Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

I concur with everything Deputy O'Sullivan said. In the debate on Second Stage, I said that some outside body was necessary, such as an enhanced Youthreach or a new centre based on the model to which I referred in Sydney, New South Wales, where there is a looser arrangement and pupils enjoy one to one or one to two tuition. If Youthreach can do that, it would be great but if it cannot we need something else. The task force report was very clear on that point.

The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Brian Lenihan, answered a question of mine about the National Educational Welfare Board. He clearly expressed the Government's disagreement with the Rochford report on staffing the National Educational Welfare Board, saying there were already enough resources in place so that the report's recommendations for a full complement of approximately 20 staff and total funding of €28 million were not necessary.

The National Educational Welfare Board is the only body to have a role in placing a student who has been expelled. A disruptive child requires much more hands-on intervention than that required for a child playing truant from school. Amendment No. 11, which relates to violent behaviour, proposes that solutions be tailored to the needs of the individual child who has committed assaults or cannot return to a school environment for some of the reasons I outlined on Second Stage.

People must be present for the child and that must involve the National Educational Welfare Board. Amendment No. 9 does not tie the Minister's hands by saying she must directly look after the needs of the child concerned. Rather it recognises that it is the role of the National Educational Welfare Board but that, if it is not doing its job because of incompetence or the fact that it is not resourced, then the buck stops with the Department of Education and Science and the Minister. I have confidence in the Minister's commitment to ensure the educational needs of a child are met and it does not put any additional onus on her to write such a provision into the legislation.

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