Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

We are currently spending €850 million on special needs in the education system. It is right that we do that at an early stage. Previously, we did not do that, as we had no money. When I first became Taoiseach there was probably a handful of people in the education system dealing with special needs, now there are thousands. It is right that we have done that. In less than a decade we have moved to a position where 20% of primary teachers, not to mind thousands of special needs assistants in schools and the thousands of other people in the community, are working in this area. The fact is we are investing significant resources, but, as the report outlines, we will have to continue to increase these numbers over the next five years.

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