Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

I support amendment No. 66. It is a very strong amendment which gets to the heart of the debate about the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill. A statement of necessary resources is needed because we need to know where the child will go, what the plans are and what is going on in the services. Currently there is some mismatch of services and a lack of continuity. Stability and continuity are necessary and if we are serious about this legislation they must form a key element of the Bill's strategy.

It was stated yesterday that the children's needs should be the priority and the focus of this Bill. Amendment No. 66 is relevant in that area. There should not be a need for a debate on necessary resources. We have moved on from debating the resources from the State. We all accept that Ireland is now a very wealthy and vibrant country. The debate now is about how we distribute those resources. The Minister says he is concerned with disadvantage and with disabilities. If we genuinely believe in equality, we must begin the process of distributing the resources. Amendment No. 66 is part of that process. There is no point in clapping ourselves on the back after the Special Olympics, saying that we all did a great job and that the event was very successful, if we do not include in the legislation amendments such as amendment No. 66. By doing so we would say to the families and children suffering disabilities that we are deadly serious about rights and services. The public purse issue is now off the agenda and I do not want to hear anyone in any political party mention it again in this regard. The resources and facilities are there.

Every now and then we see squandering of resources. That is a different debate. The public money is there, and there is no reason we cannot put the funding into the services. There is no reason the Minister for Education and Science and his Department cannot get the necessary funds from the Department of Finance and its Minister to implement common-sense policies which will provide services for children and will put an end to the nonsense of all the legal cases. Most families are weary of bringing cases to the courts, winning awards and then being provided with the services. Let us take the opportunity before us. I urge all Members to support amendment No. 66.

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