Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Since 1998 there has been radical change, as well as dramatic improvements in mainstreaming special needs education services. For God's sake, what the Taoiseach is saying does not tally with the reality on the ground. It is ridiculous to talk about 475 posts being withheld; why are they being withheld? The school year has started and SNAs are being removed from children. The Government must release the 475 SNA posts being held over as a first step. That is elementary. We do not need to hold them back for the rest of the school year. The Government should release them now and stop taking SNAs away from children.

I have said there is a complete disconnect between what the Taoiseach and the Minister are saying in the Dáil and what is happening on the ground. There was a hands-off approach. Last night on "Prime Time" the Minister used phrases as, "That is not the way it should be happening" and "It is not meant to happen that way."

See this speech in context