Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)

I am glad the issue of appeals, the National Educational Psychological Service and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 was addressed by the Minister of State. Will he convey to the Minister for Education and Skills the need to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio? This was allowed go out of control by the former Government. While I understand the Department is concerned about the financing implications of reducing it, more emphasis should be placed on it during the Government's lifetime.

The commitment to the National Educational Psychological Service is a huge breakthrough that gives parents, teachers, schools and all other stakeholders valuable support despite the Government facing the worst of economic tsunamis. The Government is committing itself, in the form of its amendment to the motion, to putting special educational needs and the children who have such needs and their parents and teachers to the fore. The position of teachers in respect of this matter is sometimes forgotten. Some teachers face major problems in their classrooms.

I am delighted that last week the Minister for Education and Skills placed two issues, namely, literacy and numeracy, at the top of his agenda. Under the previous Government, Ireland fell badly down the pecking order in the context of literacy and numeracy. What happened in recent years proves that there are major problems in the primary education sector. I am not just referring to the area of special educational needs in this regard. People must realise that it is not all about money when it comes to this matter; what is at issue is the delivery of a service.

I was visited by a group of special needs assistants, SNAs, last week and I will be meeting another such group this week. I am very honest when I meet such people and I inform them that our country - like Italy, Spain, Greece and other nations - is on the brink of economic collapse. However, there is a commitment from the Government that 10,575 SNAs will retain their positions. That is the largest number of SNAs ever in employment in this country. The position is similar with regard to learning support teachers.

The Government has prioritised this matter. However, we have no money. Perhaps those who proposed the motion can dig up money from their back yards. The Government is trying to do a great deal more with much less money. I commend the amendment tabled by the Minister to the House.

See this speech in context