Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I gave a factual response because I like to deal in facts rather than conjecture. The fact is that the number of posts have increased significantly and there are now more SNA and resource teaching posts available to families with special educational needs than at any time in the past. In regard to supporting children with special needs in developing a degree of independence that is commensurate with whatever disability they have to endure, significant research is emerging which indicates that the availability of constant supervision and support from an adult in a mainstream school environment can hinder their progress. It can be counterproductive to provide an enhanced special needs assistance to certain children because it hampers their journey towards independence.

If, as Deputy Keaveney suggests, there is hard evidence backed up by research that families in less affluent areas are facing difficulties in accessing SNA support and resource teaching support, I would be interested in examining it with a view to putting in place other supports in those environments that would allow parents to access the services their children deserve.

See this speech in context