Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)

Once again, we have an example of broken promises being made to people in Dublin North Central and the rest of the country. We all knew what the financial position was before the election. Deputy Ó Ríordáin had led our constituents up the garden path on education by actively supporting cuts. Such hypocrisy and false politics should always be challenged in the Chamber.

This debate presents Deputies with a choice. Either they are on the side of pupils with special needs or they are not on their side. Deputy Ó Ríordáin and his party have chosen the latter option. Others have made the same choice. In moving a motion in this House on 12 February 2008, the current Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, who was then an Opposition Deputy, called for, among other things, additional funding for the provision of special needs education, including the provision of specialised education for children with autism, the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 and a revision of the appeals process available to parents. He also criticised the extent to which parents were being forced to pursue education services for their children through the courts. Speaking in support of the motion, the current Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, who was then also an Opposition Deputy, stated that the Labour Party supported the motion unreservedly and asked the Minister to "recognise the validity of one-to-one teaching for some children". Referring to the Labour Party, he stated that the existing provisions were "the minimum that we would look for". Concluding the debate, Deputy Hayes called for political leadership on the issue, stating that people needed to be given hope and, above all, choice. Tonight, I call for political leadership and support for children with special needs and their parents.

The Government's measures will affect every child attending a primary school, not only those with special needs. They will have a major impact on the most vulnerable children in society who should not have to bear the brunt of financial mistakes they had no hand, act or part in making. Their effects will be felt by such children for the rest of their lives. As has been well documented, every €1 spent on children, especially children with learning difficulties and special educational needs, saves €7 in future costs. Many top class educationalists have researched this area.

Groups such as Inclusion Ireland, which campaigns for people with disability, strongly condemned the decision to cut back teaching hours and supports for children with disabilities. The Department of Education and Skills announced that from September onwards, schools will only be given 90% of the teaching hours they will need to meet the independently assessed needs of pupils with disabilities. This is another cutback in educational support for children with disabilities. These cuts are compounded by increasing class sizes which place children with a disability at further disadvantage. Inclusion Ireland continues to have major concerns about the lack of an independent appeals system in the area of special needs education.

I urge Deputies to support the motion by stepping up to the mark at 8.30 p.m. tomorrow night by supporting children with special needs and their families and attending tomorrow's protest.

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