Mr. Michael O'Flanagan:

To build upon a point Mr. Harris made, yes, we met with the Department. On the back of the survey, we sent it a list of questions parents asked, and it sent us a response to those questions late yesterday evening. I will read out question No. 2: can the Department guarantee my child will not be without this resource this coming September? Likewise, question No. 8 was the following: I understand that the one with the most needs gets the most resources, but what happens to the kids who mask or the ones who fall through the cracks? In the responses to both of those questions, the Department referenced the continuum of support. Building on what Mr. Harris said, we know in the casework we do and the support we give families that families do not necessarily know about the continuum of support model. That instantly puts them on the back foot or at a disadvantage. In a sense, having that information is key to them being able to support their child. From a practical standpoint, it is a practical support that the school should provide. The Department is putting a great assurance on this continuum of support model, which we know is not necessarily being implemented across the board in cases we have dealt with.