Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the committee, the secretariat and the Chair for facilitating this meeting. I also thank Deputy Cummins for proposing it. I thank the witnesses for being here.

It strikes me that there is a fundamental issue at stake in terms of the design and mix of our special education system. My concern, and what I hear from the witnesses, is that we have the potential to both lose and fail a significant number of children. I think of children with Down's syndrome who will quietly accept it, who will have no system to support them and who will be failed.

We have heard the Government spell out its argument to the effect that there is a move to deal with complex needs. Am I right in saying there is a risk that we will fail children? Is it the witnesses' argument that this is about additionality rather than a one-size-fits-all approach? Perhaps the witnesses could start with that question.