Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

My concern in this regard, one which has been expressed by different groups, is that responsibility for the delivery of services will fall between different agencies. Deputy Seán Crowe correctly referred to section 13 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 which placed particular obligations on the Minister to provide for the individual requirements of children. The proposed change appears to absolve the Minister and the Department of these responsibilities. My concern is that the Health Service Executive delivers health services and is not an education provider. It delivers health services, and that is my particular concern.

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