowingly, that 35% of disabled children endure seclusion and 27% suffer restraint at school, was an eye-opener to say the least. The story from the parent we heard from that day has stuck with me.

This brings me to my last question. Outside the necessary regulation and guidelines the witnesses have been calling for since 2018 is there damage control that can be done? I am not sure whether that is the appropriate language here, but I am just very concerned about the children who suffered seclusion and restraint and what kind of rebuilding can be done there. This should be discussed in relation to the zero-restraint, zero-seclusion approach in Sharing the Vision, with involuntary detention not being used except in life-saving emergency and eliminating these practices under UN human rights provisions and what legislative provision is needed there.