Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not accept the Minister's view that including a reference to educational welfare would give the impression that it would be solely within the remit and responsibility of the new agency. We must recognise that the NEWB will be an integral part of the new agency. Nowhere in section 8 which lists the functions of the new agency is education explicitly referred to. The word appears only in section 8(4)(d) which refers to "psychological assessments in accordance with section 8 of the Disability Act 2005 or with section 4 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004". Nowhere in any of the subsections of section 8 does a reference to education appear. I accept that it is implicit and reflected in section 8(1)(a) which refers to the transfer of functions to the new agency.

Bringing in the words "educational welfare" is important and adds to rather than takes from this section. Given all the other information we have, both in terms of the recent past and of the evidence presented in the sixth report of the rapporteur, Mr. Shannon, it is important that educational welfare is explicitly referred to here in regard to the functions of the new agency. The case I have put stands on its merits. It is self evident and I ask the Minister to reappraise her reply.

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