Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I welcome the Minister's pro-active approach in these areas because we did have considerable debate. Some of the bodies that came before the committee believed emphatically that the pre-school child could benefit from being included in these plans. Research indicates that the earlier the intervention the better, where an educational difficulty is discerned. Many children now attend pre-school classes in one form or another and there are highly qualified professionals in that area as well who spot things. In a former life I was a Montessori teacher. A teacher will certainly detect where a child is experiencing difficulties because of his or her training and because he or she works with children. I recall detecting deafness, for example, in a child. If one can intervene at an early age, obviously that will be crucial for the child's development. I welcome the Minister's approach in this area.

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