Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)

Tugaim lán-tacaíocht don rún seo de chuid Shinn Féin i leith oideachais speisialta. I fully support the motion with particular emphasis on the need for the allocation of resources to meet the special needs and equal rights of all pupils, including the need to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio in primary schools, the need to conclude the review of the proposed quota system for the allocation of special needs teachers and the right of each individual pupil to have his or her special educational needs assessed and the resources required to reach his or her full potential made available.

I have always felt strongly that these are the initiatives that should have been taken at a time scarce resources were squandered on free fees for the affluent in third level institutions. This seemed more to do with attracting middle class votes than with achieving equality in education. I am not blaming the current Minister or Government for that. However, I hope the Minister will try to make rapid and radical progress on the reduction of class sizes, particularly in disadvantaged schools. I have spoken to many teachers in such schools, and those few who were lucky enough to have participated in the Breaking the Cycle programme were unanimous in the view that the scheme made a real difference to children's educational development, the only drawback being that the programme was only introduced on a pilot basis in a small number of schools. Even in these schools, it was only introduced in the junior cycle. If the principles of that scheme were put in place in all disadvantaged primary schools at junior and senior level, it would constitute the single most significant step in tackling inequality and disadvantage in the education system in this State.

On the issue of the quota system for the allocation of special needs resource teachers, many of the very small primary schools in inner city areas are extremely concerned that under the proposed quota system they will lose out and larger schools in more affluent areas will benefit at their expense. I hope this is not permitted to happen. I tabled questions on this to the Minister in October-November 2004, including one which suggested that, under the proposed system, small inner city schools could each lose a special needs teacher while, at the same time, two national schools in Foxrock could between them gain up to seven teachers. That assessment was made by people involved in education and I had no reason to doubt them. I hope it does not happen. In her reply on that occasion, the Minister accepted that she was conscious of the difficulties that could arise, particularly for children in small and rural schools. She went on to say that the proposed model would be reviewed. However, we are still awaiting the outcome of the review. I support the call in the Sinn Féin motion that the report be published and an improved system of deployment of special needs teachers be initiated that will not disadvantage small inner city or rural schools.

A number of parents of children with dyslexia raised with me one of the 60 recommendations of the task force on dyslexia which they believe has great validity, namely, that a database system be set up in view of the widespread need for such a service. I raised this matter in a number of Dáil questions with the Minister. For example, where children with learning disabilities are transferring from one school to another, arrangements should be put in place so the new school can link into a central database to inform itself fully of the child's needs arising from its disability. The reply I received from the Minister was far from encouraging. It stated that there is currently no central database available in the Department of children with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia, and that the responsibility rests with the school to apply to the Department for the necessary supports if these cannot be provided from within the school's existing capacity. This simply does not work. I hope the Minister will re-examine that particular recommendation of the task force and act on it.

Many parents have put forward their experience that a great deal more needs to be done for children with basic dyslexia, but who have no other learning or behavioural difficulties. Many of these children simply do not have their needs identified early enough. When I raised this issue in yet another Dáil question, the reply I received from the Minister was that these children are catered for in the mainstream primary schools by the learning support teacher service or the resource teacher service. The reality appears to be that in large and difficult classes, especially in disadvantaged schools, the needs of many of these children are not realised or responded to, despite the best efforts of teachers. Many more children with more difficult behavioural problems have far too long to wait for the necessary psychological assessment.

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