Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I understand that, in the current climate, it is necessary to make both savings and cuts. However, it is indefensible to suggest that those savings and cuts should be made on the backs of the most vulnerable in society. I intend no disrespect to the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, when I agree with the assertion on the part of Deputy Brian Hayes that the Minister for Education and Science should be present.

I sincerely hope the Minister of State will not read out a script supplied by the Department of Education and Science which mirrors the contents of a letter I received earlier today from the Minister for Education and Science. The relevant sentence in that letter reads, "There is absolutely no question of SNA posts being removed from schools where they continue to meet the scheme's criteria". It is the latter phrase which undermines any value the letter might have. The NCSE is going to find that St. Joseph's does not meet the scheme's criteria. As the principal in the school has made plain, it is not possible to measure mild learning disability merely by ticking one box. There are many factors that constitute learning disability in these circumstances.

This school has an outstanding record. The parents fought over the years to make it the type of school it is today. It is unthinkable that the Minister should intervene in the middle of the school year and impose cuts like this. I join with Deputy Brian Hayes in pleading with the Minister to defer consideration of these cuts until there is an opportunity to sit down with the Minister, because it is the Minister and not some quango who has the power - by making one telephone call - to stop this from happening to St. Joseph's Special School at Balrothery in Tallaght.

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