Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy McGrath has raised a number of issues about the funding of fee-paying schools. The Oireachtas committees will be established today and they will start their work next week. There is clearly a need for a discussion about many of the issues raised by the Deputy. As regards the special needs assistants, the Minister announced 90% of the allocation and there will be more special needs assistants teaching and doing their work this year than previously. However, in order to comply with the regulations and conditions, the Minister announced 90% of the allocation as a start. The report into the position of special needs assistance deserves serious debate by this House because it contains some recommendations and revelations that are quite startling in respect of the pressure on professionals to declare children as being in need of special needs assistance when many of them might well not require that assistance for the duration of their school days.

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