Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

Yesterday outside the Dáil I met hundreds of parents of children with special needs. I and other Members of the technical group decided to listen very carefully to their views and to campaign actively on their behalf in respect of the cuts in the numbers of special needs assistants, SNAs, in the education service. They told us of their hurt, pain and genuine concerns. We listened very carefully to them and 16 Members of the technical group were there to support them.

Why is the Taoiseach cutting services for children with special needs? Does he understand the upset and hurt of many parents of children with a disability? Has he and his Government thought of the consequences of cutting these services? If a service is cut at junior infant level, it damages the start to a child's education. Would the Taoiseach, as a former teacher, not agree with that?

The parents of a child with a disability wrote to me recently, saying: "We could go on and on telling you about the struggle of trying to help our son and the roads that we have to go down to help him achieve his potential. Luke is great but he needs help." How does the Taoiseach respond to those parents? They also said, which is important: "Our biggest fear is that Luke and other children like him will become lost in the system and things in Ireland will go back 30 years where children with special needs were left in a corner." What does the Taoiseach have to say to that family? Will he change his plans to cut these services and give the Special Needs Parents Association a commitment today in the Dáil that he will reverse the cuts?

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