Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I am sorry, I will withdraw the statement that it is a lie but it is, in fact, bullshit.

In this instance I feel certain that parents know best. One of the parents who contacted me on the issue stated that, as parents, they know this solution will have a detrimental effect on their child's education and social learning education, and they speak from experience as their child has been in a mainstream class in the past. The person asked me to trust them when they say a special class is without doubt the best place for their son to learn and thrive and to develop into a responsible and independent young adult, reaching his full potential, which no child should ever be denied.

Does the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, have any idea of the scale of the problem with which many of these children must cope and how vital are the supports? I have to hand some of the lessons that children in a special needs sixth class would go through and these may be compared to some lessons I have to hand for children in a mainstream sixth class. What child with special needs will achieve the latter? I also have to hand lessons for a special needs third class and lessons for a mainstream third class. The decision is illogical, ill-thought out and needs to be reversed.

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