Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)

In answer to a parliamentary question I received a response from the Minister stating that a child would be dealt with under the new weighted system when it comes into being next September. Will children with specific learning disabilities lose the two and a half hours per week they currently have? I ask the Minister to give serious consideration to the point that if a child with a mild or borderline disability is given the assistance he or she requires at the time they need it, he or she may require significantly less assistance in the longer term. If they do not receive what is required now, does the Minister appreciate that in the long term they will require a greater investment? When considering the weighted system I ask the Minister to give consideration to that fact and to ensure that the children receive the assistance they require. It is important that persons with a low incidence of disability are also given what they require but one sector cannot be favoured at the expense of ignoring almost 7,000 children in the other sector. Children under that system will lose out.

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