Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 107:

In page 13, to delete lines 28 to 34 and substitute the following:

"(b) the nature and degree of the child's special educational needs and how those needs affect his or her educational development;

(c) the present level of educational performance of the child;".

On Committee Stage, Deputies Enright and Stanton suggested that the education plan should refer to a child's educational "development" rather than "progress". That has been re-examined and it was in keeping with the Bill's positive spirit. I am pleased to propose amendment No. 107 giving effect to that. The amendment also addresses the issue of the content of the education plans as they relate to pre-school children.

The Bill requires a child's current level of educational performance to be set down in the plan unless the child is in pre-school. My initial view on this in resisting the amendments tabled to remove that qualification was based on the difficulties in measuring the educational advancement or performance of a child before he or she is in the formal school structure. However, Deputies spoke very strongly on this and some outside groups also gave us their views on it. I have given it further consideration and, on balance, there is a strong argument for allowing this requirement to apply to pre-school children. I acknowledge the Deputies' pursuit of this matter and their putting forward this suggestion to me which I hope will be given full effect in this amendment.

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